Solo - A James Bond Novel (US Audiobook)

By: FSWL team

Published:
2013-09-30

The audiobook (read by Dominic West) of Solo, a new James Bond novel by William Boyd, is released in USA on 8th October 2013. The same publication day as the US hardback edition and a Large Print paperback. (In Spring 2014, EA Förlag publish Solo in Swedish, read more.)
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From Sweden with Love was invited to the launch (and release party) of 'Solo' at The Dorchester in London on 25th September 2013. Read our report from the launch.
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Official book description:
It's 1969, and, having just celebrated his forty-fifth birthday, James Bond—British special agent 007—is summoned to headquarters to receive an unusual assignment. Zanzarim, a troubled West African nation, is being ravaged by a bitter civil war, and M directs Bond to quash the rebels threatening the established regime.

Bond's arrival in Africa marks the start of a feverish mission to discover the forces behind this brutal war—and he soon realizes the situation is far from straightforward. Piece by piece, Bond uncovers the real cause of the violence in Zanzarim, revealing a twisting conspiracy that extends further than he ever imagined.

Moving from rebel battlefields in West Africa to the closed doors of intelligence offices in London and Washington, this novel is at once a gripping thriller, a tensely plotted story full of memorable characters and breathtaking twists, and a masterful study of power and how it is wielded—a brilliant addition to the James Bond canon.

In a press release from August 1, 2013, Richard Cable (Managing Director of Vintage Publishing) commented:

"We are thrilled to have such a distinguished actor as Dominic West reading Solo. It’s the perfect combination of reader and text. Audio listeners are in for a real treat!"

Audiobook details:
Author: William Boyd
Reader: Dominic West
Running Time: N/A
Publisher: HarperAudio
Number of CDs: N/A
File Quality: MP3 (64 kbps)
ISBN-10: 006226527X
ISBN-13: 978-0062265272

In a press release from April 2012, William Boyd commented:

"When the Ian Fleming estate invited me to write the new James Bond novel I didn’t hesitate. I accepted at once – for me the prospect appeared incredibly exciting and stimulating – a once-in-a-lifetime challenge.

In fact my father introduced me to the James Bond novels in the 1960s and I read them all then – From Russia with Love (1957) being my favourite.

I then became very intrigued by Ian Fleming the man and have written about him on numerous occasions. The fascination went so far that I placed him as a character in my novel Any Human Heart where he’s responsible for recruiting the novel’s protagonist, Logan Mountstuart, into the Naval Intelligence Division in World War II.

One other coincidence should be mentioned. It turns out that I’ve worked with three of the actors who have played James Bond over the years. They’ve all starred in films that I’ve written: Sean Connery in A Good Man in Africa, Pierce Brosnan in Mr Johnson and Daniel Craig in The Trench. The idea that these somewhat random connections with Fleming and Bond should culminate in my writing a new James Bond novel is irresistibly appealing. The only thing I’m prepared to say at this stage about the novel that I will write is that it will be set in 1969."

Editor's note:
For other James Bond audiobooks presented on FSWL, click here.

William Boyd is the third author in recent years to be invited by the Ian Fleming estate to write an official Bond novel, following in the footsteps of the American thriller writer Jeffery Deaver, who wrote Carte Blanche in 2011, and Sebastian Faulks who wrote Devil May Care that was published to mark Ian Fleming’s centenary in 2008.

As well as the publication of the new novel, 2013 is a significant year for Bond, marking the 60th anniversary of Fleming's first 007 novel, Casino Royale, first published by Cape on April 13, 1953. Cape was also the publisher of the first ever official Bond novel following Fleming’s death in 1964, when Kingsley Amis took up the mantle writing Colonel Sun as Robert Markham in 1968.

For other posts about William Boyd's Solo on From Sweden with Love, click here.

Photo above:
Cover for the US unabridged audiobook of Solo, the new James Bond novel. © 2013 HarperAudio. All rights reserved.

Pre-order the US audiobook of the new James Bond novel by William Boyd from Amazon:

www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1846573777/fromswedenwit-20/

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Solo - A James Bond Novel (US Audiobook)

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