James Bond Books

James Bond is a literary franchise that consists of a series of novels and short stories that were first published in 1953 by the British author and journalist Lan Fleming. The protagonist of the series, James Bond, is a British Secret Service agent, often referred to by his code name 007. Lan Fleming himself was a former naval intelligence officer before he turned to writing, which we believe adds an interesting edge to his protagonist James Bond.

James Bond first appeared in Fleming’s 1953 novel Casino Royale following which the character and the books became popular across the world. The books are set in a contemporary period during Fleming's lifetime between 1951 to 1964. Fleming wrote twelve novels and two collections of short stories in the series and published annually. Two of the books were even published after Fleming's death in 1964.

By then James Bond was already an iconic literary character and continued his adventures through several authors that wrote continuation works (books and films) for the franchise. The first in the long list of James Bond literary series authors was Kingsley Amis, who wrote under the pseudonym of Robert Markham. However, John Gardner was the one who was invited to continue the series by Ian Fleming Publications, the copyright holders to the franchise. He wrote fourteen novels and two novelisations between 1981 and 1996. Since Gardner retired due to ill health; many other authors have written James Bond. The most recent novel being the one by Anthony Horowitz which was released more recently on 26th May 2022.

Young Bond: Strike Lightning by Steve Cole Third in this three-part series (also available as a box set) by Steve Cole, this thrilling Young Bond adventure brings back James Bond. If you are a James Bond fan that is keen on getting your child hooked on to the series, this may be a good start for your youngster to become interested in the franchise.

BEFORE THE MAN BECAME THE LEGEND. BEFORE THE BOY BECAME THE MAN. When James stumbles upon a horrific sight, he knows things are not what they seem. His school is determined to make him believe what happened was an accident, but James believes what he saw was murder. The significance of the events at school only come to light in the course of an adventure that takes James across Europe and puts him within range of a warmongering villain. Has James got what it takes to triumph over this man, the worst kind of enemy, who boasts a new kind of weapon?

Another James Bond book that is great for young adults to get started with the franchise is the bestselling Young Bond: SilverFin by Charlie Higson. There's something in the water at Loch Silverfin. Something deadly. Something that must be kept secret. It's James Bond's first day at Eton, and he's already met his first enemy. This is the start of an adventure that will take him from the school playing fields to the remote shores of Loch Silverfin and a terrifying discovery that threatens to unleash a new breed of warfare. Exciting and intriguing, this book will keep your young one glued to the pages and is sure to inculcate a love for reading.

Licence Renewed: A James Bond thriller by John Gardner, the first author to officially continue the Ian Fleming James Bond books franchise, after his passing. A brilliant nuclear scientist and a known terrorist–James Bond is on his most dangerous mission yet. As Ian Fleming's 007 returned in this original, authorised Bond thriller; this one was the first of John Gardner's novels featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent. Bond has been assigned to investigate one Dr. Anton Murik, a brilliant nuclear physicist who is thought to have been meeting with a terrorist known as Franco. Together they plan to hijack six nuclear power plants around the world and start a global meltdown, unless Bond can stop them.