Let the bells ring and the banners fly, it's too good to be true but I'm doing two posts today! (gratuitous use of lines from the Bugs Bunny show.)
First the good news.. well, to be true, I don't think I've actually got an bad news, so first, second ... the good news. I've seen adverts for a 30 Rock Reunion, where I guess they'll be advertising the 2020/ 2021 NBC season. I've also seen an advert for Season 2 of The Doom Patrol. Looking forward to that. Before I get into my book discussion, just one more thing.
I've been enjoying watching the original Dragnet on MeTV the past month or so. In the past two or three days they've actually covered a couple of issues about the police that is currently under serious discussion in the US since the recent spate of police violence and shootings. In one episode, Sgt Friday takes part in an evaluation of new applicants to the LAPD, first in the interview process; one police officer and two civilians. Then he and his partner Joe Gannon travel around California, and other states, doing background checks on potential recruits, to make sure their applications are truthful and that they remain suitable. (now the US Congress is looking at a national database of police officers / applicants? to ensure bad apples can't just move on to another police force if kicked out of or deemed unsuitable by a police force). In the episode this morning Friday and Gannon are trying to encourage new recruits to the police force. They are having difficulties getting through to some potential African - American applicants and ask for assistance from an African - American officer. The show deals with this officers problems being a African - American officer on the force, disrespect he receives from both African - American citizens for being a sell-out and from white citizens for being an African - American cop, etc. I realize the show is a half hour show and things get resolved very easily but I found it interesting that these two episodes should be shown in the past week. 'nuff said.
OK, I've finished two books in the last day or so and have of course started two more. I'll update those for you. I'll also continue with my look at the Spy / Thriller genre with a look at one of the classic authors of the genre, Ian Fleming.
Just Finished
"Unconditional Surrender by Evelyn Waugh is the third and final book in the Sword of Honour trilogy. The book follows Guy Crouchback and his friends and family as he continues his efforts to make a contribution to the British war effort during WWII.
Guy is basically an unemployed soldier, deemed too old to be given an active military mission. He finds himself buried at HOO OO headquarters (don't ask, I'm still not sure), sort of a catch all group that looks at odd ball plans for fighting the Nazis, even a voodoo master. He finds himself wandering, spending time with his lovely, gentle father, who will finally pass away. We also meet characters from the other books, Ludovic, a strange individual, who now is in charge of a parachute training facility for 'guests' who will drop behind enemy lines; Victoria, Guy's ex-wife who has gone through a couple of others and finds herself in an awkward position, etc.
Guy finally gets a mission, through some sort of automated placement system and will go to the parachute training company, then to Italy and finally to the campaign against the Nazis in Yugoslavia. The story is gently told. Guy, known as Uncle because of his age, has questioned his Catholic faith, has wanted to contribute. He's not what I'd call an aggressive man but he's not afraid of action. There are some nice scenes with his father, there are nice scenes with Virginia. Do I feel the story to be profound, no, not necessarily, but it's an easy, excellent, thoughtful read. I enjoyed this trilogy and Waugh's writing style. (4 stars)"
Guy is basically an unemployed soldier, deemed too old to be given an active military mission. He finds himself buried at HOO OO headquarters (don't ask, I'm still not sure), sort of a catch all group that looks at odd ball plans for fighting the Nazis, even a voodoo master. He finds himself wandering, spending time with his lovely, gentle father, who will finally pass away. We also meet characters from the other books, Ludovic, a strange individual, who now is in charge of a parachute training facility for 'guests' who will drop behind enemy lines; Victoria, Guy's ex-wife who has gone through a couple of others and finds herself in an awkward position, etc.
Guy finally gets a mission, through some sort of automated placement system and will go to the parachute training company, then to Italy and finally to the campaign against the Nazis in Yugoslavia. The story is gently told. Guy, known as Uncle because of his age, has questioned his Catholic faith, has wanted to contribute. He's not what I'd call an aggressive man but he's not afraid of action. There are some nice scenes with his father, there are nice scenes with Virginia. Do I feel the story to be profound, no, not necessarily, but it's an easy, excellent, thoughtful read. I enjoyed this trilogy and Waugh's writing style. (4 stars)"
"The Shape of Water is the first book in Italian author, Andrea Camilleri's mystery series set in Sicily, featuring Inspector Montalbano. Montalbano is a dedicated, smart, responsible police officer. The story itself is entertaining, describes the locale nicely, features enough cuisine to keep you happy and flows along nicely.
A body is found in a car at the site of an old closed up factory, the area used now for couples to have romantic encounters. Two garbage men, assigned to the area, for clean up discover the car and body. They recognize the victim, a local politician and decide to call one of his political partners first. But strangely for them, he tells them to call the police and seems unsurprised by their announcement. One of the men also discovers a necklace near the scene and pockets it. The two then call the police, bringing Montalbano and his men into the action.
