Moonraker, Britain's new ICBM-based national defense system, is ready for testing, but something's not quite right. At M's request, Bond begins his...
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Nov 10, 2009
russell
rated it: 
V cool. Again, nothing like the film - no space stations, cable-car battles or Jaws. Just boring old Dover and a rocket, but it's marvellous. Quaintly dated rather than amusingly so like some of the others I've read this year, he doesn't even get the girl!
Although she is called Gala Brand, and they do survive a cliff falling on them, so it does maintain a certain level of ridiculousness I expect from Bond.
Although she is called Gala Brand, and they do survive a cliff falling on them, so it does maintain a certain level of ridiculousness I expect from Bond.
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Dec 05, 2006
Otis
rated it: 
I'm a huge james bond fan. Always have been. I read a bunch of the books back in high school, but missed this one. I love the books as much as the movies. Fleming brings the character to life in a very different way from the movies - more human, more vulnerable. Plus the its always interesting to see the differences between the plot of the movie and the book. In this one for instance, there was no space station, no Jaws, no plot to populate the planet with a super-race. But there was the milli
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Jan 21, 2012
Jennifer
rated it:
I have to say this was the most interesting book to read so far out of Bond books. Oddly it isn't because of the content. All movie Bond fans know that Moonraker is the cheesiest, and campiest of all Bond films. And the story was the furthest from the story from what I read so far. I was reading the hoping to see beautiful people try and create a super race, and secretly hoping Jaws would make an appearance. Well they don't happen. In a way it is sad.
But taking the book completely out More...
But taking the book completely out More...
Dec 10, 2011
Danny
rated it: 
AM I A FAN OF THE JAMES BOND BOOKS? YES I AM. MY MOTHER DURING THE 1960'S PURCHASED THE COMPLETE SET OF IAM FLEMINGS BOOKS IN THE JAMES BOND SERIES FROM A SIGN UP OFFERINGS OF A BOOK CLUB FOR $1.99. IN MY EARLY TEENS I READ EVERY BOOK AND IT STARTED ME AS AN AVID READER OF SPY AND SUSPENSE NOVELS. I HAVE PROBABLY READ THE COMPLETE SET ABOY 6 TIMES FROM 1960. I AM GOING TO WRITE A GENERIC REVIEW OF THE JAMES BOND SERIES AS EVERYONE PROBLY KNOWS THE STORYLINE FROM EITHER READING THE BOOKS OR
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Jul 29, 2011
Russell
rated it:
Just an incredibly clever book! It all takes place in a week, the plot/mystery starts off insanely small and grows to epic proportions, and it's all incredibly tight. the last 3rd is such a page turner I missed my god damned bus stop last night. I also learned that Russians put pepper in their bathtub vodka to absorb and carry the poisonous oil that's on top the vodka to the bottom so you can slam it down. Thanks Ian!
I have one complaint though, the first part is about gambling. It's handled More...
I have one complaint though, the first part is about gambling. It's handled More...
May 31, 2011
Jason
rated it:
SUMMARY
In the third novel about the character, James Bond is asked by his superior, M, to catch a popular national hero named Sir Hugo Drax cheating at cards at a popular gentlemen’s club in London. His initial success leads to a special mission where he operates outside of MI6’s normal boundaries and investigating possibilities of sabotage and betrayal surrounding the testing of the Moonraker nuclear missile- a project that has been funded and led by none other than Sir Hugo himself.
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In the third novel about the character, James Bond is asked by his superior, M, to catch a popular national hero named Sir Hugo Drax cheating at cards at a popular gentlemen’s club in London. His initial success leads to a special mission where he operates outside of MI6’s normal boundaries and investigating possibilities of sabotage and betrayal surrounding the testing of the Moonraker nuclear missile- a project that has been funded and led by none other than Sir Hugo himself.
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May 08, 2011
Joel
rated it:
Another truly enjoyable read in the James Bond series. After struggling with my last book, I went for something lighter this time and was not disappointed. Once again, 007 encounters problems that are not totally out therein fantasy land, giving Moonraker a serious dose of reality. The thing that amazed me the most in this book is that I was on the edge of my seat during a chapter describing a tense game of bridge, and I don't even know how to play the game myself. There is also a great car
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Sep 27, 2010
Finn
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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May 14, 2009
Barry
rated it:
This is the forth Bond novel I've read, and consequently the third novel in the series. So far, this is the only one that has made a reference to a past mission, though it's just a small footnote. I have to be honest and say that I enjoyed the book. Of course, I purposefully pick these books because of their light read. I also like Fleming's approach and style. It's sparse without leaving anything out. He develops and shows a scene with just a word. I think anyone else would say that he imparts
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Nov 04, 2011
Dustin
rated it:
The more of the Bond novels I read, the more disappointed I am with the movies. The novels are so good. If the movies were honest adaptations of the titles they were using, the quality of the films would have been a million times better. And I know complaining about how the movies are never as good as the books on a book site seems silly, but still. I'm 30, so I grew up knowing the movies better than the books. Most of us did. I'm just glad I'm doing the right thing and reading the Bond novels n
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Aug 01, 2011
Andrew
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. Having watched most of the films and read none of the books, I bought a complete set of all of the original Bond books last year and have started slowly to read them.
