Yes, he was. He had written a series of spoof spy thrillers starring cowardly killer Boysie Oakes, one of which ("The Liquidator") was filmed, as well as various books both spy and otherwise.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gardner_(British_writer) for a long list.
Released in 1983, Icebreaker is John Gardner's 3rd Stab at the Bond Legacy. Reviewers were a bit more fair this Time, giving the Novel better Reviews. Maybe Readers were now comfortable with Gardner as the new Bond Author? It's also the first of his Output that brings in the Concept of the good old Fashioned 'Double Cross' Something that Gardner would repeat himself with in later Books.
This is his strongest one yet, full of interesting Characters and Settings. Finland, Russia and the Arctic Circle are all given to you on a Plate along with some rich Descriptions of each Location that make you shiver just reading about them. We are treated to a Plot about Neo Nazi Attacks around the World, People have been brutally gunned down in cold Blood. But who is behind the Carnage? M brings Bond up to speed about the Situation and is informed that he will be joining a Group called 'Icebreaker'
This Group is made up of four Service Operatives from various Countries, friendly and non friendly. One from MI6 (Bond obviously) One from Mossad (Rivke Ingber) One from the CIA (Brad Tirpitz) and finally a KGB Operative called Kolya Mosolov. Bond hardly trusts any of them, and throughout the Novel we are taken through Double Crossings that will reveal who are really on the Side of the Angels.
Before all of this, we read about Bond meeting up with an old Swedish Lover called Paula Vacker. They have History and Gardner goes into some Detail about this. Bond has a fight in her Flat with two Russian Heavies, she then disappears and turns up in the Main Villains Base. She appears to be working for the Enemy, but turns out to be under Cover and is in fact good. The Antagonist here is called Count Konrad von Glöda and he is an old Nazi who has Dreams of bringing back Global Fascism and becoming the new Hitler. He has a Sense of Menace about him, and he is intent on his Objectives coming to Fruition.
Bond is lead into a Trap, captured and brought to the 'Ice Palace' An old Bunker and HQ of old Count Konrad von Glöda. After some Discussion, we are treated to a Torture Scene involving a Dip into some Ice Cold Water that will make you wince when reading it. The whole Place is destroyed by Russian Aircraft afterwards whilst Bond and Paula look on. The Novels Finale is a shootout in the Airport amongst regular Passengers and Gardner had some fun writing this Scene, he goes into the same Detail that we had come to expect from him at this Point. The Novel ends with Bond in Hospital alongside Paula and Brad, who is in fact genuine and was also acting undercover.
John Gardner had once again given us a solid Bond Adventure. All of his Trademarks are here, good Settings, Characters and Situations that even rival Fleming. This was his Peak, and things could only go downhill from here sadly in his fourth Bond Novel Role Of Honor
9/10 from me
1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
I think fascist make great villains and in many countries you can see some of
These extreme parties getting popular. They offer simple solutions to complex
Problems, usually by blaming some minority or other.
I loved Tim Dalton as the Fascist actor in the Rocketeer. -{ he looked to
Be having a lot of fun playing the part.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Decided to pump out two of these Reviews in one Day, lucky People )
After three very strong Bond Novels, it seemed that Gardner was on a role. Could he keep the Momentum going with a fourth Adventure? Well, yes and no. Released in 1984, Role Of Honor was John Gardner's fourth official James Bond Novel. This one is seen within the Bond Circle as being 'Drab and Uninspired' and a disappointment after Icebreaker
The Story kicks off with the Theft of several Paintings from a London Museum. Gardner as always, gives a good Description of the Action and it involves a Chase through the Streets of the Capital and finally onto Heathrow. This Chapter ends with the Headline of 'Commander James Bond resigns from the British Secret Service' An exciting and early Twist, combined with an explosive start. So far so good for this Marmite Novel.
It turns out that bond has come into some Money, a rather large Inheritance of sorts. This prompts M and several other Senior Members of the Service to fake Bonds Resignation so he can be sent to investigate who's behind the Art Thefts. The whole Sequence of Bond splashing the Cash, buying a new Bentley and several other Commodities is a nice Touch. We get to see Bond enjoying himself a bit here. He is given Orders to 'Put his Skills on the open Market' and see how far he gets.
