What’s Next for Bond, James Bond?

 by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – August 29, 2022

 

While we wait for the announcement of who will next play British secret agent James Bond on the big screen, Bond fans and even those with only a passing interest should take the time to get to know Bond better. They can include re-watching the movies, but I suggest taking time to read the James Bond books.

 

Amazingly, there are more than 40 James Bond novels to read, including the original 14 written by Bond creator Ian Fleming.

 

Fleming died in 1964, and two of his Bond books were published posthumously. Subsequently, the Fleming estate has selected various writers to pen further adventures of 007.

What one gets from the books that’s largely missing from the movies is a far more complete Bond, including his doubts, fears, internal reflections, his love of England, his past, his thoughts in unraveling mysteries, regrets, his perspective on death, and his assorted, at times surprising, desires. The books provide James Bond in full.

 

And that most certainly includes a Bond trilogy just completed by novelist Anthony Horowitz. 

 

In 2015, Horowitz’s first Bond novel – Trigger Mortis – was published. With a few pinches of Ian Fleming material integrated into the story, we open the book with James Bond just after Goldfinger. This is Bond at his peak, and the author treats us to a great deal of Bond’s thinking on a wide range of matters, including evil.

 

Then in 2018, again with a bit of Fleming’s original material, Horowitz, in Forever and a Day, takes us back to Bond’s first mission as a double-0, not all that long after World War II. Here, we see Bond working to earn the job of being 007.

 

And finally, the recently published With a Mind to Kill, we take flight with a more experienced Bond in the 1960s. Being older and through a great deal more than most men could possibly imagine never mind survive, Bond doesn’t waver in terms of what he thinks about the job he is doing, even as the world around him seems to have queries and doubts. As for Bond, he has more questions about whether or not he, in particular, is still capable of being the person to do the job.

 

In each of the books, Horowitz ably combines plenty of action, with a mix of gravity, humor and alarm, as well as degrees of warmth and emotional depth. He not only excels at capturing Ian Fleming’s voice, but I couldn’t help but think of the Bond in these pages being played by Sean Connery. That’s a credit to both Horowitz, and, of course, Connery.

 

Each of Horowitz’s James Bond books – Trigger Mortis, Forever and a Day and With a Mind to Kill – deserve to be savored by readers.

 

But there’s more. As the Bond powers-that-be ponder who should play Bond next and what the stories should be, why not turn to Horowitz’s trilogy for some answers? Taking Bond back to the 1950s and 1960s would be a bold and marvelous choice. Well-done period pieces can be completely engrossing, and there’s simply so much more that Bond can do as a spy in the midst of the Cold War. Take the cue from these Horowitz books. Heck, take the stories from these books!

 

As for who should play Bond, well, there’s no direct answer from these books. But it’s rather easy to see that Henry Cavill has the right look and stature to play a James Bond of the 50s and 60s. (For Cavill, imagine a career marked by playing both Superman and James Bond!) I certainly would look forward to that first moment on screen, when a Henry Cavill Bond, in a tux, declares, “Bond, James Bond.”

 

_________

 

Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur. The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Two great ways to order Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel, which is Ray’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Signed paperbacks here and the Kindle edition here.

 

Two great ways to order Ray Keating’s new nonfiction book – The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks here, and paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions here.  

 

Get all of Ray Keating Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries in paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com and signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com.

 

Some of Keating’s best columns and essays are available in Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York. And his other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. Again, signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com.

 

Also, listen to Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

August 24th Marks Celebration of the Festival of St. Bartholomew, the Apostle

 by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – August 24, 2022

If you don’t already have it, I heartily recommend picking up a copy of Celebrating the Saints: The Feasts, Festivals and Commemorations of Lutheran Service Book by William Weedon. It’s a wonderful devotional. 

For August 24th and St. Bartholomew, Weedon, in part, writes: “St. Bartholomew (also called Nathanael) was one of the first of our Lord’s disciples. His home was in Cana of Galilee, where the Lord performed His first miracle. According to St. John’s Gospel, Philip sought to introduce his friend to Jesus in Judea. Nathanael was more than a little skeptical about a Messiah who hailed from the town of Nazareth (a town not even mentioned in the Old Testament). But Philip urged him, ‘Come and see.’ He did, and as so many have done since, he left a changed person.”

