The Bentley is James Bond's car of choice in several of the original Fleming novels and Ian Fleming was a huge admirer of the Bentley Boys, seduced by their adventures on the racing track. In his introduction, racing legend Sir Stirling Moss comments- 'When it came to cars Fleming really knew his stuff... he must have known that the fabulous pre-war Bentleys won at Le Mans four years in a row from 1927-30.' 'Bond's car was his only personal hobby. One of the last of the 4 litre Bentleys with the supercharger by Amherst ...
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The Bentley is James Bond's car of choice in several of the original Fleming novels and Ian Fleming was a huge admirer of the Bentley Boys, seduced by their adventures on the racing track. In his introduction, racing legend Sir Stirling Moss comments- 'When it came to cars Fleming really knew his stuff... he must have known that the fabulous pre-war Bentleys won at Le Mans four years in a row from 1927-30.' 'Bond's car was his only personal hobby. One of the last of the 4 litre Bentleys with the supercharger by Amherst Villiers, he had bought it almost new in 1933 and had kept it in careful storage throughout the war... Bond drove it hard and well and with an almost sensual pleasure.' - Ian Fleming, Casino Royale, 1953 The book has been created by designers Kris Potter and Stephen Parker at Random House, who were inspired following a trip to the Bentley Motors HQ in Crewe. They comment- 'We knew that any design we came up with would have to reflect the incredible craftsmanship and heritage we had seen in the Bentley cars at Crewe, the challenge for us was how we could combine this with the coolness and nostalgia of Bond... The inspiration was endless.' From the hand-bound beluga leather casing to distinctive Bentley features such as hand-stitched embroidery and silver foil page edges, this special edition of Casino Royale is produced with only the very finest materials. Its striking red, white and black colouring is a nod to the gambling theme of Fleming's first novel, where Bond famously takes on his adversary, Le Chiffre, over a game of baccarat. A special feature of this edition is the bespoke set of playing cards, hidden within a secret compartment. Key features of the design The book is presented in an elegant leather clamshell case. The case and special edition are bound in beluga coloured leather, sourced from the tannery in Italy which provides hides for Bentley's interiors. Using Bentley's craftsmanship, this edition features the iconic double stitching and signature winged Bentley logo - all hand stitched on the leather casing. Bentley's trademark knurling adorns the metal spine. This feature is inspired by the Bentley steel tread plate. Each book has a limitation marque with Ian Fleming's signature, reflecting the plate you would find on a Bentley engine. Throughout each book are evocative brush illustrations by the Award winning illustrator Damian Gascoigne. Removing the book from the clamshell reveals a hidden compartment. Within this secret compartment lies a leather-bound case of Bentley Bond playing cards.
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Casino Royale is the first book in the James Bond series. I've seen the movie -- the new and the old version -- many times, but this is the first time I've actually read the book. James Bond is a much more complex character than the way he is portrayed in the movies. Yes, he travels to exotic places to kill people and he has more than his share of liaisons with beautiful women....but the books include his thoughts on his job, his fear and apprehension during missions, and his considerations of retirement, settling down, forming a more lasting relationship with a woman, etc. The complexity of the character just doesn't come through in the movies. The movies are pretty much just action-packed fight scenes separated by drinking martinis and having sex.
In Casino Royale, Bond infiltrates a high stakes baccarat game in order to bankrupt and ultimately ruin a Russian operative, Le Chiffre. With some help from an American CIA agent, Felix Leiter, and another British Agent, the beautiful Vesper Lynd, Bond manages to win a record amount of money at the baccarat table. But Le Chiffre is determined not to be ruined. He kidnaps Bond and Vesper Lynd, setting in motion events that might be the end of Bond.
This book contains one of the most gruesome torture scenes I have ever experienced in a book. The movie starring Daniel Craig depicted the basics of the torture, but left out much of the psychological brutality of the entire scene. I thought the movie version was traumatic....but the book's description is so much more gruesome. It's an important scene that's integral to the plot of the book. It's not overdone and there is absolutely no detailed description of the event or in the injuries to Bond. The horror comes in the matter of fact manner in which Le Chiffre explains what he is doing and why, and the description of how he goes about it. The coldness, the violence, the unfeeling nature of a very evil man.....and the brutality yet simplistic nature of his attack on Bond. In the movie, a knotted rope is used for the attack. But in the book it's a simple household tool, a carpet beater. Le Chiffre comments that it is easy to cause extreme pain and suffering to a man with the simplest of tools if one knows just how to do it. The entire scene sent chills down my spine. It is definitely not for the feint of heart.
The book has 3 distinct sections -- the baccarat game at the casino, the kidnapping and torture, and the aftermath. I didn't much care for the first section of the book. I have absolutely no interest in gambling and there is a lot of explanation about the game, the odds, what cards they are playing, etc. Plus Fleming uses a lot of French, German and Russian words and phrases sprinkled throughout. While that does help create atmosphere, after awhile it just gets old, especially when it's gourmet food, wines, liquors and other details I felt weren't all that important. For me, it was just a bit overdone. After the baccarat game, the action revved up considerably and the story became much more interesting for me. The ending is a bit abrupt, but it makes sense that it ends the way it does.
I listened to the audiobook version of Casino Royale. At just over 5 hours long, it was a relatively quick listen. Dan Stevens narrates. Stevens reads at a nice even pace, and did an excellent job with all different accents and voices of characters. I have hearing loss but was easily able to understand and enjoy this audiobook.
EspionJeune
Apr 22, 2010
Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Bond
In this, the first James Bond novel by the Earl of Espionage, Ian Fleming, we are introduced to the suave, intelligent, high-living spy who has become a legendary figure in pop culture. Assigned to an unusual job - a game of baccarat against Le Chiffre, a member of the Soviet anti-spy organization SMERSH who has become deeply indebted after spending Soviet funds on his own private business investments - Bond must ensure that Le Chiffre does not win his money back at the tables. After meeting his partner for the assignment, the beautiful Vesper, and hooking up with his CIA couterpart, Felix Leiter, Bond sets out on a mission to disrupt his Soviet enemies and ensure Le Chiffre's disgrace (and probable death). A Bond classic for sure, this book is fast-paced and leads to an exciting climax that won't disappoint, as well as a twist that will leave you asking for more. Do not fear, however, as Mr. Fleming wrote 11 other Bond missions, as well as 2 short stories collections up until his death in 1964.
