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Available
Call number
Library's review
England, 1954.
Sir Hugo Drax har skænket England en ny atomraket, Tordenkilen. Men M er mistænksom for Drax snyder, når han spiller bridge i den mondæne klub Blades, hvor M også er medlem. Bond pakker kortene og lokker Drax til at vædde stort på et enkelt spil, så Drax taber 15000 pund og
Kort efter bliver Major Tallon, der er chef for sikkerheden ved Tordenkilen, myrdet og M placerer Bond i hans sted. Den smukke Special Branch agent Gala Brand er allerede placeret som sekretær og sammen udspionerer de Drax. Bond er fascineret af Drax og dennes engagement i Tordenkilen. Gala og Bond bliver udsat for et attentatforsøg, men alligevel har de ikke beviser mod nogen bestemt, så de fortsætter blot med at se hvad Drax har for. Gala finder ud af Tordenkilen skal ramme London, men Drax opdager det og tager hende til fange. Bond følger efter, men bliver også taget til fange. De undslipper og ændrer målindstillingen tilbage til det oprindelige. Drax selv bliver dræbt, da den atombombe, han havde anbragt i Tordenkilen, eksploderer, men ellers er tabene beskedne. Drax var i virkeligheden en gammel nazist, der ville tage hævn over englænderne.
For en gangs skyld scorer Bond ikke den smukke agent, for hun skal giftes dagen efter.
Glimrende og stilsikker Bond roman
Sir Hugo Drax har skænket England en ny atomraket, Tordenkilen. Men M er mistænksom for Drax snyder, når han spiller bridge i den mondæne klub Blades, hvor M også er medlem. Bond pakker kortene og lokker Drax til at vædde stort på et enkelt spil, så Drax taber 15000 pund og
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han råder Bond til at bruge pengene hurtigt. Klubbens formand, Basildon, har kigget kortene ved hver enkelt, mens de satser og er skræmt over at se Drax gå ned med næsten perfekte kort.Kort efter bliver Major Tallon, der er chef for sikkerheden ved Tordenkilen, myrdet og M placerer Bond i hans sted. Den smukke Special Branch agent Gala Brand er allerede placeret som sekretær og sammen udspionerer de Drax. Bond er fascineret af Drax og dennes engagement i Tordenkilen. Gala og Bond bliver udsat for et attentatforsøg, men alligevel har de ikke beviser mod nogen bestemt, så de fortsætter blot med at se hvad Drax har for. Gala finder ud af Tordenkilen skal ramme London, men Drax opdager det og tager hende til fange. Bond følger efter, men bliver også taget til fange. De undslipper og ændrer målindstillingen tilbage til det oprindelige. Drax selv bliver dræbt, da den atombombe, han havde anbragt i Tordenkilen, eksploderer, men ellers er tabene beskedne. Drax var i virkeligheden en gammel nazist, der ville tage hævn over englænderne.
For en gangs skyld scorer Bond ikke den smukke agent, for hun skal giftes dagen efter.
Glimrende og stilsikker Bond roman
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Genres
Publication
(Cph.) Skrifola [1966] 250 s.
Description
The Moonraker project has a millionaire backer, the war hero Sir Hugo Drax--a man who, it seems, cheats at cards. With a ballistic rocket at stake, Sir Hugo's exposure could threaten Britain's latest defense system, so James Bond is asked to investigate. Moving from London's most exclusive gambling club to a missile silo on the Channel coast, 007 and his Special Branch assistant, Gala Brand, discover there's more to Drax than meets the eye.