The Characters in ROH are a mixed Bag. We have the strangely named Female CIA Agent 'Percy Proud' who teaches Bond about Computer Programing Language. The Chapters where she is doing this, just seem to be out of Place in a Bond Novel. This all takes place in a Monte Carlo Hotel, where Bond reflects on how the Area has changed since he last visited and feels some sadness at the Changes.
Next we have 'Jay Autumn Holly' who was believed to have been killed in a Plane Accident a few Years before. He runs his own Computer Games Company, specializing in Military and Tactics Simulations. He challenges Bond to a Game that is very similar to a Scene in the unofficial Bond Film 'Never Say Never Again' (1983) starring Sean Connery back in the Role. It's a good Scene and something that you would not expect Fleming's Bond to ever do. He plays an important Part in the Villainous Organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E (Who is revealed to be the Novels Antagonist during the final Chapters)
Tamil Rahini is the current Leader of S.P.E.C.T.R.E (Reveals this in the second to last Chapter) He is a bland Villain to say the least, we learn nothing about his Past or how he even became Head of the greatest Terrorist Organization ever. I think Gardner just wanted to come up with an exciting Villain, but he sort of missed the Target there a bit.
At one Point in the Book, Bond is taken to one of there Training Grounds at Erewhon. The whole Facility is given Gardner's Taste for exotic Settings and Locales. It's here that Bond meets Rahani's right Hand Man called 'Simon' A rather unremarkable Name for a Henchman. He put's Bond through his Paces in a Simulated Shootout, with real Deaths and Live Ammunition.
Jay Holy's overall Plan is to disarm both the United States and the USSR by shutting down there Defense Systems. The Novel Climaxes on a Blimp above Switzerland, where we see the Deaths of Jay and Simon in a confined Space that would be partly adapted for 1985's A View To A Kill Here it is revealed that Tamil Rahini is the current Leader of S.P.E.C.T.R.E and that he is too disarm only the United States. leaving it on a Plate for the USSR. Before Bond can take any Action against him, he manages to Parachute out of the Blimp. Leaving them to an Encounter in the Next Book. Bond and 'Percy' then take leave together and find themselves being attacked by an Assassin with a Dart, giving us a Taste of what to expect in Nobody Lives Forever
Role Of Honor is a mixed Bag of tedium and disappointment. The Scenes with the S.P.E.C.T.R.E Training Ground and the Blimp are the Novels High Points. But the Characters fall short of the Mark here, especially the Villain of Tamil Rahini. It's never explained how he even became the Groups new Leader and he just does not carry the same Menace as the two Blofeld's did. Maybe Gardner meant to give him some more Back Story but ran out of Time? The Groups current Scheme is rather similar to that in For Special Services but this one kind of falls flat. Luckily things would pick up in the next Novel, before sloping down again.
5/10 (Sorry Barbel ) )
1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
I have to admit I rather liked ROH , once again Gardner goes for a big plot.
I loved the training camp and thought, Simon seemed to really like and get on
With Bond. The only thing I thought was a bit lazy was Getting Bond to be Tamil's
Pilot for the attack.
For me I'd have given it a solid 7/10.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
There are Parts of the Novel I like, the Training Ground for instance. Although the Way bond was taken there was a bit off, being out cold on a Helicopter for that long? ?:) The Blimp Climax was very well done, and it seems Gardner was having fun. I just felt bored with the Pages of Computer Programming Language, it slowed down the Plot a bit.
1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
Ah!, you see I'm a kid from the early days of computers when computer mags
Had pages of code, for you to import. To make a box car go round a box track.
So it was very exciting for me ! )
I loved Bond going in "undercover" for the villain's plan. Also the little observations
on how Jay Autumn Holly told Bond to go have some food, with Bond pointing out
It was a superman complex, as if he didn't need food and sleep like mere mortals
Such as 007.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
No worries! In case you didn't know, Gardner was obliged to rewrite the game sequence because it was TOO similar to the concurrent film and felt his original version was better.
You have possibly my favourite Gardner Bond novel next, and I'm hoping you like that one!
Oh yes, I'd forgotten how good it was ( just my opinion). Loved the whole
Miami sequence, still cringe at what happens to 'Nannie' Norrich trying
To grab for the gun.
