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Comments
I'd say somewhere around the time when we won the Revolutionary War and earned the right to do whatever we pleased. ;)
Texas is a state, not a country. Bet your UK family knows that.
...we all do. Thanks for your concern. Responding to you I can think of another word we spell differently... you can pick either spelling you choose.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22363629-shoot-to-kill
"I can honestly say that it is not very often that I win any competitions, so thank you goodreads for my early release copy.
It was with some trepidation that I started this book, as having read every Bond book prior to this one, including all of the Charlie Higson Young Bonds, which got better with every book, I was wondering whether Steve Cole could move the character on.
I shouldn't have worried, as Steve Cole has continued where Charlie Higson left off, and has written a very good novel, which moves the character forwards from his Eton days, and has also delivered a more mature story to boot. The villains are very earthy and are never too over the top, and some of the scenes of violence are very grown up.
Everybody knows when they pick these novels up that James will persevere, but it's the journey that he goes on, and how he endures the threats thrown at him that makes the books enjoyable.
Along with James Bond, the series is growing up as well, and we are now entering the stage where we are starting to see him moving towards his 00 status and the adventures that we all know and love. And for me that makes the series more intriguing. "
with the release two days away the review just might be true. I will undoubtedly read this novel sooner than later. But to be honest I really look forward to Stephen Kings release the 11th this month.
And both are pre-ordered, as well as Blue Labyrinth by messieurs Child & Preston being the new Pendergast novel.
Charlie Higson had told me he couldn't put Young Bond into more mature relationships because of his age. Will see if that progresses.
More stuff to wet your appetite:
http://www.thebookbond.com/
I don't know if I like the image of Bond in a tuxedo holding a gun. That's adult Bond. Bond's still only 14. Maybe he had to wear a tuxedo to some swanky event but did Bond use a gun (obviously someone else's gun) in the Higson books? Maybe he did. I can't remember.
Sounds rather generic in nature, but thanks for sharing anyhow. I think Steve Cole's new book will be a step up nearer to the adult Bond we all know and love here.
Given the era and circumstances that the book is set in and not to mention boys his age today, in certain circles of a particular background, the dinner suit is by no means a problem at all. The only disastrous thing about it is, the wing - tip collar of the shirt; which is a cosmetically superficial peeve of mine of one isn't hired help.
Couldn't find a copy in my branch.
Didn't like to ask.
Bond as young agent might be more interesting.
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Young_Bond:_Shoot_to_Kill_by_Steve_Cole
Sounds promising. It has a few very minor spoilers but nothing major. It only tells you what kinds of action scenes we can expect.
Interestingly, MI6 have given it 3 out of 5 stars but there isn't a review there. Maybe one will follow shortly.
His general premise, that Bond had all these wild adventures, worthy of the adult Bond from age 13 and onwards is outrageous.
The poor guy would have been exhausted by 21.
In "reality" Bond is a seasoned 00 agent that we are introduced to by Fleming at roughly age 30.
How long he has had the 00 agent designation, we don't know, although in the first film, the 31 year old Sean Connery Bond tells us that his Beretta has served him well for lo 10 years, suggesting he's been an armed agent provocateur type for some time.
I like to think that when we first meet Bond in Fleming's Casino Royale his core 00 years are just beginning.
He's now hitting his prime young-adult mature years, ie 30-plus, in which he can function in the world to maxium impact.
Fleming rightly suggested that by age 45 such agents should be looking at retirement or downscaling their blunt instrument activities- activities better suited to younger men.
I find Young Bond outrageous. It would make far more sense that Bond had a normal adolescent life, doing what young guys do, until such time as he was recruited into intelligence work.
The pre-Fleming stories don't get interesting IMO until he goes up against the Nazis in WWII, presumabley as a brash, young, but highly skilled operative.
John Pearson provided a very succint general overview of Bond's war and post-war activities prior to the events of Royale-les-eaux.
