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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

Average customer ratings
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Excellent

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

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Very good!

I had this in my wish list for over a year before pulling the trigger due to so many bad reviews. Am glad to have given it a go as I enjoyed it quite a lot. This Bond is a little more subtle, the characters are rich, the story complex and it reminded me very much of the Bond in Skyfall. Give it a try. The narration is exceptional and I wish the actor would do Audible full time as he did a bang up job.

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  • Overall
    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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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Ian Fleming's Bond is Back

I grew up reading and falling in love with Ian Fleming's books and signature character. Of course I loved the Bond films and variant novels by other authors but the original works were my foundation. William Boyd has done his homework and SOLO is a great continuation of the Fleming legacy.

The character and novel are well developed and I could not put this down. Plausible, violent, salacious. Great stuff.

I had read that some criticism of the work is that the plot wasn't exciting enough. I disagree. Perhaps those critics are comparing the book to the implausible caricature that appears in many films and novels. This book is for Bond fundamentalists.

This book was my booster shot until SPECTRE comes out in November.

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  • Overall
    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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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great old fashion Bond

Very Fleming.
The narrator sounds a bit like Connery. The story is both a throwback yet relevant to politics of today.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Solid Bond novel that leaves room for a sequel

You'll get your money or credits worth with Solo. A standard issue Bond adventure that lives up to the name of the franchise. The narrator is excellent and shows his versatility with accents and different voices. He also sounds as if he's Bond which adds to the immersion. The end leaves some things open for a sequel.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Book, good book.

What made the experience of listening to Solo the most enjoyable?

It's Bond, James Bond. Another good read/listen in what I hope is a never-ending series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well written and entertaining book.

What about Dominic West’s performance did you like?

Excellent job overall but accents were a little off on some characters.

Any additional comments?

Great work by Boyd. I thoroughly enjoyed Any Human Heart and this book did not disappoint. His story works with similar prose, character traits and timetable as Fleming. I highly recommend this to any Bond fan.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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entertaining

Great story but wasn't a big fan of the ending. but loved the classic Bond.

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