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James Bond The Living Daylights
James Bond is in Berlin battling the KGB's most deadly assassin. Cold tense nights, exotic weapons, a very unhappy M, and a surprising romance--it's all in a day's work for master spy 007 James Bond. Anthony Valentine reads with a cool, assertive tone and a familiar accent that are entirely right as Bond.
72 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1962
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About the author
Ian Fleming
745 books3,406 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ian Lancaster Fleming was an English writer, best known for his postwar James Bond series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his father was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley from 1910 until his death on the Western Front in 1917. Educated at Eton, Sandhurst, and, briefly, the universities of Munich and Geneva, Fleming moved through several jobs before he started writing.
While working for Britain's Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War, Fleming was involved in planning Operation Goldeneye and in the planning and oversight of two intelligence units: 30 Assault Unit and T-Force. He drew from his wartime service and his career as a journalist for much of the background, detail, and depth of his James Bond novels.
Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952, at age 44. It was a success, and three print runs were commissioned to meet the demand. Eleven Bond novels and two collections of short stories followed between 1953 and 1966. The novels centre around James Bond, an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. Bond is also known by his code number, 007, and was a commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two works of non-fiction. In 2008, The Times ranked Fleming 14th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
Fleming was married to Ann Fleming. She had divorced her husband, the 2nd Viscount Rothermere, because of her affair with the author. Fleming and Ann had a son, Caspar. Fleming was a heavy smoker and drinker for most of his life and succumbed to heart disease in 1964 at the age of 56. Two of his James Bond books were published posthumously; other writers have since produced Bond novels. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-seven times, portrayed by six actors in the official film series.
Ian Lancaster Fleming was an English writer, best known for his postwar James Bond series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his father was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley from 1910 until his death on the Western Front in 1917. Educated at Eton, Sandhurst, and, briefly, the universities of Munich and Geneva, Fleming moved through several jobs before he started writing.
While working for Britain's Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War, Fleming was involved in planning Operation Goldeneye and in the planning and oversight of two intelligence units: 30 Assault Unit and T-Force. He drew from his wartime service and his career as a journalist for much of the background, detail, and depth of his James Bond novels.
Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952, at age 44. It was a success, and three print runs were commissioned to meet the demand. Eleven Bond novels and two collections of short stories followed between 1953 and 1966. The novels centre around James Bond, an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. Bond is also known by his code number, 007, and was a commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two works of non-fiction. In 2008, The Times ranked Fleming 14th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
Fleming was married to Ann Fleming. She had divorced her husband, the 2nd Viscount Rothermere, because of her affair with the author. Fleming and Ann had a son, Caspar. Fleming was a heavy smoker and drinker for most of his life and succumbed to heart disease in 1964 at the age of 56. Two of his James Bond books were published posthumously; other writers have since produced Bond novels. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-seven times, portrayed by six actors in the official film series.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 14, 2013
Rating: 3* of five
Again a reminder that the 1987 film is what I'm reviewing, not the Fleming story.
Ye gods and little fishes. That's some uninteresting Bond-age. Fell asleep twice. Bratislava? Vienna? Can anyone tell the difference? The plot's very much as always, and that's not a problem if the series has its hooks into you. But the problem with this film is the 1980s-ness of it. What was wit in 1967 is sarcasm in 1987. What was seductive in 1967 is sexual harassment in 1987.
Highlights: this film's blond henchrat is seen nearly naked, and in period tight jeans, and is generally quite toothsome. The first Aston Martin since 1965 is a V8 Volante, nice to look at, but really? In Cold War Czechoslovakia? No, no one'll notice that among the Skodas and Tatras. As always, the scenery is lovely, is well-photographed, and has a well-bred exoticism. Q is his old, ornery self, and a comic treasure of a character.
Lowlights: The new Moneypenny is ridiculous as a smart, sexy helpmeet...she's dull. The new M is whiny and unfun. The script is leaden. The section in Afghanistan is a bit, well, wrong-headed in light of today's events there. Dalton as Bond is very 1980s: slight, stylish, forgettable, and quickly dated. Joe Don Baker as the baddie is just ridiculous.
