Author Profile: David Leigh

Ian Fleming’s 14 James Bond books were first published in the UK by Jonathan Cape and in the US by Macmillan. Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels and short stories Casino Royale (1953 UK/1954 US) Live And Let Die (1954 UK/1955 US) Moonraker (1955) Diamonds Are Forever (1956) From Russia, With Love (1957) Dr No (1958) […]

Reading the James Bond books in order of publication unveils an evolution of Ian Fleming’s hero. The world of spy thrillers would not be complete without the iconic character of James Bond. Ian Fleming said he started writing Casino Royale, the first of the James Bond books, in order to take his mind off his […]

When Ian Fleming sat down to write the “spy story to end all spy stories”, little could the James Bond writer have imagined the resulting phenomenon.  After it was published in Britain in 1953 Ian Fleming sometimes ungraciously joked that he started writing Casino Royale as a distraction from his imminent wedding. In truth he […]

The Sound of 007 marked the eve of 60 years since Dr No’s world premiere. Last night saw fans from around the world head to the Royal Albert Hall to attend The Sound of 007, a concert to mark 60 years since the world premiere of Dr No on 5th October 1962. Guests were taken on […]

The move that marks an exciting future for James Bond as literary 007 approaches his 70th anniversary. Ian Fleming Publications Ltd (IFP) announces plans to publish Ian Fleming’s books under its own imprint – a move that marks an exciting future for 007. Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, the family company that owns the literary copyright […]

Last Saturday Bill Koenig of The Spy Command joined me to reflect on 60 years of Big Screen Bond. We discussed our personal experiences of the Bond films over the years – first Bond film, favourite film and highlights in this 35 minutes video. You can find Bill at The Spy Command ​and on Twitter at […]

Bond producers discuss their experiences on the James Bond films and the difficulty of casting the next actor. Eon Productions bosses Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson appeared on a recent episode of The Empire Film Podcast to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the 007 series, which you can listen to above. They talk about […]

Bond 25 includes new arrangements performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. A new album of all the Bond themes performed by the  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is now available to purchase on CD, vinyl and download. Simply titled Bond 25, the album includes all 25 Bond themes reimagined by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded at […]

Special edition Scotch available in six Bond-themed bottles to celebrate diamond anniversary of the film series. Scotch whisky brand The Macallan has released a special James Bond-themed whisky in honour of the 60th anniversary of the film franchise. The limited edition whisky is a collaboration between The Macallan and Eon Productions, the company behind the […]

The Sound of 007 in Concert, the official charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall will take place on 4th October. Original Bond recording artists Dame Shirley Bassey, Lulu, Chrissie Hynde and Garbage will perform iconic 007 songs alongside guest vocalists Becky Hill, Celeste, Ella Eyre, Jamie Cullum, John Grant and Paloma Faith accompanied by […]

If there is any progress on Bond 26 it seems like it is moving at a snail’s pace. Variety has published an interview with Eon bosses Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson to coincide with them  receiving two Hollywood awards. Today they are due to leave hand and footprints at in the forecourt of the TCL […]

It’s strange to think that for the first time since James Bond first graced the pages of Casino Royale in 1953 the UK and Commonwealth no longer has Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. She became queen in 1952 after the death of her father, George VI,  while visiting Kenya with her husband, Prince […]

A deep dive to establish the highest James Bond box office gross in real terms.  Skyfall notched up an impressive box office as the first billion dollar Bond film and was widely reported as the top grossing James Bond movie of all time. Despite expectations, the two subsequent films have failed to beat it. Perhaps […]

James Bond is missing in action in the latest novel from Ian Fleming Publications. Double or Nothing is the first in a trilogy of novels focusing on the Double-O Section in which James Bond has vanished while on assignment. It makes sense for Ian Fleming Publications (IFP) to try and establish a new series set […]

Follow up to his previous book comes after lockdown house clear out unearthed new photos. In 2019, Oscar-winning special effects supremo John Richardson released his first book, the best-selling Making Movie Magic, which chronicled his remarkable career in the film industry. A year later, during a house clear-out as the country was stuck in a […]

While MGM’s forthcoming films will be distributed internationally by Warners, Bond 26 is excluded from the deal. MGM has announced that the Amazon owned studio’s international releases will be handled by Warner Bros. in place of Universal. However, the new arrangement excludes Bond 26, although Warners will handle Bond 27. According to Variety: MGM and […]

Three events planned in London to celebrate 60 years of cinematic 007. Eon Productions has announced three events scheduled for the autumn to coincide with the sixtieth anniversary of Dr No’s release. These are a charity auction, a weekend of screenings and talks, and a concert of Bond music. Christie’s will hold a live auction […]

A look at aspects of the James Bond lifestyle from the books and films. Think of James Bond and a host of things may come to mind. It could be exotic locations, luxury hotels and perfect martinis. Or maybe fast sports cars, casinos, glamorous women and finally dispatching the villain. James Bond clearly lives an […]

Issue #65 of the full-colour James Bond magazine MI6 Confidential is now shipping worldwide. It was back in 1995 with Pierce Brosnan’s debut outing in Goldeneye that CGI was first used in the James Bond series for a few select shots, most notably the gunbarrel. 25 years on and almost every frame in No Time […]

Monty Norman, who is credited as composer of the James Bond Theme, has died. Yesterday Monty Norman’s official website announced that the musician and composer had died after a short illness. Norman’s best known work is, of course, The James Bond Theme, instantly recognisable from just a few notes. He was signed to write the […]