I was not really looking forward to this book - the film is not one of the best. So it was with increasing joy that I realised that, aside from the name of the book and the name of the villain, the film is not based on this book in the slightest.
So here, Bond is effectively working for Sco More...
I was not really looking forward to this book - the film is not one of the best. So it was with increasing joy that I realised that, aside from the name of the book and the name of the villain, the film is not based on this book in the slightest.
So here, Bond is effectively working for Sco More...
Jan 17, 2011
Suna
rated it:
This book is firmly set in good old Blighty and I was the happier for it: Fleming seems to be more solidly in his element when writing about England, Englishness and the English countryside.
Live and Let Die teetered just on the right edge of over-the-top for me, but luckily never fell off on the wrong side.
It's fascinating to glean between the lines that for all of his hard man of the world traits, Bond, and therefore Fleming, is also such a hopeless romantic.
The manner i More...
Live and Let Die teetered just on the right edge of over-the-top for me, but luckily never fell off on the wrong side.
It's fascinating to glean between the lines that for all of his hard man of the world traits, Bond, and therefore Fleming, is also such a hopeless romantic.
The manner i More...
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Sep 13, 2011
Sean
rated it:
There be spoilers here, matey. Ye've been warned ... The second stop in my Bond book & movie project is an interesting case study in just how ridiculously bad a movie adaptation of a completely serviceable novel can be. The book deals with Bond's investigation into a murder-suicide and other suspicious activities surrounding the construction of the Moonraker missle - meant to announce Britain's entrance into the nuclear club and deter potential enemies - as well as its chief architect, wealthy g
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Jan 18, 2012
Tom
rated it:
This was the first book in the James Bond series that I've read, although it's the third book in the series. I have to say, I picked up this book out of them all because I'd seen the film, and I was a little disappointed that the stories were completely different. I think this was because I enjoyed the film when I was younger.
As for the book itself, I actually much preferred the story in the book. I think the thing that I liked was that Ian Fleming's writing style had a good flow to i More...
As for the book itself, I actually much preferred the story in the book. I think the thing that I liked was that Ian Fleming's writing style had a good flow to i More...
Apr 29, 2009
Ed
rated it:
The third Bond book is a nice little yarn that shows almost all the good things about Bond. Another good villain in Drax starting the trend of villains being cheats at all games (cards, golf, horse racing). The rocket attacking London may have been hi-tech sci-fi in 1955 but here it's actually plausible. There's another interesting relationship with a woman, this one is Gala Brand. But what's nice is that Fleming doesn't try to convince us that this girl is "the one" every time out. Th
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Dec 24, 2008
Aaron
rated it:
I don't imagine Fleming wrote a better 007 novel. Three volumes in, he's now comfortable enough with the formula to deviate from it in inspired ways. Here, he shows a "typical" working week for Bond. He also stretches himself in his ultra-romantic depiction of espionage. He's still conflating sex with torture, indulging in monographs on high-stakes gambling and automobiles, & staging violent scenes of derring-do. But he also hints at the real dullness of spycraft (Bond spends Mondays g
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Mar 13, 2010
Kurt
rated it:
This was my second Bond book. I happened to read the last 007 novel by Fleming novel, "You Only Live Twice," many years ago -- it was pretty strange, but enjoyable. Bond has to navigate a crazy Death Island with all sorts of poisonous plantlife and man-traps and stuff. "Moonraker," which fortunately bears almost NO resemblance to the Roger Moore cheddar-fest of a film, is highly satisfying. You get to know Bond and how he thinks. And Hugo Drax is insanely great. He gives the
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Sep 30, 2011
Brian
rated it:
* The third Bond book.
* And far and away the best of the three. Tense, exciting; cards and spycraft. Always hard to believe when such an excellent book is turned into such a dismal movie.
* Hugo Drax is the most fully realized villain, and the most frightening. Le Chiffre was a bit pedestrian, Mr. Big little more than a criminal; Drax is highly neurotic, yet a patriot, motivated by vengeance and national pride. He comes off as Bond's first truly worthy foe.
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* And far and away the best of the three. Tense, exciting; cards and spycraft. Always hard to believe when such an excellent book is turned into such a dismal movie.
* Hugo Drax is the most fully realized villain, and the most frightening. Le Chiffre was a bit pedestrian, Mr. Big little more than a criminal; Drax is highly neurotic, yet a patriot, motivated by vengeance and national pride. He comes off as Bond's first truly worthy foe.
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Apr 18, 2009
Erin
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 30, 2010
James
rated it:
There's something wrong with Goodreads when a massive number of people use the movie as a basis for their ratings and their reviews, especially in bias, anachronistic ways or when they simply don't understand the difference between a novel and a movie.
