Product Description

‘A dry martini,’ Bond said. ‘In a deep champagne goblet. Three measures of Gordons, one of Vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice cold, then add a thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?’ ‘Certainly, monsieur.’ Introducing James Bond: charming, sophisticated, handsome; chillingly ruthless and very deadly. This, the first of Fleming’s tales of agent 007, finds Bond on a mission to neutralize a lethal, high-rolling Russian operative called simply ‘The Cypher’ – by ruining him at the Baccarat table and forcing his Soviet spymasters to ‘retire’ him. It seems that lady luck is taken with James – The Cypher has hit a losing streak. But some people just refuse to play by the rules and Bond’s attraction to a beautiful female agent leads him to disaster and an unexpected saviour …

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #102435 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From the Publisher
With a new introduction by Jeffrey Deaver.

About the Author
Born in London in 1908, Ian Fleming worked variously as a banker and journalist before serving in the British Naval Intelligence during World War II. He published his first novel Casino Royale in 1953 and thus started the astoundingly successful James Bond novels and films. Fleming died in 1964.

Customer Reviews

Ian Flemings debut novel: Suspense written with fast pace
Background

Casino Royale is the place to start when looking for Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. It is the first book of which another 11 followed by the author himself, however other authors have continued the series. This novel was released in 1953 and was the starting point of an enterprise that would gain worldwide recognition. Inspiration for these books partly came from his time in the Naval Intelligence Division during WW2. Casino Royale was particularly influenced from his time in a Lisbon casino called Estoril Casino, which had a number of spies of warring regimes due to Portugal's neutral state.

Personal Opinion

This is the first time I have read a James Bond novel or any of Ian Fleming's work. I started it early evening and finished it the same night as it did have me enthralled with Fleming's quick pace and suspense filled action within the Casino. Unfortunately I seen the film earlier in the year and as the film stays quite true to the book I already knew the twists that take place. However I would still advise someone to read it if they have seen the film as I still enjoyed the book. I do think the book comes to a climax early on (the end of the casino chapters) and I felt as if I had come to the end of the book half way through. Yet overall the book is well written and Ian Fleming is very articulate without lavishing pages of description on setting, this style aids the books fast paced nature. A note to those who are inexperienced with casino practice or games (which I am having never been to one or played), Fleming provides a concise explanation of the main game played (Baccarat, unlike the Texas hold-em poker displayed in the film) and also portrays the atmosphere and setting well enough for me to feel competent about the main theme of the novel.

Other links: Casino Royale (film 2006), Casino Royale (film 1967), Live and Let Die (the second novel)

Man Lit
I wasn't a fan of the James Bond Movies, finding them to be a bit too cheesy and American for an English-based film, written by an English writer. However, the books are another matter. I was bought this book for my birthday and read it within two days. I was engaged from the beginning, as I was lead into the exciting world of a spy, but not the type of spy potraited by the delightfully oily Pierce Brosnan.
The real James Bond is hard and cold and very, very manly. I can see now why Daniel Craig is such a good Bond. They obviously went back to the drawing board to discover who the real Bond was. Unlike the film, which although good, barely represents the original story of 'Casino Royale' and has some very unusual 'What the hell ...?' moments (the heart attack kit in the Aston Martin comes to mind) this book is incredibly simple and easy to read. And what's more credible is that it is believeable. Not a whiff of a pair of exploding socks that can also inflate and become a boat, or a plane or a computer with highly advanced technology, which can also be machine washable to become a pair of socks again. Phew!

Great Book
This is a great book that kept me captivated from start to finish. This is the second Bond book i've read and i'm sorry I didn't start with it. I look forward to collecting the whole series.