In the Pastor Stephen Grant books, Father Tom Stone is the rector at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church. Here’s a description of the church from Warrior Monk: “St. Bartholomew’s Church itself was a beautiful, historic stone building that resembled a mini-castle. Another building comfortably housed church offices, a large room for congregational meetings, dinners and events, classrooms and storage. And the large, six-bedroom parsonage was made of the same materials as the church. All of this sat on four acres on a lake in Eastport.”

 

And as for Father Stone, here’s the quick rundown: “A priest and rector at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church on Long Island, Tom is one of Grant’s closest friends, and served as Stephen’s best man. He enjoyed surfing while growing up in southern California, and is known for an easygoing manner and robust sense of humor. Along with Stephen, Tom and other friends regularly meet for morning devotions and conversation at a local diner, and often play golf together. Tom is married to Maggie Stone, who runs her own public relations business. They are the parents to six children.”

 

Oh, yes, on days when the temperature hits at least 50 degrees, and when not in clergy attire, Tom is known for his Hawaiian shirts (much like the person who created this character!).

 

Happy St. Bart’s Day!

_________

 

Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur. He is the author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, and the Alliance of Saint Michael novels; and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

 The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Two great ways to order Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel, which is Ray’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Signed paperbacks here and the Kindle edition here. 

 

Two great ways to order Ray Keating’s new nonfiction book – The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks here, and paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions here.  

 

Get all of Ray Keating Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries in paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com and signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at  www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

 

CATHEDRAL - Page-Turning Historical Fiction Set in the Early 1930s

 CATHEDRAL: AN ALLIANCE OF SAINT MICHAEL NOVEL is Ray Keating’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Purchase at Amazon.com.  

 

The Alliance of Saint Michael brings together men and women with varied backgrounds and talents to work covertly against the two most significant threats to Christianity and civilization at the dawn of the 1930s - communism and fascism.

 

In Moscow, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is going to be obliterated to make way for the Palace of the Soviets. The Alliance of St. Michael readies itself for its first mission – find and salvage a rare item of great significance from the cathedral before the building is lost.

 

Regarding CATHEDRAL…

 

"A stellar depiction of time period and tension. With so many swirling motives and three-dimensional characters in the mix, there is inherent tension for readers, as they eagerly anticipate one of Keating’s classic twists. The depth of historical detail is notable; a good deal of research went into the crafting of this novel, which gives it an authentic and immersive feel. The complex puzzle makes for a page-turning and unpredictable ride, and a firm foundation for Keating’s enticing new series."  - Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★

 

“…many of you will enjoy Cathedral and the new series that it launches… Ray Keating is working with an explicitly Christian moral and theological framework, demonstrating the freedom that Lutheran novelists have in their vocation.”  -  Gene Veith, Cranach: The Blog of Veith, and author of many books including The Spirituality of the Cross

 

“A sophisticatedly crafted and exhilarating read, the intrigue and thrills begin from the very first page and don’t stop till the end as Keating delivers an absolute corker of a Historical Thriller! … Cathedral proves an addictively entertaining five-star read and is unreservedly recommended.”  - BookViral Reviews

 

“This new Alliance of St. Michael series continues Keating's already demonstrated mastery and skill in writing, character development, and accelerating the interest level of the reader throughout… As with all Keating novels, this newest venture is worth your interest, reading and gifting.”  - Pastor Rod Zwonitzer, retired host of KFUO radio's “BookTalk”

 

“A Catholic, a Lutheran, and an Anglican walk into an auditorium, all surprisingly ready for action and adventure. Ray Keating’s newest series, ‘An Alliance of Saint Michael,’ is an action thriller starring various Christians, of various denominations, coming together to fight ideological evil… a good summer read, quite in line with Keating’s other works.”  - Mary J. Moerbe, “Meet, Write & Salutary” blog