Anyway, an absolutely awesome read. Historically interesting and well researched, down to individuals and their roles, as well as scientific principles that were emerging at the time, like, how nuclear weapons work - which people today More...
Anyway, an absolutely awesome read. Historically interesting and well researched, down to individuals and their roles, as well as scientific principles that were emerging at the time, like, how nuclear weapons work - which people today More...
Jun 21, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
This book has been the most disjointed Bond book I’ve read to date. Granted, I’ve only read three. The whole novel I was a little irritated that I knew Drax was the bad guy but the plot continued like we don’t know who the ubervillain is. Come on. I’m not that stupid. Anyway. I thought the underlying plot of revenge was a little predictable but still entertaining – and for once, it was nice that Bond didn’t get the girl. Of course, in the books, Bond rarely gets the girl. Which is unlike the mov
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Apr 27, 2011
KatieSuzanne
rated it:
I'm not sure that the books are actually getting better or that I'm getting used to their mediocrity. Perhaps it was just that the last one was so bad. Whatever it is, this one eeked out 3 stars but still pales to the movies. How often can you say that about a book? However I did like that it shows a side of James Bond not seen in the movies or previous books. His typical work week meandering around the office and after it's all over, how sore and tired he is. It wasn't stupidly unrealistic, he
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May 16, 2010
Erik
rated it: 
The release of Dr. No in 1962 spawned a flurry of spy books, movies and tv shows for the remainder of the decade. A herd creature myself, I followed most of it avidly. Dad wouldn't let us touch his little black and white portable downstairs so I bought my own big black and white console for upstairs and watched it all: Man from UNCLE (in which Fleming had a hand), I Spy, Secret Agent Man, Mission Impossible, even Get Smart sometimes. Girl from UNCLE alone was beyond the pale. When the Ipcre
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Sep 29, 2010
brian
rated it:
Bond doesn't go into space in the book version. There's also no giant with a mouth of metal teeth.
One interesting thing reading an older book that was made into a movie after a few decades (I think) is how the violence is ratcheted up in the later version. Bond kills no one, although he gives one man a terrific beating. He also doesn't score with any of the ladies. He doesn't have any special spy gadgets. He does drink several martinis and drive some great British classic cars, tho More...
One interesting thing reading an older book that was made into a movie after a few decades (I think) is how the violence is ratcheted up in the later version. Bond kills no one, although he gives one man a terrific beating. He also doesn't score with any of the ladies. He doesn't have any special spy gadgets. He does drink several martinis and drive some great British classic cars, tho More...
Aug 05, 2011
Moonraker (1979) was one of my least favourite of the movies, so I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as the first two in the series. However, this book really surprised me. Fleming maintains the tension and excitement that made the first books so enjoyable. Although I know nothing about bridge, I couldn't help but feel the tension at the card table in the opening chapters of the book. The car chase was also intense - better than in some of the movies (which are starting to look pretty
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Jun 11, 2010
Matt
rated it:
In writing a review of 'Moonraker,' the third novel of Ian Fleming's famous James Bond series, there are two major points that stick out at me that I feel to be worth mentioning.
The first of these is that 'Moonraker' frees itself of the difficult and entirely non-political correctness off 'Live and Let Die,' and in that sense becomes a much easier book to read. The first one hundred pages of its predecessor make you squirm at the language, but that is not the case here.
Se More...
The first of these is that 'Moonraker' frees itself of the difficult and entirely non-political correctness off 'Live and Let Die,' and in that sense becomes a much easier book to read. The first one hundred pages of its predecessor make you squirm at the language, but that is not the case here.
Se More...
Jul 09, 2010
Howard
rated it:
This one comes closest to capturing the spirit and spectacle of the best of the Bond movies. Bond battles the sinister Hugo Drax, a rocketeer with a master plan to destroy London with an atom bomb. The writing and plotting is incredibly tight and exciting. The "girl" is one of Fleming's best: a policewoman who dodges danger with Bond and plays a truly heroic role. We also get to see Bond in all of his guises: suave gambler (the story begins with a long card game), detective, undercover
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Jan 29, 2010
Marc
rated it:
This early James Bond thriller (3rd in the series) is good fun and provides an interesting glimpse into the beginnings of nuclear paranoia near the dawn of the cold war, but it's not one of the better Bond novels. Much of the action feels dated, and Bond fans may be disappointed on two counts: (1) there are no exotic locales - all of the action takes place in southern England; and (2) the gambling showdown is a game of bridge - bridge! - so readers like me who are unfamiliar with the intricacies
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Jan 01, 2011
Steven
rated it:
This is the third novel in the James Bond series, authored by Ian Fleming. Here, we have a new villain—Hugo Drax. He is involved in a project to develop a missile system for Great Britain. M, however, is suspicious of Drax, as he believes that he is cheat. M asks Bond to see if his suspicions are correct. From there, we meet the Bond woman of this novel—Gala Brand, who is able to resist Bond’s advances. The plot moves ahead with considerable momentum, although some issues are not entirely credib
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