Fleshing out Pearson's broader outline would make for great Bond storytelling.
Personally, I would have Bond killing enemies by WWII. That's what the war was about, killling and destroying Axis personnel and operations - in Bond's case mainly Nazi's operating in the Euro theatre, although he could travel beyond the continent too.
It was a war of global scale.
The writer could later expand on the post-war secret service activities that warranted a 00 license.
Bond could be shown to have peacetime lethal skills in the execution of some of his post-war adventures, ultimately leading to full conferring of 00 status as licensed assassin, for her Majesty's Secret Service.
In the meantime, I find all these pre-war adolescent grand adventures, to be outlandish fantasy existing in a fantasy Bond universe.
The real storytelling IMO begins when Bond finds his way into the WWII action at even say age 16, if you allow that Bond was born in 1924, which was the year of birth that William Boyd settled on for Solo.
So, I'll will read Cole's book for posterity and dutifully shelve it along with all the other continuation efforts.
But what I am really waiting for, along with more adult 00 Bond adventures, is Bond's wartime adventures and beyond, leading up to the life-changing events of Royale-les-eaux.
Herein lies the problem. IFP's complete lack of strategy continues to exemplify how not to do things and it is little wonder that eon have chosen to create their own stories rather than to buy any of the film rights pertaining to the continuation novels.
Doubtless I'll read it in due course but there seems to be a lack of media excitement so maybe the sausage has lost its sizzle?
The fact that they did have Young Bond novels written means that I really don't care now that they are exploring James's Fettes days with a few more books. As I've said before, I would have preferred not to have had any books written about Bond in his early teen years. Now that they have, then they can go nuts as far as I'm concerned.
Even though I did very much enjoy Higson's books, as others have said before, including myself, to think that a young Bond could get caught up in all these adventures is just ridiculous. I would have much preferred to have had them stick to Pearson's version of events. He did a great job. Bond's childhood days were realistic but not without romanticism, excitement and drama, albeit more subtle, which is I feel, completely appropriate. Pearson nailed it.
In a perfect world, IFP would have started at Bond's WW2 days and had a series of books written covering this time, right up until CR. They also wouldn't have gone down the comic book route. Comics should be written based on a set of already written novels.
Well, they are doing comic adaptions of the Fleming novels themselves as well, so there you go. I'm quite excited for the graphic novels myself.
As for the graphic novels, just more to read I guess, but they will become canon re. Bonds adult formative years. Maybe actual novels can be transcribed from the graphic novel stories at some point.
I wonder if Pearson used 1920 because he thought Bond should have been around the age of 19/20, when he joined the war. Armistice Day and Bond's birthday is tomorrow! :)
Maybe novels will be transcribed from the comics. If novels are never written covering these exciting years - WW2/pre CR, then what an incredible disappointment this would be. It'd be surprising too, seeing IFP seem to want to milk old Fleming's creation as much as possible (they probably swim in bullion on their days off). I wonder what they'd be doing for work if Bond was never created. ;) Nah, they've done good things too and I would rather keep reading continuation books then no Bond books at all. Let's just hope we get some good continuation books in the future.
Comics are beautiful things but they can't convey as much as novels can which is why I feel that novels should be written first covering the WW2 and pre CR era. Still, there should be some beautiful war pictures of canons firing etc.
At some point, novels must be written! If the comics have good stories, then maybe some or all of the novels will be based on these. IFP are obviously eager to do all this now. Why not I suppose. Life is short. Maybe they thought that with adult and Young Bond books being written, that more novels would have been too much, hence their choice to go down the comic book route.
Would be a good thread to extend birthday greetings. Still,two days away for me, in my time zone.
Pearson wrote his book in 1973 so Bond I guess would only have been 53 at that time, if born in 1920.
I can't remember, but Pearson was probably selectively working with some of the Fleming continuity.
But I do think Boyd made a good case for Bond being 45 in his Solo, circa 1969.
http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/10211/bond-s-birthdate#latest