James Bond

Posted on by Editorial Team

Commander James Bond, CMG, RNVR is a fictional superspy character. He was created in February 1952 by Ian Fleming while on vacation at his Jamaican estate called Goldeneye. Fleming used to work as a journalist for Kemsley Newspaper as well as a naval intelligence officer before he took up writing. Fleming, who was born on May 28th, 1908, single-handedly transformed popular detective and spy fiction from the dark, through the eye of James Bond, secret agent 007. The character James Bond was influenced by Fleming himself, but the name came from the author of the book ‘The Ultimate Guide Book To Birds In The West Indies’ – by James Bond.

Bond is a cool, handsome, dangerous secret agent of the international arm of the British Secret Service headquartered in London. His code number, 007, indicates that he has a “license to kill” in the line of duty. As an agent of the Secret Service, Bond holds code number “007,” except for in You Only Live Twice, where he temporarily becomes “7777”. James Bond is the son of a Scottish father, Andrew Bond and a Swiss mother, Monique Delacroix. Bond spent many of his early years abroad and became proficient in German and French due to his father’s work as a foreign representative. When Bond was 11, both of his parents died in a mountain climbing.

Bond is a creature of sensual appetites, a consummate gourmand, womanizer, and drinker and is a heavy cigarette smoker. He also has an amazing knowledge of wines and spirits. Bond is famous for ordering his vodka martinis “shaken, not stirred.” In the films, he is famous for introducing himself as “Bond, James Bond” his usual and characteristical clothing is a tuxedo, usually also wearing a Rolex watch or an Omega, and he is also characterized by his Walther PPK pistol, which has been replaced by the Walther P99.

According to Fleming, after joining the RNVR, Bond is mentioned as traveling to America, Hong Kong, and Jamaica. It is believed that it is during this time that Bond joined an organization called the SOE. His commanding officer, M, alludes to Bond’s rank as being cover.

He has been portrayed on film by

  • Sean Connery who starred in 5 films.
  • George Lazenby who starred in 1 film.
  • Roger Moore who starred in 7 films.
  • Timothy Dalton who starred in 2 films.
  • Pierce Brosnan who starred in 4 films.
  • Daniel Craig who is the current bond and has starred in 1 film.

However, Bond was first portrayed by Barry Nelson in a 1954 American television movie based on the novel Casino Royale, and next by Bob Holness in a 1956 South African radio series based on the novel Moonraker. The latest bond film was Casino Royale which was premiered on 14 November 2006. Notably, it is the first Bond film to be released in China.

James Bond novel in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series are:

  • 1953 – CASINO ROYALE
  • 1954 – LIVE & LET DIE
  • 1955 – MOONRAKER
  • 1956 – DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
  • 1957 – FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE
  • 1958 – DR. NO
  • 1959 – GOLDFINGER
  • 1960 – FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
  • 1961 – THUNDERBALL
  • 1962 – THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
  • 1963 – ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE
  • 1964 – YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
  • 1965 – THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
  • 1966 – OCTOPUSSY

After Fleming’s death in 1964, subsequent James Bond novels were written by Kingsley Amis (as Robert Markham), John Pearson, John Gardner, Raymond Benson and Charlie Higson.

Official James Bond films:

  • Dr. No (1962)
  • From Russia With Love (1963)
  • Goldfinger (1964)
  • Thunderball (1965 )
  • You Only Live Twice (1967)
  • On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
  • Diamonds Are F orever (1971)
  • Live and Let Die (1973)
  • The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
  • The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
  • Moonraker (1979)
  • For Your Eyes Only (1981)
  • Octopussy (1983)
  • A View to a Kill (1985)
  • The Living Daylights (1987)
  • Licence to Kill (1989)
  • GoldenEye (1995)
  • Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
  • The World is Not Enough (1999)
  • Die Another Day (2002)
  • Casino Royale (2006)
  • “Bond 22” (2008)
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