On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Rating:
Summary: Bond's Alpine Adventure
Review: The last really good Bond novel, and one which sees Bond go into previously uncharted territory like the aisle and even 'M''s home.

The plot centres around a plan by Bond's old adversary from 'Thunderball' (1961), Ernst Stavro Blofeld, to cripple Britain financially by ruining her agriculture and food industry with biological warfare. Under the guise of an expert in family trees, Bond is able to infiltrate Blofeld's secret operation in the Swiss Alps, to try to put an end to his dastardly plans.

Interestingly, the novel opens with James Bond visiting the scene of the first Bond novel, Royale-les-Eaux, and he treads over familiar ground in the shape of the French coastal towns casino. It is a strangely ironic place in which to meet the love of his life (Tracy) as it also contains the grave of a woman (Vesper Lynd) who caused him the most anguish.

A well written, fast paced thriller, it is packed with exciting action, worthy villains, humourous incidents, good food and the compulsory love interest. The love interest in this novel is one 'Tracy' de Vicenzo who Bond rescues from disgrace and death and ends up falling in love with and marrying. Under normal circumstances the fact that she is the daughter of the 'Capu' of the Corsican mafia would complicate things somewhat but in this novel it is a positive boon for Bond and one which he takes full advantage of.

The villain is top notch. In Ernst Stavro Blofeld we have a man to really dislike; cold and calculating, he literally oozes malevolence. He has no redeeming features whatsoever and the choice of Irma Bunt as his assistant only helps the reader wish even more for Bond to succeed in his mission.
If Blofeld does have a weakness, it appears to be that he covets the respectability and status that a title would give him, and this proves to be a significant failing on his part.

Exciting ski, car and bobsleigh rides, added to the ingenious plot and unusual location gives one the feeling that this Bond novel was, in a lot of ways, Flemings last classic Bond adventure. Following this novel we had the frankly bizarre 'You Only Live Twice' (1964) and 'The Man With The Golden Gun' (1965) which wasn't all Fleming's work. 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (a phrase coined by Tracy's father, the likeable Capu, Marc-Ange) is a book that it is hard to put down and in the final analysis that is what all good novels have in common.

The book does have a very sad end and the reader should really follow it by reading 'You Only Live Twice' as it more or less follows on from this novel and sees Bond getting his revenge on Blofeld.

Rating:
Summary: Bond's Alpine Adventure
Review: The last really good Bond novel, and one which sees Bond go into previously uncharted territory like the aisle and even `M''s home.

The plot centres around a plan by Bond's old adversary from `Thunderball' (1961), Ernst Stavro Blofeld, to cripple Britain financially by ruining her agriculture and food industry with biological warfare. Under the guise of an expert in family trees, Bond is able to infiltrate Blofeld's secret operation in the Swiss Alps, to try to put an end to his dastardly plans.

Interestingly, the novel opens with James Bond visiting the scene of the first Bond novel, Royale-les-Eaux, and he treads over familiar ground in the shape of the French coastal towns casino. It is a strangely ironic place in which to meet the love of his life (Tracy) as it also contains the grave of a woman (Vesper Lynd) who caused him the most anguish.

A well written, fast paced thriller, it is packed with exciting action, worthy villains, humourous incidents, good food and the compulsory love interest. The love interest in this novel is one `Tracy' de Vicenzo who Bond rescues from disgrace and death and ends up falling in love with and marrying. Under normal circumstances the fact that she is the daughter of the `Capu' of the Corsican mafia would complicate things somewhat but in this novel it is a positive boon for Bond and one which he takes full advantage of.

The villain is top notch. In Ernst Stavro Blofeld we have a man to really dislike; cold and calculating, he literally oozes malevolence. He has no redeeming features whatsoever and the choice of Irma Bunt as his assistant only helps the reader wish even more for Bond to succeed in his mission.
If Blofeld does have a weakness, it appears to be that he covets the respectability and status that a title would give him, and this proves to be a significant failing on his part.

Exciting ski, car and bobsleigh rides, added to the ingenious plot and unusual location gives one the feeling that this Bond novel was, in a lot of ways, Flemings last classic Bond adventure. Following this novel we had the frankly bizarre `You Only Live Twice' (1964) and `The Man With The Golden Gun' (1965) which wasn't all Fleming's work. `On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (a phrase coined by Tracy's father, the likeable Capu, Marc-Ange) is a book that it is hard to put down and in the final analysis that is what all good novels have in common.

The book does have a very sad end and the reader should really follow it by reading `You Only Live Twice' as it more or less follows on from this novel and sees Bond getting his revenge on Blofeld.

Rating:
Summary: Bond Faces the Unthinkable
Review: This is probably Ian Fleming's most interesting and personal James Bond novel. This book precedes "You Only Live Twice" as it sends James Bond on a mission to track down the head of SPECTRE. This is a very well written novel and is very interesting trying to fathom what Fleming had been contemplating for his hero at that time in his life. I found this absorbing novel very difficult to put down once I started reading it as I did with its follow-up. If you do decide to read it I recommend that you read it before "You Only Live Twice." I will go one step further, if you read both of these novels then read "The Man with the Golden Gun" after you finish "You Only Live Twice." These three novels make up a sort of trilogy. One hint: "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" is very close to the movie version. "You Only Live Twice" and "The Man with the Golden Gun" movies have very little at all to do with the Fleming novels in any direct sense of plot and conflict. So don't be discouraged. I have read these three novels several times over. In this novel the relationship between Bond and M becomes clearer while Bond's own convictions come under self-scrutiny. Is there a line between duty and honor?

Rating:
Summary: Close to the Top
Review: What more could someone ask for? Adventure, incredible scenery, a posh life, international intrigue, a demonic foe and, of course, love. This time it's the real thing for Bond, but as anyone who knows this genre well, it is only fleeting passions. After all, how could a married man carry on like we all expect (and hope) he does.

SPECTRE is back again, Blofield as evil as ever. After all the trials trials and tribulations, the final victory is sweet. This of course makes the ending all the more shocking and at the same time, "right". The look on Connery's face in the movie was priceless.

Rating:
Summary: Close to the Top
Review: What more could someone ask for? Adventure, incredible scenery, a posh life, international intrigue, a demonic foe and, of course, love. This time it's the real thing for Bond, but as anyone who knows this genre well, it is only fleeting passions. After all, how could a married man carry on like we all expect (and hope) he does.

SPECTRE is back again, Blofield as evil as ever. After all the trials trials and tribulations, the final victory is sweet. This of course makes the ending all the more shocking and at the same time, "right". The look on Connery's face in the movie was priceless.