The Young Bond Rough Guide to London

Calling all UK Young Bond fans! Look out for a brand new and limited edition of The Young Bond Rough Guide to London, free with the Guardian on Saturday 7th April.

What would Young Bond do in London over the Easter Weekend? Find out in the Young Bond Rough Guide to London inside every Guardian distributed in London and the South East on Saturday 7th April.

Take a tour of London with the one and only James Bond! in this special Young Bond Rough Guide to London follow the trail of the school boy who became the world’s greatest secret agent.

The compelling guide to Double or Die, Charlie Higson’s third Young Bond novel, reveals the fictional character’s roots and explores all the places that act as a backdrop to his exploits: From the East End Docks where James escapes from Babushka the Russian spymaster to spooky Highgate Cemetery, which sets the scene for the kidnapping of James’ school master; Lincoln Inn Fields with its pickled organs in jars and on to the West End, the most glamorous part of 1930s London.

Take a virtual day trip to Bletchley Park, Cambridge and Eton, all of which played crucial parts in the latest Young Bond book. The guide also introduces the best of London’s sights – from museums to zoos and football grounds – that James would visit if he wasn’t too busy saving the world.

Available only in the Guardian, distributed in London and the South East on Saturday 7th April, this guide is an essential for all Young Bond and Bond fans.

Welcome to Japan, Young Bond-san

Charlie Higson’s first Young Bond novel, SilverFin, has just been published in Japan by Gakken, and here’s a first look at the cover art. Very different...very nice! (It’s somewhat reminiscent of the artwork for the first edition of Ian Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.)

This Japanese edition of SilverFin can be purchased at Amazon.co.jp.

Japanese Bond Factoid: There is a museum in Naoshima Japan devoted entirely to Raymond Benson’s last Bond novel The Man With The Red Tattoo.

Young Bond is a GoldenBoy in Germany

CommaderBond.net has scored a nice scoop with the cover art for the German edition of Double or Die titled GoldenBoy in Germany.

This is the first time Arena, the publishers of the Young Bond series in Germany, have not used the same cover art as the UK edition. Nevertheless, this cover is pretty darn nice (I like this a little better than the UK art).

Goldenboy is due for release in March 2007. Titles used on the previous Arena Young Bond novels were Stille Wasser sind tödlich (Silent Waters Are Deadly) and Zurück kommt nur der Tod (Only Death Returns).

Thanks to Heiko Baumann

YOUNG BOND 3 IS 'DOUBLE OR DIE'!

Charlie Higson revealed the title of his third Young Bond novel, Double or Die, at a special launch party at Waterstone's Piccadilly today. The title had been decided by fans via an online poll and was kept secret -- even from the author -- until today.

The event was attended by the UK press and many lucky readers, including twelve year old Billy Jones from Manchester, whose name appears in Double or Die. Billy earned the opportunity to be in the third Young Bond book when he triumphed at the Young Bond Stunt Academy in January 2006.

Double or Die will be officially released to UK bookstores tomorrow, January 4. Charlie will embark on a UK book tour starting January 23.

Watch the video below of Charlie revealing the title today at Waterstone's.

Samantha Weinberg talks Moneypenny

Author Samantha Weinberg (aka "Kate Westbrook") has written a fascinating article about Miss Moneypenny in the November 11 issue of The Times Magazine. The article can also be read online HERE.

The Moneypenny Diaries author has been on a creative roll lately. Not only has November seen the publication of her second Moneypenny novel, Secret Servant, but she also published two short stories: For Your Eyes Only James and Moneypenny's first date with Bond.

Samantha also makes a pretty fetching Miss Moneypenny herself (above). Hey, maybe when casting comes around for Bond 22... Just saying.