DOUBLE OR DIE

'''Double Or Die''' is the third novel in the Young Bond series depicting Ian Fleming's superspy James Bond as a teenager in the 1930s. The novel, written by Charlie Higson, was released in the UK on January 4, 2007 by Puffin Books. Hyperion Books for Children will release the book in the United States in April 2008. ^[1] A special hardcover "Limited Collector's Edition" will be released as a Waterstones Bookstore exclusive on October 25, 2007.^[2]
The title was announced on January 3, 2007 at the official book launch at Waterstone's in Piccadilly, London. The alternative titles which were available for the public to vote for were "N.E.M.E.S.I.S." and "The Deadlock Cipher". ^[3][4]

Contents

Official summary

Plot summary

Locations

Trivia

Publication history

References

External links

Official summary

'Puffin Books plot synopsis' ^[5]

Plot summary

The story's prologue is set in Highgate Cemetery, where Professor Alexis Fairburn, an Eton beak, is kidnapped by Wolfgang and Ludwig Smith. When he was kidnapped, Fairburn was tracing a tombstone, but leaves the piece of paper he was tracing with. The story itself starts with young James Bond and his friend, Perry Mandeville (leader of the Danger Society) reminiscing their encounter with John Charnage and Irina Sedova aboard the ''Amoras''.
In the summer vacation, James Bond was helping out at the Duck Inn. At the back of it was a Bentley convertible. He sees Merriot, who reminds him to keep the events at Sardinia in the previous summer a secret. In his Eton dormitory, he remembers playing cards with some of his roommates, while Pritpal Nandra does a 'cryptic clues' crossword.
Out of the blue, a letter to Pritpal from Alexis Fairburn comes, regarding Fairburn's resignation from Eton. To Merriot (who reads the letter along with Pritpal and the rest of Pritpal's roommates), the 'mistakes' were just made by Fairburn because of his scatterbrained personality and eccentricity, but Pritpal soon figures out that the mistakes were there for a reason...
Red Kelly from the first Young Bond book Silverfin makes a return appearance in Double or Die. According to Higson bringing Kelly back was always the plan, ''"Kids like characters to comeback from one book to another, Kelly and the whole East End thing is a good and easy way to talk about the economics and politics of the time without it looking like a history lesson. So I had always planned on bringing Kelly back."''^[6]
The book also reveals the origins of Bond's gambling skills.^[7]
A villain in the book wields a weapon called an "Apache," a combination knuckle-duster, knife, and pistol favored by Parisian street thugs at the turn-of-the-century.^[8]

Locations

Some of the London locations featured in ''Double or Die'':

★ Highgate Cemetery

★ Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons

★ Regents Park

★ London Docklands
On April 7, 2007 Puffin Books released ''The Young Bond Rough Guide to London'' (ISBN 0141323396), a 64-page booklet featuring London locations from ''Double or Die''. The booklet came free inside copies of ''The Guardian'' newspaper.^[9]

Trivia

★ Charlie Higson's original working titles for Young Bond Book 3 were "Shoot the Moon," "The Big Smoke," and "Six Days in December." ^[10].

★ 80,000 copies of the first edition were sent to stores wrapped in a special foil wrapper to preserve the secret of the title.^[11].

★ Despite the jacket artwork being kept under official wraps until the book launch event on January 3rd 2007, the skull & cross bones device was touted as a candidate cover back in August 2006.^[12]

★ The cover company used by the British Secret Service, "Universal Exports", is mentioned in passing when Bond eyes a warehouse in London. ^[13]

★ During a card game with James, Sir John Charnage boasts his successes at a casino in the town of Royale-les-Eaux. Royale-les-Eaux is the fictional town where Fleming's ''Casino Royale'' takes place. The town is featured again in ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' where he meets Tracy.

★ The German edition of ''Double or Die'' is titled ''GoldenBoy'' ^[14]

★ The U.S. edition's cover will include a scene from the novel where James Bond hides in a graveyard. The atmospheric cover will be in the same style as the U.S. edition of ''Blood Fever'', though darker in tone. Kev Walker will once again provide the artwork. ^[15]

Publication history

★ January 3, 2007, Puffin Books, paperback, first British edition

★
★ Limited edition, foil wrapped so as to keep the title of the book secret.

★ January 4, 2007, Puffin Books, paperback, first British edition

★ January 14, 2007, Puffin Books, abridged audiobook, first British edition

★
★ Narrated by Charlie Higson.

★ April 8, 2008, Listening Library, unabridged audiobook, first American edition

★
★ Narrated by Nathaniel Parker ^[16]

★ April 22, 2008, Hyperion Books for Children, hardcover, first American edition.

References

1. Double or Die coming to U.S. in April 2008
2. Double or Die Collector's Edition confirmed
3. Double Or Die title official announcement
4. Video of Double or Die title announcement
5. Puffin Books
6. Young Bond 3: In Conversation With Charlie Higson (1)
7. Origins of Bond’s Gambling Explored in Book 3
8. Gadgets of ‘Book 3’: The Apache Revealed
9. The Young Bond Rough Guide to London
10. Higson reveals Book 3 working titles and details
11. Number of foil wrapped DoD firsts revealed
12. Possible themes for Young Bond book 3 cover art revealed
13. Tidbits on Double or Die novel, including homages to the Bond canon
14. Young Bond 3 is 'Goldenboy' in Germany
15. Details of cover art for US edition of Double Or Die revealed
16. Parker will read Double or Die

External links

★ Official Young Bond website

★ The Young Bond Dossier

★ MI6.co.uk - Full Double or Die coverage

★ Double or Die REVIEW - The Young Bond Dossier