“Head of S” has just emerged from M’s room and is telling “Number Two” who has been chosen for this special mission: (remember this is the first Bond book Fleming wrote, and chronologically the first Bond adventure.) I’ll quote the passage. Secondly, there is a reference at the beginning of the book to one of James Bond’s earlier cases. I’d always imagined that Fleming introduced these things, built up this alternative universe, gradually, but no, he had it all there ready in his head before he ever started. You may have read the book once, no doubt long ago, or perhaps seen the film – not Sean Connery, this one was more recent and starred Daniel Craig along with Eva Green, a great favourite of mine since I first saw her as Sibylla in Kingdom of Heaven.Īnd here she is with Daniel Craig in Casino Royale:īut back to the book! All I want to do in this “review” is draw attention to a few points that strike me as interesting,įirstly, we meet “M” and get the whole set-up and a two-page Top Secret document on SMERSH at once. However, now that I am about to embark on Live and Let Die, and have some time free, here goes. I read Casino Royale that night I said I was going to (after reviewing James Bond: The Authorised Biography) but never got round to commenting on it.
