Under Cover Uncovered

'Soldier, Spy' by Tom Marcus

So, from peril in the Underworld I moved on to peril in the UK in the form of  'Soldier, Spy', memoir of former soldier and MI5 surveillance officer Tom Marcus.

'Soldier, Spy'
by Tom Marcus
(Penguin Books, 2017)

'Soldier, Spy' is a brutally, no-nonsense memoir.  After a necessarily self-sufficient childhood, Marcus joined the Army as soon as he was able, eventually becoming the youngest person selected for Special Operations in Northern Ireland.  In this role, the particular skills he'd acquired while growing up on the streets were noted by his superiors and he was recruited to MI5 soon after the 7/7 terrorist attacks in London.  He became an able but gradually more and more maverick officer, completing team operations across the country to tackle everything from international spies to home-grown terrorism.  It's a dark, dangerous and low profile business, and, eventually, a lifetime on high alert starts to take its toll on Marcus's mental health.  But in a world of half-truths and suspicions, how do you tell what's right and what's wrong?

Bond Meets his Matches

So, the day has finally come.  For nearly two years, I've been working my way through the 007 Reloaded audiobooks, recordings of Ian Fleming's original James Bond novels read by a variety of great actors.  I've finally finished my last one.  I say 'my' last one because I've not actually listened to them in order, but, in a strange way, I'm glad that 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' by Ian Fleming and read by David Tennant was my last.

'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'
by Ian Fleming
(Penguin Modern Classics, 2004)

No Limit!

No no no no no no no no no no no no there's no limit!

'Dr No' by Ian Fleming, read by Hugh Quarshie
(AudioGo 2012)

OK, now I've got that out of my system, here is a post about 'Dr No' by Ian Fleming, an AudioGo 007 Reloaded version of the novel read by Hugh Quarshie.

Returning to active duty after a near fatal encounter with the Russians, James Bond is given an easy assignment; investigating the disappearance of two MI6 operatives based in Kingston, Jamaica.  But the case is not as it seems. Before too long M's 'bit of a holiday' looking into a suspected affair and elopement has evolved into something far more sinister.  As Bond joins the dots, he finds all the threads lead to Crab Key, home to rare birds, a guano plant and the secretive spider at the web's centre, Dr Julius No.

'Dr No' is much more meticulously paced than 'Live and Let Die', the last Bond story I listened to as an audiobook.  It's still not a long novel, but it includes much more tension, character development and back story and is the better for it.  Bond lives a hyper-real, ultra-violent life just within sight of reality, so it helps to actually bring the story back down to Earth by making readers care about the characters.  In 'Dr No', Quarrel and Honeychile Ryder are much more developed than Solitaire in 'Live and Let Die', so there is a greater sense of danger that makes you genuinely root for these people and want to find out what happens next.

'Dr No' by Ian Fleming
(Penguin Modern
Classics, 2004)

I thought Solitaire was a complete waste of space, but I absolutely fell in love with Honeychile Ryder.  Although in some ways a victim of circumstances, she's not been sat around waiting for Bond to arrive and sort everything out for her.  She has her own aims, talents and desires, some more sensible than others, but whether her decisions make good sense or not, at least she's trying and she's not afraid of using her skills and knowledge to make her way independently in the world.  You go girl!

While the heroes seem more real, the villain Dr No was as unreal as they come.  Perhaps it was a deliberate dichotomy or maybe a villain as completely off the wall as this one is so unbelievable to prevent readers having nightmares.  Having said that, while No was a typical megalomaniacal Bond villain who seemed completely detached from reality in his underground lair, he was scary.  Normally this sort of character becomes borderline camp in the films, but on the page and in his own domain claustrophobia sets in and you begin to doubt that even 007 can overcome this madman's manipulations.

Overall, 'Dr No' is a great adventure story, action-packed, tense and with real punch in places.  It has dated in the last 57 years, but, to be fair, all the Bond books I've encountered so far have, like so many of their contemporaries.  If you can see beyond this, however, I would recommend it.

Now, what next?

Related Posts

'Live and Let Die'
'Casino Royale'
'For Your Eyes Only'

Rough and Ready

After really enjoying 'For Your Eyes Only' in AudioGo's 007 Rebooted series, I decided to go back to where it all began and listen to the first Bond book, 'Casino Royale' by Ian Fleming, read by Dan Stevens (him off Downton Abbey).

'Casino Royal' by Ian Fleming
read by Dan Stevens
(AudioGo 2012)

Top Soviet secret agent Le Chiffre has taken one risk too many with his paymaster's money.  On the verge of bankruptcy and pursued by Russia's elite spy killers SMERSH, he's decided to gamble himself out of harms way at the exclusive French resort of Royale-Les-Eaux.  But Le Chiffre isn't the only one seizing his chance; the British Secret Service knows he is vulnerable and, if he is beaten, one of the USSR's key pieces will be out of the game.  So they send James Bond, double-0, assassin and the best gambler they have, to take his money so that SMERSH can take his life.

