While I had found my dad's stash of Ian Fleming novels and had sampled some of them, this was the gateway book that made me a fan of the literary OO7. This was a Bond who walked in a world I was familiar with. And when For Special Services appeared the following year, I was a goner!
So here's a toast to License Renewed and the return of James Bond in 1981. We had a book every year and a movie every two years. It was all about entertainment, and James Bond never died. It was a great time to be a Bond fan.
Below are a few John Gardner-related posts you might enjoy. Happy Holidays.
Thanks for sharing your memories. For me, the first 3 Gardners are some of the best continuation Bond
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DeleteYES! Gardner was my first intro to "Book Bond" as well! It was after the paperback version for License Renewed that they released Fleming's books again and I got to pick them up. It was an amazing time as we did get a new book every year for 20 years. The first three Gardner books I have a strong affection for, but Nobody Lives Forever is still my favorite Bond book.
ReplyDeleteYes, NLF is a favorite of mine as well. It may be the most universally liked of Gardner's books.
DeleteWhat memories! I received “License Renewed” as 1981 Christmas present as well. I still have that book and it is a cherished part of my Bond collection.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love that you received it for Christmas that year as well. :)
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