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Solo  By  cover art

Solo

By: William Boyd
Narrated by: Dominic West
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Publisher's summary

It's 1969, and, having just celebrated his 45th 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.

James Bond and 007 are registered trademarks of Danjaq LLC, used under licence by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.

©2013 Ian Fleming Publications Limited (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Solo

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    4 out of 5 stars

The best of the period continuation novels.

Every Bond fan has their opinions about the continuation novels and I will not delve much into those discussions. As of this review, since 2008, three authors have written new Bond novels largely set within the original Fleming period of the 1950s and 60s; this one being set in 1969 (five years after Fleming's death and roughly a year after the events of "Colonel Sun," the first continuation book.). William Boyd wisely uses his own experiences and crafts them into a worthy Bond novel with a plot that differs a bit from Fleming's ideas. I especially enjoyed the action in Africa and London and found the book to be suitably detailed and entertaining. While no one will match Mr. Fleming, I appreciate that Mr. Boyd keeps Bond in his own wheel house and does not particularly attempt to "update" the character for the "modern" reader. If anything, Bond's consumption of spirits caused many reviewers to wonder if Bond had a sober moment during the course of the story. People, let that stuff go. This is escapism and let's enjoy the ride. Bond gets to do the things we only wish we could get away with... Thank you Mr. Boyd for a laudable addition to the canon.

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6 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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More Please!

Great story that takes place in the correct timeline from Fleming's original books. Dominic West is a great narrator; highly recommended,

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Very fleming-esqe

This is very similar to how fleming would pen the books. Much better than Gardner

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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What a terribly boring book

I know that book Bond and big screen Bond are wildly different, but after seeing this on a top books to listen to list I'm just boggled. The book is slow, and doesn't really have a lot going on. I guess it's a political drama but I never felt like there was any real tension of consequences.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A fun listen for 007 fans

This was my first listen to a non Ian Fleming based story. It was worth the time invested. Better than anything Roger Moore played in.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Poor research

Decent story but poorly researched, especially regarding firearms. A pistol has a magazine for feeding cartridges into the barrel. It does not use clips. Misnomer. Also, it is much more difficult to acquire a firearm in the United States as opposed to “how easy” the wither made it seem to be. This is very dishonest, and shoddy writing.

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Excellent

This was a tremendous Bond novel very well read!! highly recommend to any Bond fan

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

Spoiler. The first half of the book is a mission that is an obviously pointless mission to bring down a government everyone agrees is about to fall. Huh?

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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The perfect continuation of Fleming’s Bond

This is the best Bond continuation novel I’ve found. If you enjoy Fleming’s Bond you’ll like this book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Classic Bond

Great story, with everything you expect from a James Bond story: seduction, intrigue, debonair style, judicious application of violence. Very enjoyable!

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