The story has a great pace and Keeps moving along, there's even a bit
Of the Gardner favourite a double crossing character. As I've posted before
He's not Fleming but many of his books are good, some are very good.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Comments
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gardner_(British_writer) for a long list.
He certainly had and it was due to that fact that he was offered the James Bond Continuation Author gig.
Looking forward to it - keep up the good work! You're reminding me that I need to get more blog articles published on my blog soon! -{
Icebreaker
Released in 1983, Icebreaker is John Gardner's 3rd Stab at the Bond Legacy. Reviewers were a bit more fair this Time, giving the Novel better Reviews. Maybe Readers were now comfortable with Gardner as the new Bond Author? It's also the first of his Output that brings in the Concept of the good old Fashioned 'Double Cross' Something that Gardner would repeat himself with in later Books.
This is his strongest one yet, full of interesting Characters and Settings. Finland, Russia and the Arctic Circle are all given to you on a Plate along with some rich Descriptions of each Location that make you shiver just reading about them. We are treated to a Plot about Neo Nazi Attacks around the World, People have been brutally gunned down in cold Blood. But who is behind the Carnage? M brings Bond up to speed about the Situation and is informed that he will be joining a Group called 'Icebreaker'
This Group is made up of four Service Operatives from various Countries, friendly and non friendly. One from MI6 (Bond obviously) One from Mossad (Rivke Ingber) One from the CIA (Brad Tirpitz) and finally a KGB Operative called Kolya Mosolov. Bond hardly trusts any of them, and throughout the Novel we are taken through Double Crossings that will reveal who are really on the Side of the Angels.
Before all of this, we read about Bond meeting up with an old Swedish Lover called Paula Vacker. They have History and Gardner goes into some Detail about this. Bond has a fight in her Flat with two Russian Heavies, she then disappears and turns up in the Main Villains Base. She appears to be working for the Enemy, but turns out to be under Cover and is in fact good. The Antagonist here is called Count Konrad von Glöda and he is an old Nazi who has Dreams of bringing back Global Fascism and becoming the new Hitler. He has a Sense of Menace about him, and he is intent on his Objectives coming to Fruition.
Bond is lead into a Trap, captured and brought to the 'Ice Palace' An old Bunker and HQ of old Count Konrad von Glöda. After some Discussion, we are treated to a Torture Scene involving a Dip into some Ice Cold Water that will make you wince when reading it. The whole Place is destroyed by Russian Aircraft afterwards whilst Bond and Paula look on. The Novels Finale is a shootout in the Airport amongst regular Passengers and Gardner had some fun writing this Scene, he goes into the same Detail that we had come to expect from him at this Point. The Novel ends with Bond in Hospital alongside Paula and Brad, who is in fact genuine and was also acting undercover.
John Gardner had once again given us a solid Bond Adventure. All of his Trademarks are here, good Settings, Characters and Situations that even rival Fleming. This was his Peak, and things could only go downhill from here sadly in his fourth Bond Novel Role Of Honor
9/10 from me
Are Nazis. -{
Looking for them in his stories.
Back to License Renewed, you can have a Drinking Game when reading the Description of Murik's 'Magma Eyes' -{
These extreme parties getting popular. They offer simple solutions to complex
Problems, usually by blaming some minority or other.
I loved Tim Dalton as the Fascist actor in the Rocketeer. -{ he looked to
Be having a lot of fun playing the part.
After three very strong Bond Novels, it seemed that Gardner was on a role. Could he keep the Momentum going with a fourth Adventure? Well, yes and no. Released in 1984, Role Of Honor was John Gardner's fourth official James Bond Novel. This one is seen within the Bond Circle as being 'Drab and Uninspired' and a disappointment after Icebreaker
The Story kicks off with the Theft of several Paintings from a London Museum. Gardner as always, gives a good Description of the Action and it involves a Chase through the Streets of the Capital and finally onto Heathrow. This Chapter ends with the Headline of 'Commander James Bond resigns from the British Secret Service' An exciting and early Twist, combined with an explosive start. So far so good for this Marmite Novel.
It turns out that bond has come into some Money, a rather large Inheritance of sorts. This prompts M and several other Senior Members of the Service to fake Bonds Resignation so he can be sent to investigate who's behind the Art Thefts. The whole Sequence of Bond splashing the Cash, buying a new Bentley and several other Commodities is a nice Touch. We get to see Bond enjoying himself a bit here. He is given Orders to 'Put his Skills on the open Market' and see how far he gets.