User reviews
LibraryThing member tootstorm
For half the novel, I expected this could possibly be my new favorite Bond. But NO! sir. Moonraker, the third Bond book published in 3 years (1955), keeps Bond in London for the duration of the novel, starting with M asking about his little vacation with the now-gone babe, Solitaire, before
After the game, Bond is set up to take over the job of a murdered man on the Moonraker project to investigate Drax a little further, and here's where things started going wrong for me. Once the army of German scientists working on Moonraker are introduced, one can't help but guess the entire rest of the story: (SPOILER) Hugo Drax is obviously a secret Nazi using a group of 50 Nazi scientists to build the Moonraker to destroy England or America, or something similar.(END SPOILER--not really, the spoilers continue through this paragraph). I just about got it perfect. I find Nazis to be very tired villains in post-war fiction that takes place in the post-war world. Stuff like Marathon Man from the author of the great Princess Bride or King's disgustingly stupid novella Apt Pupil just suck. It seems to be difficult to create a 3-dimensional Nazi villain, and very very very luckily Fleming succeeded with Hugo Drax, whom I don't expect to ever see topped. But it's only with Drax that he managed to succeed. All of Drax's henchmen are among the worst examples of sadistic and flat Nazi characters desperate to torture any non-German they can and spurt out "mein kapitan!" as often as possible. So besides that particular story choice, or at least the flat henchmen, especially Krebs, I loved the novel, including the thrilling ending (when Bond and this novel's Bond girl, Gala[tea] Brand, are forced to face the STEAM! provided one of my favorite moments from any Bond book)
Another interesting and pointless spoiler fact: Gala Brand is the first (only?--I've only read 4!) Bond girl to actually turn Bond down and force him to spend his vacation alone. Turns out she was getting married the whole time! Gasp!
F.V.: 75%
[598]
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enlisting Bond's help to go investigate the country's strangely-scarred and eccentric-in-appearance Sir Hugo Drax (wow! what a cool name!), who M suspects of cheating of cards at the fancy Blades club. And he's right. I enjoyed the return to the card-game suspense of Casino Royale in the first chunk of the book. I loved it, in fact. Might be my favorite part of the book: the game itself and the introduction of Drax, who seems a very fascinating character. Why would he, the richest (or near) man in the country, need to cheat at a small-time (for him) game of cards? over and over and over? every night? WHY!? (Interesting Note of Absolutely No Importance: The famous words "Bond, James Bond" are uttered for the first time at the beginning of this card game, but by M as he introduces Bond to the group.) No one, including Bond, wants to get Drax in trouble, they'd much rather give him the hint they know he's cheating by beating his arse at the game, because he's funding a superweapon called Moonraker for the country's defenses, which would provide them with the most powerful rocket in the world, so one would dare tempt England's using it.After the game, Bond is set up to take over the job of a murdered man on the Moonraker project to investigate Drax a little further, and here's where things started going wrong for me. Once the army of German scientists working on Moonraker are introduced, one can't help but guess the entire rest of the story: (SPOILER) Hugo Drax is obviously a secret Nazi using a group of 50 Nazi scientists to build the Moonraker to destroy England or America, or something similar.(END SPOILER--not really, the spoilers continue through this paragraph). I just about got it perfect. I find Nazis to be very tired villains in post-war fiction that takes place in the post-war world. Stuff like Marathon Man from the author of the great Princess Bride or King's disgustingly stupid novella Apt Pupil just suck. It seems to be difficult to create a 3-dimensional Nazi villain, and very very very luckily Fleming succeeded with Hugo Drax, whom I don't expect to ever see topped. But it's only with Drax that he managed to succeed. All of Drax's henchmen are among the worst examples of sadistic and flat Nazi characters desperate to torture any non-German they can and spurt out "mein kapitan!" as often as possible. So besides that particular story choice, or at least the flat henchmen, especially Krebs, I loved the novel, including the thrilling ending (when Bond and this novel's Bond girl, Gala[tea] Brand, are forced to face the STEAM! provided one of my favorite moments from any Bond book)
Another interesting and pointless spoiler fact: Gala Brand is the first (only?--I've only read 4!) Bond girl to actually turn Bond down and force him to spend his vacation alone. Turns out she was getting married the whole time! Gasp!
