Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories » (Movie Tie-In Edition)

Ian Fleming (1908—1964), the creator of the world's best known secret agent, joined Naval Intelligence and served throughout World War II, finally earning the rank of commander. Much of the James Bond material was drawn directly from Fleming's experiences as an intelligence officer.

Many of Ian Fleming's short stories have been the inspiration for the extremely successful James Bond film franchise, and included in this collection are such stories as Octopussy, The Living Daylights, and For Your Eyes Only. The title story, Quantum of Solace, lends its name to the upcoming James Bond film, slated to release in Fall 2008. This collection will be published to coincide with the film's release, as well as to continue Penguin's centenary celebrations of Fleming's birth.

Publishers Weekly

Bond fans may initially be disappointed to find that the title story has absolutely nothing in common with the recent Daniel Craig movie, save the title. “Quantum” was an experimental piece Fleming wrote for Cosmopolitan in 1959 and has no elements of a secret agent or espionage yarn at all. This complete collection of 007 stories is made especially captivating by the talents of Simon Vance, whose cool, subdued and slightly removed narration is spot on, recalling Sean Connery’s interpretation of the role. So arresting is Vance’s performance that the listener can easily forgive his occasional “accent amnesia” in which a Cuban villain sounds somewhat Transylvanian and a soft-spoken, wife-beating American millionaire who’s described as sounding like Humphrey Bogart sounds like Bogie only to a very forgiving ear. But Vance’s wonderful characters beg our forgiveness, for their dark hearts and his telling of the riveting tales come through as keenly as a well-aimed shot from a Walther PPK. A Penguin paperback. (Nov.)

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From a View to a Kill 1

For Your Eyes Only 33

Quantum of Solace 79

Risico 105

The Hildebrand Rarity 145

Octopussy 185

The Property of a Lady 219

The Living Daylights 245

007 in New York 271