History[]
The earliest audio-book adaptations were a 1981 series of abridged readings of four novels by Ian Ogilvy, an actor known at the time for playing Simon Templar in the TV series Return of the Saint and reportedly one of the candidates to replace Roger Moore as Bond. They were produced by Music for Pleasure Ltd. and were abridged by Donald Bancroft. They were re-issued outside of the UK in 1984.
In 1986 Chivers Audio Books released the first complete set of James Bond audiobooks read by Scottish actor David Rintoul. Later they released John Gardner's novel Nobody Lives Forever and novelisation of Licence to Kill, with Rintoul reprising the voicing role.
In the late 1990's and early 2000's a new series of Bond Audiobooks were published by Blackstone Audio, Inc read by Robert Whitfield (also known as Simon Vance) and Rula Lenska who read The Spy Who Loved Me. Whitfield also read Kingsley Amis' Colonel Sun, several of John Gardner's novels and all of Raymond Benson's novels and novelisations.
In 2012 Ian Fleming’s Bond novels were released as brand new set of unabridged audiobooks, read by a selection of notable British actors. The project was initiated by Lucy Fleming, Ian Fleming’s niece, and was directed by Enyd Williams. Lucy Fleming also recorded a version of Fleming's shortest story 007 in New York herself.
Several actors who have appeared in James Bond films have also read audiobooks including Samantha Bond, Rory Kinnear, Joanna Lumley, Rosamund Pike and Toby Stephens.
List of Audiobooks[]
Fleming canon[]
| Novel | Read by | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casino Royale | Robert Whitfield | David Rintoul | Dan Stevens | Rufus Sewell | Joanna Lumley | Alex Jennings | ||||
| Live and Let Die | Rory Kinnear | Ian Ogilvy | ||||||||
| Moonraker | Bill Nighy | Robert Blake | Richard E. Grant | |||||||
| Diamonds Are Forever | Damian Lewis | Joanna Lumley | Ian Ogilvy | |||||||
| From Russia, with Love | Toby Stephens | John Kenneth | ||||||||
| Dr. No | Hugh Quarshie | |||||||||
| Goldfinger | Hugh Bonnevile | Ian Ogilvy | ||||||||
| For Your Eyes Only | Samuel West | Anthony Valentine | ||||||||
| Thunderball | Jason Isaacs | John Kenneth | ||||||||
| The Spy Who Loved Me | Rula Lenska | Samantha Bond | Rosamund Pike | Nadia May | ||||||
| On Her Majesty's Secret Service |
Robert Whitfield | David Rintoul | David Tennant | Rufus Sewell | John Kenneth | |||||
| You Only Live Twice | Martin Jarvis | |||||||||
| The Man with the Golden Gun |
Kenneth Branagh | |||||||||
| Octopussy and The Living Daylights |
Tom Hiddleson | Anthony Valentine | ||||||||
| Colonel Sun | John Graham | |||||||||
Table footnotes:
__2.___Italics denote abridged version
Gardner novels[]
| Novel | Read by | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence Renewed | Jeremy Northam | |
| For Special Services | Jonathan Oliver | |
| Icebreaker | Robert Whitfield | Christopher Saul |
| Role of Honour | ||
| Nobody Lives For Ever | David Rintoul | |
| No Deals, Mr. Bond | Robert Whitfield | Roger Blake |
| Scorpius | Tony Chambers | |
| Win, Lose or Die | ||
| Death is Forever | Simon Jones | |
| Never Send Flowers | Peter Wickham | |
| SeaFire | Christopher Cazenove | |
| COLD | Alexander John | |
Benson novels[]
| Novel | Read by | |
|---|---|---|
| Zero Minus Ten | Robert Whitfield | |
| The Facts of Death | ||
| High Time to Kill | ||
| Doubleshot | ||
| Never Dream of Dying | Graeme Malcolm | |
| The Man with the Red Tattoo | ||
Other continuation novels[]
| Novel | Read by | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Devil May Care | Jeremy Northam | Tristian Layton | John Lee |
| Carte Blanche | Toby Stephens | ||
| Solo | Dominic West | ||
| Trigger Mortis | David Oyelowo | ||
Film novelisations[]
| Novel | Read by | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence to Kill | David Rintoul | |
| GoldenEye | Samantha Bond | John Kenneth |
| Tomorrow Never Dies | Robert Whitfield | |
| The World Is Not Enough | ||
| Die Another Day | Michael Page | |