Introduction

The name's Rivers, John Rivers, current incumbent of the literary site Fifth Estate, pub goer, Dr Who fan and now attempting to read the Bond books in order...

I've done quite a bit of 'hero' fiction - Sherlock Holmes, Sharpe, Dirk Pitt, Morse, erm, Doctor Who etc - some good, some crap (for instance Bernard Cornwell I find to be a lazy, lazy writer sometimes...) but I've never really tangled with the literary version of Bond. When I was a teenager I read some of the Gardiner books, but to be honest don't remember a lot about them. So I decided I'd start at the start with Fleming and see how far I get...



This was prompted by three different things a) the superb Casino Royale movie from 2006 which made me really buy back in to the franchise. b) That Sebastian Faulks has a new Bond novel Devil May Care coming out and c) an encounter with Young Bond author Charlie Higson, where I get my facts wrong (or he did) and completely embarrass myself. Add to this a free Bond giveaway with the Times all last week and the mission begins. Now, pay attention, 007, spoilers follow...