It is 1956 and we review the latest Ian Fleming James Bond 007 novel, Diamonds Are Forever. With David Craggs, author Andy Onyx and Spybrary Host Shane Whaley. If you enjoyed this episode do check out our deep-dive discussions about other Ian Fleming James Bond Books at The James Bond Book Club section.
Diamonds Are Forever – brief synopisis.
Hired by the Spangled Mob to smuggle diamonds from London to New York, undercover agent James Bond is quickly drawn into a dangerous criminal underworld. As his investigation takes him from New York to the racetracks of Saratoga to the diamond mines of Sierra Leone, Bond races to dismantle a smuggling network that spans the globe.
Diamonds Are Forever is the fourth title in the James Bond spy series. It was adapted for a 1971 film starring Sean Connery as James Bond.
What is the Spybrary James Bond Book Club exactly and what makes it different from other 007 book clubs?
On the James Bond Book Club, we get in our time machine and go back to the year of publication. We dissect each of the Ian Fleming 007 novels in order and include themes such as :
1) Discussing the timing of each book. The year in which it was written. The zeitgeist of that time. Key historic and cultural events.
2) Background to the plot and any links to Fleming’s personal experiences.
3) The U.K.'s first edition cover art.
4) The plot.
5) Locations
6) Bond’s character development.
7) The Villain.
8) La femme fatale.
9) The supporting cast.
10) The branding.
11) Key set pieces and the best chapters.
12) Critical reception
We will not be referring to or discussing the 007 movies.
We will only be referencing previous books rather than those published in the future – as if we are experiencing the work of Fleming for the first time.
