On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Ian Fleming.

Do any of you remember the 60s when Fleming dominated the market with our favourite Secret Service lothario of an agent, 007? Beautiful women, fiendish Russian spies, plenty of action, sex and humour.
This book contains all of the ingredients to make this into a typical James Bond story with a touch of romance NOT THE USUAL SEX, culminating in our eligible bachelor tying the knot!
This was Fleming's 11th novel, first published in 1963. It was part of the Blofeld trilogy, the second one. Thunderball came first, then this one finishing with You Only Live Twice. The novel was adapted into a film in 1969 and George Lazenby played Bond, his one and only appearance. Did you know that? Well you do now.

Bond had been trailing a criminal organisation called SPECTRE for a year. Blofeld naturally was the leader. At the beginning of the novel it seems that Bond is on the point of resigning from the Secret Service when he meets Teresa di Vicenzo, a Countess who is into dangerous living big time. The opening is dramatic when Bond saves her from drowning. They are then captured and taken to the head of the Unione Corse to Marc Ange Draco, leader of the biggest European crime syndicate and also Teresa's father. Bond is asked to save Teresa who has gone off the rails by marrying her.

007 then returns to tracking down his arch enemy by impersonating Sir Hilary Bray a College of Arms representative at Piz Gloria. He soon discovers that Blofeld and his side-kick Ima Bunt have been brainwashing a group of young British women in order to destroy Britain's agricultural economy.

Inevitably his cover is blown and his exciting escape over a treacherous ski course makes dramatic reading. I loved this bit. It's wonderfully tense, scary but at the same time, realistic. Fortunately, the beautiful vixen helps him to escape and saves his life.

He is eternally grateful and smitten with love for her that Bond, the renowned bachelor proposes marriage.
Find out what happened to Blofeld by reading the sequel once you've read On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Then watch the film and truly enjoy the experience.

Publishers: Penguin Modern Classics.    ISBN: 0-1-41-18755-7

COPYRIGHT 2012. Permission must be obtained from the author to use this review.

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