 |
Wednesday, May 25th 2011
saw the launch of the new James Bond Novel CARTE BLANCHE by award-winning
writer Jeffery Deaver. The launch took place at the refurbished St.
Pancras Station in London at, rather aptly, the world’s longest Champagne
Bar, outside the St. Pancras Grand. Trains, champagne and glamour, all
very Fleming! Further glamour was supplied by Chesca Miles, singer, model
and also Britain’s first and foremost female motorbike stunt rider. With a
deafening roar Chesca rode a BSA Spitfire motorbike (similar to the lethal
bike used in the 1965 Bond film Thunderball) along the raised
concourse, escorting the Bentley in which Jeffrey Deaver was chauffeured.
He was met with a round of applause as Royal Marines Commandos abseiled
from St. Pancras Station’s famous listed roof to deliver the first public
copies of CARTE BLANCHE to the author.
After posing for photographs, Mr. Deaver confirmed that he was a huge fan
of Ian Fleming’s original books and hoped to do justice to such an iconic
figure, explaining his proudest moment before being asked to pen the new
Bond novel was receiving the ‘Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award’ (its design
based on the commando knife Fleming is said to have carried during his
days working in Naval Intelligence) and that the whole thing was a
childhood dream come true. Ian Fleming’s niece, Lucy Fleming, then gave a
small speech explaining how her Uncle Ian would have loved the trains, the
champagne and especially the Bentley, but most of all how Jeffery Deaver
had brought the character Ian created so brilliantly into the 21st
Century. After such a statement I’m sure all Bond Fans snapped up the book
when it was published on May 26th. |
|
(Top) CARTE BLANCHE author Jeffery Deaver
poses with Chesca Miles, singer, model and also Britain’s first and
foremost female motorbike stunt rider. (Above) Royal Marines Commandos
abseiled from St. Pancras Station’s famous listed roof to deliver the
first public copies of CARTE BLANCHE. |