F.V.: 75%
[598]
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LibraryThing member clark.hallman
Fleming published Moonraker, the third James Bond book, in 1955. Like the other 007 books, Bond is portrayed as a very competitive, resourceful, adventurous, dedicated, and violent British secret agent. Of course his love of fine cars (especially his Bentley) and beautiful women (in this case an
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undercover agent for Scotland Yard with whom he shares several life-threatening and a few sensuous hours). The book begins not with an official case, but with M asking Bond for a personal favor. He asked him to determine if a wealthy industrialist, Hugo Drax, was cheating at bridge in the renowned gentleman's club to which M belonged. Of course Bond accepts the challenge and uses his own considerably unsavory card skills, reminiscent of Casino Royale, to determine that Drax was definitely cheating and to take a large sum of money from Drax. In addition to cheating at cards, Drax was an extremely wealthy and internationally know industrialist who was helping the British government develop Moonraker, a missile that would almost guarantee the security of the nation. When the government security officer at the missile site is murdered, M surprisingly assigns Bond to the case. Normally, Secret Service agents work only outside the United Kingdom, but this assignment unfolds completely within England a few hours drive from London. Drax turns out to be a German spy who plans to used Moonraker to attack London. The technology described in this book was certainly not comparable to today's systems. It also does not equal the sophistication of the technology depicted in the 1979 Moonraker movie, which had a much different plot and included outer space. However, I found the technology to be satisfying. Overall, I found this Flemming tale to be exciting, suspenseful and very entertaining. It even showed Bond to be somewhat emotionally vulnerable at times especially in his relationship with his beautiful undercover colleague. Show Less
LibraryThing member saroz
Perhaps the most notable thing about this installment of the James Bond thrillers is that almost no part has been used in the famous film series; the 1979 picture employs the title, the name of the villain and his rocket, but otherwise there are actually more (if fleeting) similarities to be found
Although the bridge showdown of "Moonraker" lacks the tension of the baccarat in "Casino Royale," the two sequences do share Fleming's skill with pacing, and the scheme of Bond infiltrating Drax's rocket project is both more believable and more cohesive than either previous novel. The scope of the novel is simply smaller; there are no exotic settings, no mad bombers, and no pet sharks, all of which keeps Bond grounded a little bit more firmly in reality. As usual, it all starts to drag a bit once Bond sets his eye on the girl of the piece, undercover policewoman Gala Brand, but even then there are some very fine adventure set pieces during the countdown to the rocket launch. Plus, the sexism is held relatively in check, with most of Fleming's narrative sneer reserved for the Germans - a reasonable enough target in 1950s Britain.
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in the 2002 entry "Die Another Day." With that in mind, one would expect this to be a purely forgettable pulp novel with few redeeming qualities. Yet, in reality, the reverse is actually true.Although the bridge showdown of "Moonraker" lacks the tension of the baccarat in "Casino Royale," the two sequences do share Fleming's skill with pacing, and the scheme of Bond infiltrating Drax's rocket project is both more believable and more cohesive than either previous novel. The scope of the novel is simply smaller; there are no exotic settings, no mad bombers, and no pet sharks, all of which keeps Bond grounded a little bit more firmly in reality. As usual, it all starts to drag a bit once Bond sets his eye on the girl of the piece, undercover policewoman Gala Brand, but even then there are some very fine adventure set pieces during the countdown to the rocket launch. Plus, the sexism is held relatively in check, with most of Fleming's narrative sneer reserved for the Germans - a reasonable enough target in 1950s Britain.
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LibraryThing member DuffDaddy
Bond takes on Hugo Drax, a seemingly self-made Brit who was severly wounded during WW2 and returned to England to make his fortune and ultimately build an intra-contenetal missel that will protect Great Britain from the Russians. Unbeknownst to everyone, he is really an ex-Nazi spy working for
Memorable scenes include Bond beatig the cheating Drax at bridge for very large stakes. Also, the end where Gala leaves bond to join her fiancee...Bond assumed she would leave with him to convelesce. Showed a human side to bond and the down side of a job like his.