WTF Moments: Riding down a snowy hill in a cello case, which supposedly held a Stradivarius cello that Bond waves about and allows to be shot. Pretty blonde cello-girl's sudden discovery of fighting prowess, flying prowess, and ruthlessness in Afghanistan. Uhmmm, no. And not least, A-ha, the Norwegian pop sensation/one-hit wonder, to do the title song? Not The Pretenders?! Their two tunes were much more memorable. But none of them had that something extra that "View to a Kill" had.
After this entry, no further explicit connection to Fleming's own stories was seen until Casino Royale, the Daniel Craig reboot of the series. Bond was, and remains, a cultural icon. But he got lost in the desert of creative exhaustion for a long time.
Again a reminder that the 1987 film is what I'm reviewing, not the Fleming story.
Ye gods and little fishes. That's some uninteresting Bond-age. Fell asleep twice. Bratislava? Vienna? Can anyone tell the difference? The plot's very much as always, and that's not a problem if the series has its hooks into you. But the problem with this film is the 1980s-ness of it. What was wit in 1967 is sarcasm in 1987. What was seductive in 1967 is sexual harassment in 1987.
Highlights: this film's blond henchrat is seen nearly naked, and in period tight jeans, and is generally quite toothsome. The first Aston Martin since 1965 is a V8 Volante, nice to look at, but really? In Cold War Czechoslovakia? No, no one'll notice that among the Skodas and Tatras. As always, the scenery is lovely, is well-photographed, and has a well-bred exoticism. Q is his old, ornery self, and a comic treasure of a character.
Lowlights: The new Moneypenny is ridiculous as a smart, sexy helpmeet...she's dull. The new M is whiny and unfun. The script is leaden. The section in Afghanistan is a bit, well, wrong-headed in light of today's events there. Dalton as Bond is very 1980s: slight, stylish, forgettable, and quickly dated. Joe Don Baker as the baddie is just ridiculous.
WTF Moments: Riding down a snowy hill in a cello case, which supposedly held a Stradivarius cello that Bond waves about and allows to be shot. Pretty blonde cello-girl's sudden discovery of fighting prowess, flying prowess, and ruthlessness in Afghanistan. Uhmmm, no. And not least, A-ha, the Norwegian pop sensation/one-hit wonder, to do the title song? Not The Pretenders?! Their two tunes were much more memorable. But none of them had that something extra that "View to a Kill" had.
After this entry, no further explicit connection to Fleming's own stories was seen until Casino Royale, the Daniel Craig reboot of the series. Bond was, and remains, a cultural icon. But he got lost in the desert of creative exhaustion for a long time.
February 25, 2018
I think this is pretty boring plot-wise but I actually enjoy the characterisation of James Bond. It's pretty bleak and depressing, actually. Him being so occupied with guns, women and alcohol doesn't look so "cool" when it's told from his point of view, even though he'd probably disagree. I almost feel bad for him.
December 28, 2020
4 Stars. Perhaps the Bond short story closest to the 007 we have become accustomed to on the screen. But the movies leave out the tediousness, the details which must be worked through to achieve success, and the good, or bad, relationships between Bond and members of his team. The story first showed up in the "Sunday Times" in 1962; my read was from a collection of four in "Octopussy and The Living Daylights" from 1966. A novella of 26 pages. Bond's task as assigned by M is to assist a Soviet defector to cross "no-man's land" between East and West Berlin without being shot by the Soviets. Bond's exact task? Shoot the shooter; take out the threat to the defector. First, Bond must return to the target range to practice with his weapon of choice to ensure he has all the possible distances covered. Then he has to get to the American sector of Free Berlin, and worry that they don't raise a stink if the job is anything but clean. There are distractions too; the East German Ministry, where "Trigger" may set up, is also the practice site for an all-woman band at the hour of #272's crossing. It's a few days work for Bond and back to London. (December 2020)
October 5, 2022
یک داستان کوتاه به نام روشنایی روز به فارسی ترجمه شده. جذابیت ماجراهای جیمز باند برای کسی پوشیده نیست! داستان به طور جالبی روی درگیری درونی و بیرونی باند با به قتل رسوندن تمرکز داره چیزی که توی بیشتر کتابهای دیگه کمتر میبینیم. باند توی داستان حتی آرزوی از دست دادن کد 00 خودش رو داره در حالی که موارد دیگه شاهد چنگ زدن باند به موقیت خود به عنوان یک مامور میدانی هستیم.
