Bond in France

In 1953, it is in France that James Bond was introduced to the world. Ian Fleming’s inaugural book, Casino Royale, saw James Bond in a fictionalised northern coastal town called Royale-les-Eaux. Fleming would ensure his hero would return to France in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Goldfinger, From a View to a Kill, From Russia With Love and, obliquely, in Thunderball.

Producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were quick to realise the need for their cinematic James Bond to also grace the beautiful country in the films, Thunderball, Diamonds are Forever, Moonraker, A View to a Kill, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough. Through alternate producers, Sean Connery’s last Bond film, Never Say Never Again, visited the azure coast of the French Riviera to take in Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes, Menton and Monaco.

Whether it is the romance of Paris, the exquisitely beautiful châteaux, the transcendental glamour of the Côte d’Azur, the films and books capture the chic, the confidence, the magnificence of this beautiful country. The continuation authors, Raymond Benson, Anthony Horowitz and Kim Sherwood have novels set in France. And further to their successes on screen, Sir Roger Moore, Sir Sean Connery and Sir David Niven all chose the Côte d’Azur as their home.

Speaking to more than 25 people on both sides of the Productions; location owners and those who helped prepare the locations for filming, Simon Firth answers every question imaginable. How did Sir Roger Moore come to choose Saint-Paul-de-Vence for his family home? In which three French administrative departments is the fictional town of Royale-les-Eaux said to exist? Is the Parisian Harry’s New York Bar really the ideal venue to reminisce about the loss of virginity? How did a building dedicated to religious worship help the cast and crew of A View to a Kill? What is the connection between Sir Roger Moore and the Château d’Anet from Thunderball? How is the film, Octopussy inextricably linked to the Kim Sherwood book, Double or Nothing? Which French island features a small scene in Moonraker?

Illustrated with images from both the archives of On The Tracks of 007 and those interviewed from the films’ productions, ’Bond in France’ is the definitive work charting James Bond in film and book as his adventures take you through the beauty and romance of this stunning country.

Featuring a Foreword by sons to Sir Roger Moore, Geoffrey and Christian, and an Afterword by Actress, Barbara Carrera.