Some funny scenes occur throughout the book, even as they drive to the site of the 'murder' or 'accident'. Local Mafiosi, or local gangs, like to slash police car tires and Montalbano's men regularly forget to check the cars out, with humorous results. At any rate, the investigation explores various angles with Montalbano putting off the local Judge, who wants the case closed. Was it a sexual assault, as the body is found in an unclothed state? Was it political? Was it a family matter? Was it even a murder as the victim had heart problems?
Montalbano explores all of these aspects. He helps one of the witnesses who has a child with severe medical problems. He fights off the advances of a local policewoman who wants Montalbano, who happens to be involved with a woman from Milan. There are local gangsters, a lovely Swedish rally driver, the attractive wife of the victim, it's all very complex and interesting. And entertaining, did I say entertaining? The story is well - translated making it easy to get into. Montalbano is a neat character. In some ways it reminds me of Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti series. Very enjoyable, easy read. I'm looking forward to the next one. (4 stars)"
A body is found in a car at the site of an old closed up factory, the area used now for couples to have romantic encounters. Two garbage men, assigned to the area, for clean up discover the car and body. They recognize the victim, a local politician and decide to call one of his political partners first. But strangely for them, he tells them to call the police and seems unsurprised by their announcement. One of the men also discovers a necklace near the scene and pockets it. The two then call the police, bringing Montalbano and his men into the action.
Some funny scenes occur throughout the book, even as they drive to the site of the 'murder' or 'accident'. Local Mafiosi, or local gangs, like to slash police car tires and Montalbano's men regularly forget to check the cars out, with humorous results. At any rate, the investigation explores various angles with Montalbano putting off the local Judge, who wants the case closed. Was it a sexual assault, as the body is found in an unclothed state? Was it political? Was it a family matter? Was it even a murder as the victim had heart problems?
Montalbano explores all of these aspects. He helps one of the witnesses who has a child with severe medical problems. He fights off the advances of a local policewoman who wants Montalbano, who happens to be involved with a woman from Milan. There are local gangsters, a lovely Swedish rally driver, the attractive wife of the victim, it's all very complex and interesting. And entertaining, did I say entertaining? The story is well - translated making it easy to get into. Montalbano is a neat character. In some ways it reminds me of Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti series. Very enjoyable, easy read. I'm looking forward to the next one. (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
"Bond may have a license
to kill, but “Pistols” Scaramanga has a talent for it. He’s a
KGB-trained assassin who’s left a trail of dead British Secret Service
agents in his wake. His weapon of choice? A gold-plated Colt .45.
In the aftermath of his brainwashing by the Soviets, Bond is given one last chance to win back M’s trust: terminate Scaramanga before he strikes MI6 again. Traveling to Jamaica under an assumed name, Bond manages to infiltrate Scaramanga’s organization and soon discovers that the hit man’s criminal ambitions have expanded to include arson, drug smuggling, and industrial sabotage. Worst of all for Bond, Scaramanga has a golden bullet inscribed with the numbers 007—and he’s eager to put it to use.
Under the heat of the Caribbean sun, Bond faces a seemingly impossible task: win a duel against the Man with the Golden Gun."
In the aftermath of his brainwashing by the Soviets, Bond is given one last chance to win back M’s trust: terminate Scaramanga before he strikes MI6 again. Traveling to Jamaica under an assumed name, Bond manages to infiltrate Scaramanga’s organization and soon discovers that the hit man’s criminal ambitions have expanded to include arson, drug smuggling, and industrial sabotage. Worst of all for Bond, Scaramanga has a golden bullet inscribed with the numbers 007—and he’s eager to put it to use.
Under the heat of the Caribbean sun, Bond faces a seemingly impossible task: win a duel against the Man with the Golden Gun."
"Marshal Salvatore
Guarnaccia of the Florentine Carabinieri wants to go south for Christmas
to spend the holiday with his family in Sicily, but a retired
Englishman living in Florence has been murdered. Who has shot Mr.
Langley-Smythe in the back? The marshal must discover the identity of
the criminal and the motive for the crime before he can take the train
home for the holidays."
The Spy / Thriller Novel - Ian Fleming
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| Ian Fleming |
As a youngster, in junior high, I read a few of his Bond series. It was very exciting for a young, impressionable boy like myself, with action, sex, spy craft. When I moved to the Valley back in 2001, I discovered the series once again at my local used book store and began to collect and read them again. During his life, Fleming wrote 14 novels and two novelizations of the series. I'm currently reading #13. So let's take a look through the series. I'll probably not do them all. (Basically I'm going by photos of book jackets I took a few years back)
"Beautiful,
fortune-telling Solitaire is the prisoner (and tool) of Mr. Big - master
of fear, artist in crime, and Voodoo Baron of Death. James Bond has no
time for superstition - he knows that Big is also a top SMERSH operative
and a real threat. More than that, after tracking him through the jazz
joints of Harlem to the Everglades and on the Caribbean, 007 has
realized that Mr. Big is one of the most dangerous men that he has ever
faced. And no one, not even the enigmatic Solitaire, can be sure how
their battle of wills is going to end" (3 stars).