June 5, 2011
For a first introduction to Ian Fleming, it's surprisingly cogent. The character of James Bond isn't new to me - both the James Bond of old and the newer, rawer version found in Daniel Craig. But this is a more considered James Bond to be found in Ian Fleming's writings - one who isn't entirely satisfied with his work, whose head is, yes, turned by pretty women, but who takes a tranquilizer to sleep the day before an assassination assignment. This is a James Bond I can like.
And bravo to the Penguin Mini Modern Classics for making Ian Fleming's work accessible. I doubt that I would have picked up one of his books without having first read these two short stories.
And bravo to the Penguin Mini Modern Classics for making Ian Fleming's work accessible. I doubt that I would have picked up one of his books without having first read these two short stories.
October 21, 2021
Bond is shaken by a woman
A James Bond short story, of which Fleming wrote several, which has many merits, notably a gritty approach to the practical matter of cold bloodedly shooting a Russian counterpart.
We join Bond a few days prior to the singular event of the story, into the unglamorous world of the unsavoury assignment, its preparation, including a refresher on the shooting range, and the purchase of salacious literature to help pass the time and distract. One of the features of the tale is the amount of time Bond spends travelling, setting up and waiting. But when it counts exact timing is crucial. Hesitation is not an option.
The transaction is actually a neat circuit. A Russian defector is about to make a break for the West through the Berlin wall. M15 reason correctly that the Russians will attempt to shoot the defector before he reaches safety. Ergo British intelligence needs to stop the Russian shooter. This is what Bond has to do. It’s just business. But Bond is surprised when he catches sight of the Russian assassin, and hesitates, almost botching the job. The matter has become personal. He is scolded by his colleague, essentially a bureaucrat, which is the Fleming verisimilitude touch, albeit accompanied by the more familiar Bond fondness for alcohol and sexy literature.
You can almost feel the cold Berlin greyness.
A James Bond short story, of which Fleming wrote several, which has many merits, notably a gritty approach to the practical matter of cold bloodedly shooting a Russian counterpart.
We join Bond a few days prior to the singular event of the story, into the unglamorous world of the unsavoury assignment, its preparation, including a refresher on the shooting range, and the purchase of salacious literature to help pass the time and distract. One of the features of the tale is the amount of time Bond spends travelling, setting up and waiting. But when it counts exact timing is crucial. Hesitation is not an option.
The transaction is actually a neat circuit. A Russian defector is about to make a break for the West through the Berlin wall. M15 reason correctly that the Russians will attempt to shoot the defector before he reaches safety. Ergo British intelligence needs to stop the Russian shooter. This is what Bond has to do. It’s just business. But Bond is surprised when he catches sight of the Russian assassin, and hesitates, almost botching the job. The matter has become personal. He is scolded by his colleague, essentially a bureaucrat, which is the Fleming verisimilitude touch, albeit accompanied by the more familiar Bond fondness for alcohol and sexy literature.
You can almost feel the cold Berlin greyness.
February 26, 2011
Two neat little stories - the first Bond short stories I have read, and rather good too. Unusual missions in both stories ("The Living Daylights" and "From a View to a Kill") with a focus on waiting, watching, and drinking until the enemy shows his hand. Fleming's Bond is particularly snobbish and dismissive here, as he muses on life, nature, the awfulness of Berlin, the awfulness of Paris, how disappointing French women are, the time that he lost his virginity and his note-case simultaneously... and then the brief and brutal moments of action (along with, spoiler alert, an act of restraint bordering on mercy).
An enjoyable quick read.
An enjoyable quick read.
January 6, 2022
As a kid I had no access to these books, and wasn't allowed to watch the movies owing to the adult nature of its content. Having become an adult who can now binge the entire library on Amazon Prime, I found it completely childish. After watching half of the movies from the EON productions stable, which were all released before 1989, I felt the need to return to Ian Fleming's books. More like a detox after consuming all the junk that the movies dished out in the name of Bond. Yes, James Bond.