Overall, Fleming is a master at pacing and delivering the cooler-than-thou Bond. He way more human and likable in the books than the action-hero bond of films. Pity they can't remake the films to be more like the books. Restrained and genteel action, and the hero doesn't always get the girl.
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Russia with plans to direct the missel to London with nuclear warhead affixed. Of course, Bond foils his plans with the help of beautiful Gala Brand. Memorable scenes include Bond beatig the cheating Drax at bridge for very large stakes. Also, the end where Gala leaves bond to join her fiancee...Bond assumed she would leave with him to convelesce. Showed a human side to bond and the down side of a job like his.
Overall, Fleming is a master at pacing and delivering the cooler-than-thou Bond. He way more human and likable in the books than the action-hero bond of films. Pity they can't remake the films to be more like the books. Restrained and genteel action, and the hero doesn't always get the girl.
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LibraryThing member JBreedlove
A slow start with a Bondian ending. Taking place over a few days Bond is thoroughly beaten and bloodied but still manages to save London. Much less cartoonish than the movies Fleming impresses with the insights to Bond's emotional self. He is an actual human. And in this one he doesn't get the girl.
LibraryThing member andy475uk
An absolutely cracking read which makes the movie version seem like a weak and pale competitor. Some great scenes including a card game battle that is a rival for the famous golf match in Goldfinger, a deadly speed race along coast roads and a great little twist at the end. Fabulous stuff.....
LibraryThing member Bridgey
Bond's third outing under the pen of Fleming and I have to say each book gets better.
Anyone familiar with the film will not find a lot in common here, there is no space battle or metal toothed baddy Jaws. However we do find the evil genius Hugo Drax and his Moonraker rocket a plan to devastate.
It
At the moonraker plant a rocket has been developed to safeguard the UK’s future, Drax is the man behind the project and become a national heroes. However when a strange murders committed Bond is assigned in the dead mans place. Can he foil the plot with the help of the beautiful Gala Brand?
A well written novel that allows the reader to see a different side to Bond than at the cinema. This is a gritty world where not even the great James Bond always gets the girl.
Anyone familiar with the film will not find a lot in common here, there is no space battle or metal toothed baddy Jaws. However we do find the evil genius Hugo Drax and his Moonraker rocket a plan to devastate.
It
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all starts off with M asking Bond to investigate Drax and his inexplicable winning streak at cards. Bond immediately falls foul of Drax good side and receives a deadly warning. At the moonraker plant a rocket has been developed to safeguard the UK’s future, Drax is the man behind the project and become a national heroes. However when a strange murders committed Bond is assigned in the dead mans place. Can he foil the plot with the help of the beautiful Gala Brand?
A well written novel that allows the reader to see a different side to Bond than at the cinema. This is a gritty world where not even the great James Bond always gets the girl.
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LibraryThing member Denverbook
I ordered four of the original James Bond thrillers to have a matched set replacing old worn out paperbacks. The books are much more exciting and believable than the gadget filled overglossy charactered movies. The story lines are more subtle. Those that prefer the movies cannot be true readers.
LibraryThing member ellen.w
If you can stand bucketfuls of misogyny, this is kind of fun, though I'd still rather watch the movies.
HOWEVER, I wish to note that this book had not nearly as many ridiculous names and the movie. Is that true for others??
HOWEVER, I wish to note that this book had not nearly as many ridiculous names and the movie. Is that true for others??
LibraryThing member ptdilloway
A really mediocre entry in the series. The story never leaves England and spends 30% of the book having Bond reveal how Drax is cheating at cards. Plus there's the laughably outdated stuff about the rocket. Of course this is markedly different than the movie version as space travel was still
That is all.
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largely an impossibility in the mid-50s.That is all.
