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Real James Bond

Episode 007 — James Bond


Episode Details

It’s Episode 007 and you know what that means: Birdwatchers, martinis, cocktail science, space-age surf rock, and the literary inspirations for the world’s best-known secret agent. Cheers!

Books

RealJamesBond_Cover

The Real James Bond: A True Story of Identity Theft, Avian Intrigues & Ian Fleming
Author: Jim Wright www.realjamesbond.net
Publisher/Date: Schiffer Publishing, 2020
Audio edition read by Raphael Corkhilll

“James Bond: author, ornithologist, marksman, and . . . identity-theft victim? When James Bond published his landmark book, Birds of the West Indies, he had no idea it would set in motion events that would link him to the most iconic spy in the Western world and turn his life upside down.”

Ian Fleming's Favourite Spy

‘Buster’ Crabb: Ian Fleming’s Favourite Spy
Author: Don Hale www.DonHale.co.uk
Publisher/Date: The History Press, 2020

“LIONEL ‘BUSTER’ CRABB was a drinker, a gambler, a womanizer and a lover of fast cars and gadgets. On top of all that, he was a spy, an acquaintance of Ian Fleming and the inspiration for James Bond. . . . Crabb worked directly under Fleming during the Second World War at Naval Intelligence and went on to conduct covert operations for both SIS and MI5. Elements from Crabb’s dangerous missions and eccentric lifestyle were later incorporated into Fleming’s novels . . . . “

Ian Fleming’s Inspiration:
The Truth Behind the Books
Author: Edward Able Smith
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books, 2020

“In this book, we go through the plots of Fleming’s novels explaining the real life experiences that inspired them. The reader is taken on a journey through Fleming’s direct involvement in World War II intelligence and how this translated through his typewriter into James Bond’s world, as well as the many other factors of Fleming’s life which were also taken as inspiration. Most notably, the friends who Fleming kept, among whom were Noel Coward and Randolph Churchill and the influential people he would mingle with, British Prime Ministers and American Presidents”

Nobody Does It Better: The Complete Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of James Bond
Authors: Mark A. Altman & Edward Gross
Publisher/Date: Forge Books, 2020

“The ultimate oral history of the only gentleman secret agent with a license to kill… and thrill…telling the incredible, uncensored true stories of the James Bond franchise and spy mania. For over five decades, the cinematic adventures of James Bond have thrilled moviegoers. Now, bestselling authors Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross take you behind-the-scenes of the most famous and beloved movie franchise of all-time filled with reflections from over 150 cast, crew, critics and filmmakers . . . “

Casino Royale
Author: Ian Fleming
Publisher/Date: Thomas & Mercer, 2012

“Agent 007 is dispatched to a French casino in Royale-les-Eaux. His mission? Bankrupt a ruthless Russian agent who’s been on a bad luck streak at the baccarat table. . . . Taut, tense, and effortlessly stylish, Ian Fleming’s inaugural James Bond adventure has all the hallmarks that made the series a touchstone for a generation of readers. The text in this edition has been restored by the Fleming family company Ian Fleming Publications, to reflect the work as it was originally published.

Booze

  • Plymouth Gin
  • Tito’s Handmade Vodka
  • Lillet Blanc

Drink Like a Spy

  • Vesper Martini
    • James Bond’s Famous Vesper Martini (www.TheSpruceEats.com)
    • James Bond Vesper Martini (www.InLiterature.net)
  • Other drink recipes
    • James Bond’s Drinks (www.TheSpruceEats.com)
    • The Cocktails of James Bond (TheGentlemansJournal.com)
  • Recipe Books
    • Shaken: Drinking with James Bond and Ian Fleming, the Official Cocktail Book
    • Bond Cocktails: Over 20 classic cocktail recipes for the secret agent in all of us

“Shaken, not stirred” — The science

  • Cocktail Science in General: Part 1 of 2, September 2nd, 2010 (www.CookingIssues.com)
Birds of the West Indies 1st Edition
Image courtesy

JamesBondTheSecretAgent.com

Links & Other Source Material

Bond’s Line

“All About ‘Bond’s Line’ — Both of Them

Image courtesy RealJamesBond.net


Sean Connery

  • Sean Connery, Oscar-Winning James Bond Actor, Dead at 90
  • Why Sean Connery’s Never Say Never Again Isn’t A REAL James Bond Movie

Lashana Lynch, Female 007

Image courtesy

ConsequenceOfSound.net
  • Why A Female James Bond Is So Controversial (& Why It Doesn’t Really Matter)
  • Why James Bond Isn’t 007 In No Time To Die
  • The name’s Bond… Jane Bond? How spy fiction has always reflected changes in society



License to Kill

00 Agent — “In Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels and the derived films, the 00 Section of MI6 is considered the secret service’s elite. A 00 (typically read “Double O” and denoted in Fleming’s novels by the letters “OO” rather than the digits “00”) is a field agent that holds a licence to kill in the field, at his or her discretion, to complete any mission.” (Wikipedia) 

Casino Royale Covers
Image courtesy JamesBondLifestyle.com

Music

Man or Astro-Man?

Man Or Astro-Man?
(Image courtesy AllMusic.com)

Band’s website

Full discography at Discogs.com

Band Biography by Greg Prato —
“Instrumental surf revival quartet that blended new wave, sci-fi themes, and classic surf rock for a retro-futuristic sound.”

Destroy All Astromen!
Image courtesy RootsVinylGuide.com

Written by:
Bradley Weber
Published on:
December 4, 2020
Thoughts:
1 Comment

Categories: Biograhpy, History, Non-Fiction, Of Books and Booze, Podcasts, SpiritsTags: James Bond, Man or Astro Man, Of Books and Booze, Vesper, Vesper Martini

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Episode 012 ⎯⎯ The Best Books I’ve Never Read says:
    June 6, 2021 at 4:32 pm

    […] juice– Shake vigorously for at least 15 seconds. (For details on why, go listen to Episode 007 ⎯⎯ The Real James Bond) – Strain the cocktail into a tall and skinny highball glass three-quarters full of crushed […]

    Reply

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