Sir Hugo Drax may be brash and arrogant, but he is funding the British Moonraker project out of his own pocket. However, while he may be contributing to Britain\’s independent nuclear capability, there is a little problem that can\’t be overlooked; he cheats at cards.

However, he is cheating members of Blades, the private club of which M is a member. As Drax is so important it is essential to avoid a scandal at all costs; M brings in James Bond in a private capacity to work out how Drax is doing it – and warn him off with a shot across his bows.

Little did they realise that when one of Drax\’s workers shoots himself in a pub that James Bond would be sent to investigate and would soon uncover Drax\’s real intentions.

After the success of the first two books, Moonraker, which was first published in 1955, was perhaps a little disappointing. This time the action took place in London and the Kent coast in the south east of England, another area that Ian Fleming knew well.

Lacking the exotic locations of the previous two books, which drew comments from contemporary readers, Bond doesn\’t even get the girl, as it turns out she\’s engaged to an officer from Special Branch. However, despite that the book does have some worthwhile moments and we do learn more about what Bond gets up to when he\’s on his home turf.

One of the best sections of the book is when 007 joins M at Blades. They share an exquisitely described meal that these days might seem quite mundane – Bond orders lamb cutlets with potatoes and peas – but was written while Britain was at the end of post-war rationing and still out of reach for many people.

Afterward the meal Bond is partnered with M in a game of bridge against Drax and his partner, and much like the game of baccarat in Casino Royale it is vividly described.

As well as the meal and the cards, there is also a good car chase. Bond tails Drax\’s Mercedes from London to Dover and his car – the old supercharged Bentley – is wrecked when Drax\’s henchman climbs onto the back of a lorry transporting rolls of newsprint and releases them into Bond\’s path.

While Fleming received correspondence from readers who were disappointed at the novel\’s setting, it was also noted by O.F. Snelling in his book 007 James Bond: A Report (1964) that someone pointed out to him that the submarine that appeared towards the end of the book would have had to travel at impossible speed for it to be in its final location. However, the book moves so quickly you don\’t have time to question details such as that and so it doesn\’t really matter anyway.

It is also interesting that in the previous two novels Bond\’s foe had been SMERSH and the Russians. However, this time the foe turns out to be German, wreaking their revenge for Britain\’s part in the destruction of Germany in the Second World War.

While Moonraker does disappoint in some respects, the book still has its admirers and while it lacks the travelogue element found in so many of Fleming\’s other books it still has some great Flemingesque moments all the same.

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Category: Writing
Keywords: Moonraker, Ian Fleming, James Bond books, James Bond