Agent 007 at your service

james would’ve done literally anything for that kid. would’ve let her put bows in his hair and would’ve tied her shoes and would’ve listened very seriously as she confided to him about bad dreams. this is a guy who loves so wholly, so entirely. he protects just as fiercely. he was literally made to be a dad and i’m actually so upset that he didn’t get that.

james bond was doomed from the start. made of love and loyalty in a world that demanded a coldness he was never capable of delivering. like skyfall burning in that barren winter field, he was destined to turn to ash—only after glowing bright and brilliant and brief.

Great analysis of DC's choices and motivations for the Belvedere Ad

And Bond, if you could avoid killing every possible lead, it would be deeply appreciated.

A+ example of how the media manipulates people for clicks and anger engagement.

Dammit. It’s not as though we’ve already heard every story that there is to be told. 🙄

I’m Ian Fleming’s biographer – there’s no way James Bond can be made ‘PC’ (The Independent, Feb. 27, 2023) I feel strongly that what an author commits to paper is sacrosanct and shouldn’t be altered. It stands as evidence of attitudes at a particular moment in time By Andrew Lycett Ian Fleming’s books have now followed Roald Dahl’s and been pruned of potentially offensive references on the advice of a new tribe of sensitivity readers. But it’s never a good look to change what an author originally wrote. It smacks of censorship, and there’s seldom much mileage in that. Of course, there are words and phrases in the Bond novels which look out of place today. References to race, as in the ethnicity of the barman in Thunderball, have reportedly been removed from a new edition of the 007 oeuvre, along with the description of a striptease in Live and Let Die. However, I feel strongly that what an author commits to paper is sacrosanct and shouldn’t be altered. It stands as evidence of that writer’s – and society’s – attitudes at a particular moment in time, whether it’s by Shakespeare, Dickens, or Ian Fleming. The only changes to the text should come from the author. So Fleming himself allowed the title of a chapter heading in Live and Let Die, published in 1954, to be altered in subsequent editions because it used an offensive racial stereotype. But there’s no way Bond’s character in the Fleming books can be modified to make him politically correct. Fleming created a sexist, often sadistic, killer, with anachronistic attitudes to homosexuals, and to a range of people of different nationalities. These stand as evidence of how Britons (or at least some of them) thought at a particular moment in time. Posthumous “continuation novels” like the later Bond novels written by Anthony Horowitz can initiate changes if required, though the secret agent’s behaviour in these is surprisingly familiar – except that he no longer smokes like a chimney or drinks quite as much. Films have more licence in this regard. Consequently EON, the producers of the James Bond movies, have tried to make the central character more sensitive – and even a family man – in the latest instalment of the franchise No Time to Die, which appeared in 2021. But often in the past, when they have attempted any softening of the character, they have returned to the original hard man of Fleming’s books. I have some perspective on this since, as well as writing a biography of Fleming, I have also written one on Rudyard Kipling, the Anglo-Indian author who kick-started his career with Plain Tales from the Hills, a collection of witty short stories about the Raj. As a young journalist in India in the later 19th century, Kipling admired the British administration, became a committed imperialist, and thereafter turned his back on any expression of Indian political self-determination. But while several of his attitudes would be dismissed today, his work – with all its felicities and imperfections – should be left untouched, as it vividly represents how society operated during his lifetime. As a result, his output has found new favour in modern India, not least as a historical source which is studied for its vivid description of the late colonial period. Similarly, Fleming can be read – along with his contemporary Kingsley Amis – for his sophisticated journalist’s take on the mindless materialism of a society emerging blinking into the world after the deprivations of war, eager for new experiences which include foreign travel and sensual pleasure. He stated uncompromisingly that his books were “written for warm-blooded heterosexuals in railways trains, aeroplanes and beds”. In other words, he was writing for adults on the move in a modern society. The Roald Dahl stories which recently publicised this issue are aimed almost exclusively at children. While young minds should not be exposed to unnecessary cruelty, characters such as the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull in Dahl’s Matilda have emerged unscathed. Children enjoy the frisson which comes from a sense of naughtiness. Otherwise, the pantomime Punch and Judy would not exist. It is possible to preface such books with a warning of potentially offensive material and leave it to a reader, or a parent, to decide how to proceed. Inevitably it’s the big names, such as Dahl and Fleming, which are mainly affected. There is a reason for this, and its name is business. Their popularity means that they are more likely to be filmed or turned into comics, video games, or any other media which copyright holders are drawn to in the promotion of a “franchise”. Andrew Lycett is the author of ‘Ian Fleming’ and ‘Rudyard Kipling’, both published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson

   While maneuvering the car through the busy streets of London, his gaze shot over to Bond now and again. He had agreed to providing the agent a temporary home, but anything beyond that was out of the question. Including beings his therapist. That Bond had nightmares was new to him, but didn’t really come as a surprise. “No. It takes a lot more to wake me.” His own nightmares, for example. “I found a cup of tea helps. And…a book sometimes, too.”

   Mallory hummed, pulling the car out of the parking spot. The wheelchair was left outside; they would somehow manage to get him into the house, and he didn’t think Bond was going to move around much in his home, either. “You made that quite clear.” He shot the agent a quick side-glance. “I have to warn you - I don’t cook often, if you want anything to eat, you’ll have to take care of it yourself. Or I can hire someone.”

“I am prone to PTSD nightmares” he said quietly. “Are they likely to disturb you?”

James Bond: a summary

   Mallory did his best to walk a route with the fewest people to cross their path, so that Bond didn’t have to face them. He understood full well how awkward and uncomfortable it was. He didn’t stay long with Moneypenny, either; thanked her, then was on his way again until they were outside. There he helped Bond into the car. “I won’t give out information about you, if that’s what you want,” Mallory explained. “Though I’m afraid the news of you being alive will spread like wildfire.” If they hadn’t already.

   Once Bond sat, Mallory pushed the wheelchair forward, through the door and out into the corridor. It was awkward, yes, but necessary if they wanted to get going today. “You’re alive, you should be happy. Not every agent can say that about themselves.” They had a short lifespan if they didn’t jump out of the plane in time. Or ended up behind a desk instead.

    Finally. With a sigh he stood up and left, only to return with a wheelchair barely ten minutes later. “I know it isn’t easy. But you have to swallow your pride, Bond.” An eyebrow was cocked up. “You are not the only one with injuries in this city.”

Guys the museum is $9,744 from their target any little bit will be matched so every little bit counts!

   With that speed - or lack thereof? They were going to spend another night in this hospital. Mallory took a deep breath as he was watching the other. Eventually, he shook his head and stood up from the bed. “You are not a cripple - you are injured. There’s a difference.” If Bond thought he was a cripple - then what did he think of Mallory and his bad knee? “Now stop being so stubborn, I’ll get a wheelchair.”