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
After a somewhat slow start, this third entry in the James Bond series reaches an exciting climax. And I like the fact that Bond in the book is more human than his character in the movies.
LibraryThing member Traveller1
The usual Bond story. Entertaining, but no variation of the theme. The novel is way different from the movie, but that is not surprising considering when it was written. As with all Bond novels so far, I enjoyed, in fact it was a compelling read, but I never expect to re-read.
LibraryThing member jphilbrick
my first bond novel, and very entertaining. would have been more so, perhaps, had i not read another goodreads review which spoiled the reveal in its first sentence. alas!
LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
Fun. Thought this was about as good as the last, but without the distracting period racism. Not sure if I am off the Bind kick now, but there are plenty more to go.
LibraryThing member brettjames
While there are many Bond books that will highlight the differences between the books and the movies, this one is also a fairly good read, with tight action scenes and a hint of mystery. Unfortunately, Fleming's penchant for long descriptions of uninteresting events is starting to take hold here.
LibraryThing member dk_phoenix
This was the first Bond book I’d ever read, and I wasn’t disappointed! I knew that Bond was different in the books than in the films, but it was a good thing. I liked the older style of action writing, and I found it rather hilarious how much time was devoted to gambling and drinking…
I have several more of these sitting on my shelf, and I imagine I’ll seek out additional volumes in the near future. I had a lot of fun reading this!
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certainly nothing at all like the film, especially in Bond’s personality – much more casual, and he has a desk job!I have several more of these sitting on my shelf, and I imagine I’ll seek out additional volumes in the near future. I had a lot of fun reading this!
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LibraryThing member Justantolin
As one of the most thrilling Bond installments, Moonraker raises the stakes. Appealing more towards the true, English, gentleman air of Bond rather than his typical brute, kill or be killed initial persona, Moonraker is also unique. These two aspects collide in the lengthy opening scene in which
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Bond is engaged in a heated game of cards against his suspected criminal antagonist, Hugo Drax. It is here that the action and plot of the rest of the novel is set up in an uncharacteristically, overly sophisticated manner. However, to remain in accordance with this enhanced loftiness of the introduction, the setting is restrained essentially only to Britain for the brunt of the plot (until his inevitable adventure to space which is so idolized in the film version). Although Bond is characterized as essentially the "perfect hero" in his other adventures, Bond's flaws as a regular person are exposed here. We see Bond fail to win over any women until the very final scene, as well as Bond training to maintain his elite physical status. Both of these features are rare for any novel in the series, yet make Moonraker even more distinctly satisfying. Moonraker's genius is in its unique characteristics, and I think the novel is absolutely worth the read. Show Less
LibraryThing member comfypants
Very slow to get started. The first part (of three) is just a card game, more-or-less unrelated to the plot. Once it gets going there's some fun action, but it's not anywhere near as good as the first two books. This is the point in the series where it turns into the cartoonish melodrama that Bond
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is now famous for, complete with a monologging evil genius who inexplicably leaves Bond to die a creative death instead of shooting him. That sort of thing can be fun in its own way, but Fleming is still trying to drive the story with suspense, which doesn't work in such a predictable setting. Show Less
LibraryThing member andyray
I didn't think I liked Fleming from the first two books I rfead, but this one is different. It smacks more of a JDM book, with a heavy touch of sophistication thrown in. What can one expect from the British who are always veddy beddy proper, suhl.
LibraryThing member LouieLouie
Flemings third 007 novel was published in 1955 and was the first one that had virtually nothing to do with the subsequent film from 1979. Only the title and the name of the villain remains.
The story itself has the usual intrigue, but seemed to move much more slowly than the previous two adventures.
The story itself has the usual intrigue, but seemed to move much more slowly than the previous two adventures.