'Casino Royale' was an interesting book because here is James Bond before he became the James Bond we're more familiar with.  There's something unformed about him, as if Fleming met him in a bar and then casually decided to follow him and see where he ended up.  At the start of the book, the character seems peculiarly aimless, only interested in getting the job done and the sexual buzz that comes afterwards.  If he has any driving force at  all, it's the appeasement of his senses; whether it's an excellent meal, the colour of a women's dress or the warmth of the sun on his skin, he lives fully in the moment while remaining controlled and analytical.  By the end, however, his self-contained, shadowy world has been turned upside down and he's on a quest to defeat one of the most feared and secret organisations in the world.

Every hero needs a villain and 'Casino Royale' provides one which will presumably keep Bond going for all the books to come.  I'd always assumed SMERSH was some sort of non-governmental, hard line splinter group, so it was intriguing to hear more about them.  It turns out that they are in fact (if that's the right phrase to use!) part of Soviet Russia's secret service.  They police the police and spy on the spies, keeping the most feared men and women in the USSR in check.

'Casino Royale' by Ian Fleming
(Penguin Modern Classics, 2004)

Dan Stevens did a great job of reading this story, although I couldn't help but smile at the voice of Le Chiffre at first.  It didn't last long, though, and his interpretation perfectly evoked the toad-like figure described.  I'll certainly look out for his name on future audiobooks.

Awful as it sounds, one thing that did pleasantly surprise me about 'Casino Royale' was how closely the plot of the 2006 film matched that of the book.  I'm so used to the Fleming stories having nothing to do with the films, I simply didn't expect it, so at least the book wasn't ruined for me.  Whether this is why it's one of the better Bond movies I couldn't possibly comment.  It is kind of strange that the movie Bond and the book Bond appear to have finally converged 50 years and 60 years after they were created!  Of all the Bonds, Daniel Craig certainly seems to best match the spy described by Mr Fleming.


Overall, I think the best word for this book is 'interesting'.  I really did get the feeling that Mr Fleming was throwing everything at the story, as if it had been bubbling around inside him for a long time.  Now I know where Bond began, I'm looking forward to seeing where he ends up going next.

Bond, but Not as we Know Him

Cue the theme music!  I've just finished an audiobook of 'For Your Eyes Only' by Ian Fleming, part of AudioGo's 007 Reloaded series and read by Samuel West.

'For Your Eyes Only' by Ian Fleming
Read by Samuel West (AudioGo, 2013)

'For Your Eyes Only' is a collection of five short stories featuring nigh legendary British Secret Service agent James Bond.  The book includes familiar and unfamiliar titles 'From a View to a Kill', 'Quantum of Solace', 'Risico', 'The Hildebrand Rarity' and, of course 'For Your Eyes Only'. Telling tales of mysterious murders and personal vendettas, double-crossers and drug barons, exotic locations and discrete offices, these stories take you into a world you thought you knew, then shows you there is so much to Bond, James Bond.

I love short stories and this collection is one of my favourites so far.  The stand out piece is definitely 'Quantum of Solace'.  Forget the awful film, if you read no other work by Ian Fleming, read this.  It's subtle, it's heartbreaking and has a twist in the tail that tied the whole thing up beautifully.  As a result, I'm really looking forward to reading more by Mr Fleming and have high hopes for his other books.

I'm a great fan of Bond films and was a bit worried that the character of the novels would be so hard and impenetrable that I would be put off completely.  I knew that the film plots bear little, if any, resemblance to the books that share their titles, so that difference didn't come as a surprise.  To be honest, in some instances it was a relief, but if you wanted reviews of Bond films, you'd be reading a different blog!

The stories and the films will always draw comparisons, but I'm glad to say that the things that define a Bond film are all present and correct; exotic locations, beautiful women, rich living, vile villains and, of course, our savoir faire secret agent.

Far from a character assassination that put me off Bond, this book has made me more interested in him.  The great strength of these stories (and, I hope, the books I have yet to read) is that they let you get inside the head of the character.  We hear his thought processes and get a glimpse of the cold and analytical outlook he has on the world.  It's fascinating.  Suddenly Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is more than just a bored, vain, playboy assassin.

'For Your Eyes Only'
by Ian Fleming
(Vintage, 2012)

I enjoyed listening to 'For Your Eyes Only' as an audiobook and the interview given by the reader, Samuel West, at the end was quite interesting, although it would perhaps be more useful to trainee actors than readers.  Some may dislike the lack of music and sound effects, but this appealed to me as really all I wanted was the book read to me.  That's what I got and it meant I could use my own imagination, just as though I was reading it for myself.

So, if you're a reader and a fan of escapist action-adventure stories like the James Bond series, I think you'll enjoy this book in either format.  Like many a Bond girl, 'For Your Eyes Only' has certainly left me wanting more and I can't wait to read/listen to more by Ian Fleming.

Now, what next?