To make my point, I chose the weakest book to come out of Fleming's desk. An omnium-gatherum of unfinished plotlines that were deftly transformed into short stories, published more for fans who were familiar with the oeuvre rather than new readers. Think of it as an album of unreleased tapes from your favourite band long after they were disbanded. Despite its obvious limitations, these short stories do more justice to the character than the on-screen portrayals of messers Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton (still to catch up on those featuring Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, I must admit)
The first thing that every new reader is likely to relish when he or she starts reading a James Bond novel is the depth of character. Just to give you a taste of what to expect, take out all the spectacular locations, the catwalk of cars that play lead roles in high-adrenalin chases, the laughable technology in the gizmos of Q, the heady mix of high stakes in casinos with a bevy of babes and Bollinger on the side, dialogues layered with cringe-worthy dad jokes and innuendo, and the WTF villains; what's left behind is a sharp mind and a fast-beating heart of an overworked gent in his 40s, who makes a living out of killing.
The human side of James Bond is far more relatable, even if his day job isn't. He faces an existential crisis in every adventure, having to report to demanding bosses who question his decision-making during the fires he is needed to douse as an occupational hazard(which in his case are as literal as it gets). His vulnerabilities are always on display, facing moral dilemmas for every life he takes in the name of national duty. He even comes across as a frustrated employee, with no family life(spoiler alert - he is a widower), who is one assignment away from retiring for good. The very things that are carefully concealed on the 70mm offerings are the things that make reading Ian Fleming's James Bond a delight.
This collection of short stories are at best one-off episodes from James Bond's bigger assignments, and while they don't reveal the bigger picture, they do a fantastic job of being a trailer to all his novels. "The Living Daylights" is my favourite from this compilation, that also includes Octopussy, Property of a Lady and OO7 in New York. But I'd recommend one reads Living Daylights first, before moving on to the novels, because it is perhaps the best advertisement for Ian Fleming's James Bond series. And no, this review has nothing to with Persol, Omega, Tom Ford, Crockett & Jones or any Savile Row bespoke suit that the reel life namesake is known to sport.
To make my point, I chose the weakest book to come out of Fleming's desk. An omnium-gatherum of unfinished plotlines that were deftly transformed into short stories, published more for fans who were familiar with the oeuvre rather than new readers. Think of it as an album of unreleased tapes from your favourite band long after they were disbanded. Despite its obvious limitations, these short stories do more justice to the character than the on-screen portrayals of messers Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton (still to catch up on those featuring Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, I must admit)
The first thing that every new reader is likely to relish when he or she starts reading a James Bond novel is the depth of character. Just to give you a taste of what to expect, take out all the spectacular locations, the catwalk of cars that play lead roles in high-adrenalin chases, the laughable technology in the gizmos of Q, the heady mix of high stakes in casinos with a bevy of babes and Bollinger on the side, dialogues layered with cringe-worthy dad jokes and innuendo, and the WTF villains; what's left behind is a sharp mind and a fast-beating heart of an overworked gent in his 40s, who makes a living out of killing.
The human side of James Bond is far more relatable, even if his day job isn't. He faces an existential crisis in every adventure, having to report to demanding bosses who question his decision-making during the fires he is needed to douse as an occupational hazard(which in his case are as literal as it gets). His vulnerabilities are always on display, facing moral dilemmas for every life he takes in the name of national duty. He even comes across as a frustrated employee, with no family life(spoiler alert - he is a widower), who is one assignment away from retiring for good. The very things that are carefully concealed on the 70mm offerings are the things that make reading Ian Fleming's James Bond a delight.
This collection of short stories are at best one-off episodes from James Bond's bigger assignments, and while they don't reveal the bigger picture, they do a fantastic job of being a trailer to all his novels. "The Living Daylights" is my favourite from this compilation, that also includes Octopussy, Property of a Lady and OO7 in New York. But I'd recommend one reads Living Daylights first, before moving on to the novels, because it is perhaps the best advertisement for Ian Fleming's James Bond series. And no, this review has nothing to with Persol, Omega, Tom Ford, Crockett & Jones or any Savile Row bespoke suit that the reel life namesake is known to sport.