LibraryThing member alanteder
Terrific reading by actor Bill Nighy in this 3rd release in the 2014 James Bond Celebrity Performances audiobook series. Nighy has the perfect tone for James Bond and is a cackling villainous best when he voices head baddie Hugo Drax and especially the lead henchman Krebbs later in the book. Bond
Comes with a short 3 minute interview with Bill Nighy who was also quite taken by the book.
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gets a final surprise from female heroine Gala Brand in the final pages.Comes with a short 3 minute interview with Bill Nighy who was also quite taken by the book.
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LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco
“Sir Hugo Drax cheats at cards.”
And that’s what sets Bond up against him. Their card battle lasts up to page 55 of this edition!
Bond doing office work! Reading files and such! He has an office and secretary!
“ - the riddle of Drax; Bartch’s ‘Heil Hitler’; the bizarre moustaches; the
And that’s what sets Bond up against him. Their card battle lasts up to page 55 of this edition!
Bond doing office work! Reading files and such! He has an office and secretary!
“ - the riddle of Drax; Bartch’s ‘Heil Hitler’; the bizarre moustaches; the
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fifty worthy Germans; the chart; the night glasses; Kreb.” Honestly, this was probably the least interested that I have been reading a Bond book. I liked the look at his every day life, but the card game, and the rocket science and all of that really didn't interest me. I did like the ending though! Very un-Bond like, for him! Show Less
LibraryThing member ellen.w
If you can stand bucketfuls of misogyny, this is kind of fun, though I'd still rather watch the movies.
HOWEVER, I wish to note that this book had not nearly as many ridiculous names and the movie. Is that true for others??
HOWEVER, I wish to note that this book had not nearly as many ridiculous names and the movie. Is that true for others??
LibraryThing member JBarringer
James Bond is so much less sexy in this book than his actor portrayals make him out to be. He's sexist, not very quick to pick up on clues, and far too manipulative and fake to be likeable. I did like that Gala was the one with the ability to handle the tech side of saving London, a good role for a
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woman that almost makes up for Bond's attitude. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tanya-dogearedcopy
Cold War spy thriller in which 007 faces off with Richard Branson er, Elon Musk, no… Hugo Drax! A rocket ship with a weapons payload is scheduled to launch from the cliffs of Dover even as Bond races against the countdown to thwart a German-Soviet plan of attack. Bill Nighy sounds a bit older
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than I like but I also might be projecting because we know what he looks like. Nonetheless, his interpretive skills of the text are very good. Show Less
Awards
RUSA CODES Listen List (Selection — 2015)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1955-04-05
Physical description
250 p.; 17.9 cm
Local notes
Omslag: Ikke angivet
Omslaget viser James Bond i baggrunden med en stor pistol i højre hånd. I forgrunden ses en ung kvinde, som er ved at trække en pistol skjult i jakken
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra engelsk "Moonraker" af Grete Juel Jørgensen
James Bond, bind 3
Side 39: Lidt om Canfield kabalen.
Side 33: Scarne: 'Alt om kort', på engelsk 'Scarne on cards'
Side 42: Beau Brummel
Side 42: Adamkamin - Robert Adam og hans brødre lavede nydelige kaminer i slutningen af 1700-tallet
Side 59: Fragonards Jeu de Cartes
Side 53: Marthe Richard loven.
Omslaget viser James Bond i baggrunden med en stor pistol i højre hånd. I forgrunden ses en ung kvinde, som er ved at trække en pistol skjult i jakken
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra engelsk "Moonraker" af Grete Juel Jørgensen
James Bond, bind 3
Side 39: Lidt om Canfield kabalen.
Side 33: Scarne: 'Alt om kort', på engelsk 'Scarne on cards'
Side 42: Beau Brummel
Side 42: Adamkamin - Robert Adam og hans brødre lavede nydelige kaminer i slutningen af 1700-tallet
Side 59: Fragonards Jeu de Cartes
Side 53: Marthe Richard loven.
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Pages
250
DDC/MDS
| 823.914 |