Good Books for the Next Generation: Young James Bond

In the spirit of my previous post on Hans Schantz's excellent The Hidden Truth we turn to another good book for young people, the first volume  of the "Young Bond" series, SilverFin by Charlie Higson.


When my son checked this out of the school library I was mildly interested, having very much enjoyed the original series by the great Ian Fleming, but since it was published in 2009 I assumed it was either dumbed down, "politically corrected" or, Lord help us, both. However, he and I regularly talk about the books he reads and he was very positive about this one, so I decided I'd read it, too.


What a revelation. Not only is the book not PC'd at all, it's realistic about life, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. It retains a hint of the menace of Fleming's world, the fact that all endings aren't happy and sometimes good people are hurt and killed by evil. Most especially, it emphasizes the importance of mental toughness, "grit" as the current term has it, planning, intelligence and courage as the ingredients of fighting and winning. It's a book about a winner, and why he is such.


I don't give story retellings or plot details in my reviews, but Higson has caught the spirit of Fleming with the larger-than-life villain(s), the touch of the grotesque and the science fictional, and the inexorable determination of the Bond character. The details of the Britain of the 1930s, the ins and outs of Eton and the class-consciousness seem well done to this American reader.


Mr. Higson has followed up SilverFin with four more volumes in the series. Volume 2, Blood Fever, is in my stack and I'm interested to see if it can stand up to his first effort. In any case, I found SilverFin to be a big, pleasant surprise. Quite entertaining, it also illustrates the kind of toughness and character that I think the readers here want in their children. seemingly aimed at the 10-15 age group, but you adults would probably enjoy it, too!

An Opportunity

     Quickly, before it gets away:

     Grab a copy of this extremely important book while it’s only $2.00 at Amazon. The author’s videos about never talking to the police, especially if one is innocent, have already created a firestorm. I expect that this longer treatment of the hazards involved in innocent disclosures to the police will be even more stimulative.

Book Recommendation

     If you love a good horror story, or a good laugh at the Left’s expense, you simply have to read Hallow Mass:

     Even as I finished this wildly funny yet genuinely horrifying tribute to Lovecraft’s “Cthulhu Mythos” stories, I found myself wondering just what unholy influence had led author JP Mac to taunt the dread Old Ones in such a daring fashion. Their fell ire is not to be courted lightly. Lovecraft himself would tell you...had he not been swept up by Cthulhu’s claws some decades ago. Why, Yog-Sothoth alone, should he return, could decimate North America before lunch! Were the entire realm of R’lyeh to take umbrage at him, our intrepid author would be lucky to escape with his soul.

     Seriously, Gentle Reader, read this book. Just make sure to keep a loaded shotgun (12 gauge preferred), a crucifix (Jesus figure not optional), and a supply of holy water nearby at all times. Familiarity with Pirandello’s Aegis and Phandaal’s Excellent Prismatic Spray would be handy too.

     Highly recommended!