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the 11th James Bond book by Ian Fleming. The movie version was George Lazenby's one and only stab at the role of 007. As I read the book, it was interesting to see how faithful the movie was to the story. It brought back memories of the movie for me.
Basically, Bond continues to hunt Ernst Stavro Blofeld, head of SPECTRE. He is tired of this mission and considers retirement from the Secret Service. While travelling through France, he meets Tracy, a troubled woman, daughter of the head of the Corsican Mafia, who tries to kill herself. Bond stops her and at the same time makes friends with her father, Draco.
We jump ahead and Bond gets information that Blofeld might be in Switzerland and off he heads to try and discover it the info is true. He takes on the identity of a member of the College of Arms who is gathering info to prove that Blofeld is descended from French royalty. (stoking the ego don't you know.. :))
At Blofeld's mountain eyrie / ski resort, Bond discovers that he is using young women as part of a nefarious plot against England. What follows is action and more action as Bond tries to get his revenge on Blofeld.
Always good for entertainment and always an interesting story. I've said it before and I'll repeat myself, it's been fun revisiting the Bond stories this past few years. (3.5 stars)"
"Auric Goldfinger, the
most phenomenal criminal Bond has ever faced, is an evil genius who
likes his cash in gold bars and his women dressed only in gold paint.
After smuggling tons of gold out of Britain into secret vaults in
Switzerland, this powerful villain is planning the biggest and most
daring heist in history-robbing all the gold in Fort Knox. That is,
unless Secret Agent 007 can foil his plan. In one of Ian Fleming's most
popular adventures, James Bond tracks this most dangerous foe across two
continents and takes on two of the most memorable villains ever
created-a human weapon named Oddjob and a luscious female crime boss
named Pussy Galore" (3 stars
"Every major foreign
government organization has a file on British secret agent James Bond.
Now, Russia's lethal SMERSH organization has targeted him for
elimination. SMERSH has the perfect bait in the irresistible Tatiana
Romanova, who lures 007 to Istanbul promising the top-secret Spektor
cipher machine. But when Bond walks willingly into the trap, a game of
cross and double-cross ensues, with Bond both the stakes and the prize."
"'The girl looked him up
and down. He had dark, rather cruel good looks and very clear,
blue-grey eyes. He was wearing a very dark-blue lightweight
single-breasted suit over a cream silk shirt and a black knitted silk
tie. Despite the heat, he looked cool and clean. 'And who might you be?'
she asked sharply. 'My name's Bond, James Bond ...'"
When a stranger arrives in the Bahamas, the locals barely turn their heads, seeing another ex-pat with money to burn at the casino tables. But James Bond has more than money on his mind: he's got less than a week to find two stolen atom bombs hidden among the coral reefs. While acting the playboy, Bond meets Domino, sultry plaything of secretive treasure hunter Emilio Largo. In getting close to this gorgeous Italian girl, Bond hopes to learn more about Largo's hidden operation ..." (3 stars)
When a stranger arrives in the Bahamas, the locals barely turn their heads, seeing another ex-pat with money to burn at the casino tables. But James Bond has more than money on his mind: he's got less than a week to find two stolen atom bombs hidden among the coral reefs. While acting the playboy, Bond meets Domino, sultry plaything of secretive treasure hunter Emilio Largo. In getting close to this gorgeous Italian girl, Bond hopes to learn more about Largo's hidden operation ..." (3 stars)
"One of the better Bond stories. Interesting plot and test for Bond who is sent to Jamaica basically on a vacation to help recover from a previous mission. Sent to check on the disappearance of the local Station manager, Strangways, he becomes embroiled in a mystery on Crab Island and involved with an interesting villain, Dr. No. Quickly paced and with sufficient action to keep you involved, very good story. (4 stars)"
"Whether it is tracking
down a wayward major who has taken a deadly secret with him to the
Caribbean or identifying a top Russian agent secretly bidding for a
Fabergé egg in a Sotheby’s auction room, Bond always closes the
case—with extreme prejudice.
This new Penguin edition comprises four stories, including Fleming’s little-known story “007 in New York,” showcasing Bond’s taste for Manhattan’s special pleasures—from martinis at the Plaza and dinner at the Grand Central Oyster Bar to the perfect anonymity of the Central Park Zoo for a secret rendezvous."
This new Penguin edition comprises four stories, including Fleming’s little-known story “007 in New York,” showcasing Bond’s taste for Manhattan’s special pleasures—from martinis at the Plaza and dinner at the Grand Central Oyster Bar to the perfect anonymity of the Central Park Zoo for a secret rendezvous."
So there you go, some of the books to give you a feel for Bond. The complete listing of Fleming's works can be found at this link.
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