The Characters in ROH are a mixed Bag. We have the strangely named Female CIA Agent 'Percy Proud' who teaches Bond about Computer Programing Language. The Chapters where she is doing this, just seem to be out of Place in a Bond Novel. This all takes place in a Monte Carlo Hotel, where Bond reflects on how the Area has changed since he last visited and feels some sadness at the Changes.
Next we have 'Jay Autumn Holly' who was believed to have been killed in a Plane Accident a few Years before. He runs his own Computer Games Company, specializing in Military and Tactics Simulations. He challenges Bond to a Game that is very similar to a Scene in the unofficial Bond Film 'Never Say Never Again' (1983) starring Sean Connery back in the Role. It's a good Scene and something that you would not expect Fleming's Bond to ever do. He plays an important Part in the Villainous Organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E (Who is revealed to be the Novels Antagonist during the final Chapters)
Tamil Rahini is the current Leader of S.P.E.C.T.R.E (Reveals this in the second to last Chapter) He is a bland Villain to say the least, we learn nothing about his Past or how he even became Head of the greatest Terrorist Organization ever. I think Gardner just wanted to come up with an exciting Villain, but he sort of missed the Target there a bit.
At one Point in the Book, Bond is taken to one of there Training Grounds at Erewhon. The whole Facility is given Gardner's Taste for exotic Settings and Locales. It's here that Bond meets Rahani's right Hand Man called 'Simon' A rather unremarkable Name for a Henchman. He put's Bond through his Paces in a Simulated Shootout, with real Deaths and Live Ammunition.
Jay Holy's overall Plan is to disarm both the United States and the USSR by shutting down there Defense Systems. The Novel Climaxes on a Blimp above Switzerland, where we see the Deaths of Jay and Simon in a confined Space that would be partly adapted for 1985's A View To A Kill Here it is revealed that Tamil Rahini is the current Leader of S.P.E.C.T.R.E and that he is too disarm only the United States. leaving it on a Plate for the USSR. Before Bond can take any Action against him, he manages to Parachute out of the Blimp. Leaving them to an Encounter in the Next Book. Bond and 'Percy' then take leave together and find themselves being attacked by an Assassin with a Dart, giving us a Taste of what to expect in Nobody Lives Forever
Role Of Honor is a mixed Bag of tedium and disappointment. The Scenes with the S.P.E.C.T.R.E Training Ground and the Blimp are the Novels High Points. But the Characters fall short of the Mark here, especially the Villain of Tamil Rahini. It's never explained how he even became the Groups new Leader and he just does not carry the same Menace as the two Blofeld's did. Maybe Gardner meant to give him some more Back Story but ran out of Time? The Groups current Scheme is rather similar to that in For Special Services but this one kind of falls flat. Luckily things would pick up in the next Novel, before sloping down again.
5/10 (Sorry Barbel
I loved the training camp and thought, Simon seemed to really like and get on
With Bond. The only thing I thought was a bit lazy was Getting Bond to be Tamil's
Pilot for the attack.
For me I'd have given it a solid 7/10.
There are Parts of the Novel I like, the Training Ground for instance. Although the Way bond was taken there was a bit off, being out cold on a Helicopter for that long? ?:) The Blimp Climax was very well done, and it seems Gardner was having fun. I just felt bored with the Pages of Computer Programming Language, it slowed down the Plot a bit.
Had pages of code, for you to import. To make a box car go round a box track.
So it was very exciting for me !
I loved Bond going in "undercover" for the villain's plan. Also the little observations
on how Jay Autumn Holly told Bond to go have some food, with Bond pointing out
It was a superman complex, as if he didn't need food and sleep like mere mortals
Such as 007.
Getting some respect around here !
Posting on AJB, I'm offered a seat !
( I'm still younger than the new Dr Who )
No worries!
You have possibly my favourite Gardner Bond novel next, and I'm hoping you like that one!
Capaldi and I are exactly the same age
Miami sequence, still cringe at what happens to 'Nannie' Norrich trying
To grab for the gun.
The story has a great pace and Keeps moving along, there's even a bit
Of the Gardner favourite a double crossing character. As I've posted before
He's not Fleming but many of his books are good, some are very good.