Review: You don't have to be a James Bond fan to enjoy this book!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 2, 2013
The Ian Fleming Files: Operation Armada' is a James Bond story with a twist: it happens to be about James Bond's creator, Ian Fleming. The setting is June 1940. With the collapse of France, Admiral John Godfrey at the Naval Intelligence Department dispatches Ian Fleming a.k.a. `17F' to meet with the head of the French Navy, the megalomaniacal Admiral Darlan (who suffers from the "Small Man Syndrome") in an attempt to negotiate the purchase of his battleships before Hitler can get his hands on them. Of course, nothing goes according to plan and the future author of `Casino Royale' (to name one of many) finds himself stranded in occupied territory with only one drop dead gorgeous French Resistance agent to help him. Needless to say, romance ensues but there's nothing predictable about the narrative: twists and turns abound and there are not one but two dastardly villains, Darlan and the vicious Wehrmacht officer, General Bock. Peppered into this World War II narrative are many 007 references, from the Miss Moneypenny-like Paddy Blythe and the `M'-like John Godfrey to the meals Fleming orders, the slick suits he wears, the beautiful women in his world and of course the overall notion of a sophisticated gentleman battling a madman to save the world. This is not a copy or an homage but its own fully realized story inside a unique, living, breathing universe. There are over a dozen unique and fascinating characters and the adventure Fleming goes on is original and compelling. There is a slight excess of action, as if the author was trying to cram as much in as possible, but it makes the pages turn fast and I found the ski chase and the heist on Bock's compound to be utterly thrilling, and loved the descriptions of all the hardware, weapons and battles. The ending was a real shock and was actually rather moving, tying up the emotional underpinning to the story. I recommend this book for anyone interested in the origins of James Bond, World War II or just a solid, entertaining thriller. I could easily see this book become a movie of its own!