November 30, 2014
With this, I finish all of the original James Bond stories. Fleming is at best not a great writer, and he really only likes two things (Jamaica and describing luxury items that Bond is wearing/driving/etc.). This was a collection of short stories that didn't work nearly as well as the other set (For Your Eyes Only), but that are better than most of the "late" books (which are really just short stories anyways).
March 14, 2021
What can I say.... Huge KUDOS to the screenwriters of the James Bond movie "The Living Daylights". Movie is very insightful,story is way better and action keeps you glued to the tv screen for way over 2 hours. Skip this really poor JB story and watch the movie. The Living Daylights is my all time favourite James Bond movie and this story is something I wish I have never read...
July 4, 2011
This was great! I've never read a Bond book or short story but this mini-collection made me want to. Fleming's writing is a pleasure to read and the stories are very exciting! Bond is the epitome of an action hero and this offering from Penguin does not disappoint.
January 24, 2016
A glimpse and taste of the original Bond. What struck me in these two stories was the women: (a) they appear only to be desired, and so only the desirable ones matter (b) they (the desirable type) are Bond's singular weakness.
September 19, 2009
Very cool little story. It goes much more into James Bond as a person than "Octopussy" did. Short and sweet...well, for a sniper story.
September 29, 2009
re-read Sept 2009 to compare with the movie - there is a slight thread.
March 18, 2012
First Bond stories I've ever read, and I enjoyed them both!
September 6, 2012
Love James Bond, but I think I love the movies more. The writing and plot were great, but just something was missing. Still good, and I'll be updating the rest of my backlist shortly.
Read
July 9, 2014Read a long time ago. Would have to reread for a better review and rating.
June 20, 2021
A quick, short story that provides the inspiration for a key scene in the movie of the same name.
February 23, 2025
Just good weekend fun reading. It's striking of course just how un-PC the Bond character was - a reflection of Fleming and his times ...
October 20, 2021
Bond is sent to take out a sniper who will be after an agent making his way from East Berlin to West Berlin sometime during a three day stretch. A nice little twist comes along at the right time. Recommended
January 11, 2023
Great example of assigning moral character to attractive people
January 5, 2022
I really enjoyed listening to a few of Ian Fleming's short stories towards the end of the year. They were available on YouTube- audio with a static picture. I've watched most of the Bond films so listening to a narrated story was different but familiar. I will continue to listen to all of Ian Fleming's Bond books and short stories. This one is a short listen but gives all of the Bond vibes with Bond and M and some romance and action mixed in. Easy to follow along.
September 1, 2013
While James Bond translates naturally from the page to film, there's something in Fleming's writing, a brisk but stylish veneer, that the films fail to capture, stripping Bond's elegance and his encyclopaedic and intimate knowledge of drinks and guns, and replacing them with a singular taste for dry martinis and Walther PPKs.
Given the continual and frequent production of Bond films, reading the Living Daylights is something of a magic tonic. Not only does it show Bond as the discriminating, hard, and brutish killer that Fleming always intended, but it gives the reader a thorough shake, and serves as a stark reminder that the celluloid 007 is nothing but a bland impostor.
Given the continual and frequent production of Bond films, reading the Living Daylights is something of a magic tonic. Not only does it show Bond as the discriminating, hard, and brutish killer that Fleming always intended, but it gives the reader a thorough shake, and serves as a stark reminder that the celluloid 007 is nothing but a bland impostor.
September 5, 2015
From IMdb:
James Bond is living on the edge to stop an evil arms dealer from starting another world war. Bond crosses all seven continents in order to stop the evil Whitaker and General Koskov.
James Bond is living on the edge to stop an evil arms dealer from starting another world war. Bond crosses all seven continents in order to stop the evil Whitaker and General Koskov.
April 3, 2011
Excellent 007 drama.
January 9, 2013
Entertaining
October 3, 2023
eponymous sentence:
p23: "...Scared the living daylights out of her...."
Call it professional courtesy, maybe?
Read as part of the collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights.
p23: "...Scared the living daylights out of her...."
Call it professional courtesy, maybe?
Read as part of the collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews