For Your Eyes Only (1960)

Author: Ian Fleming
Published: 11th April 1960
MI6 Rating:

Capsule Synopsis
The destruction of a Russian hideout at SHAPE headquarters near Paris; the planned assassination of a Cuban thug in America; the tracking of a heroin ring from Rome to Venice and beyond; for Bond it is just routine. For anyone else - certain death.

Official Blurb (Penguin 2002 Edition)
"Bond watched her as she reached the edge of the tables and came up the aisle. It was hopeless. She was coming to meet someone – her lover. She was the sort of woman who always belongs to somebody else.What damnable luck! Before Bond could pull himself together, the girl had come up to his table and sat down. ‘I’m sorry I’m late. We’ve got to get moving at once. You’re wanted at the office.’ She added under her breath: ‘Crash dive.’"

Sudden emergencies and beautiful girls who aren’t quite what they seem and are the stock-in-trade of James Bond. And when 007 is on the case there’s only one thing you can be sure of – the result will be thrilling. And whether he’s dealing with the assassination of a Cuban thug in America, the destruction of an international heroin ring, or sudden death in the Seychelles, Bond gets the job done. In his own suave and unmistakable style …

 
Above: 1st edition Jonathan Cape hardback (UK). Artwork by Richard Chopping.

"For Your Eyes Only" is a collection of five short stories. Data Stream information for each individual story can be found below.

Contents

1 / From A View To A Kill
2 / For Your Eyes Only
3 / Quantum of Solace
4 / Risico
5 / The Hildebrand Rarity

Extract
"Tension was building up in him. In his imagination he could already hear the deep bark of the Savage. He could see the black bullet lazily, like a slow flying bee, homing down into the valley towards a square of pink skin. There was a light smack as it hit. The skin dented, broke and then closed up again leaving a small hole with bruised edges. . . Who was this man he was going to do this to? What had he ever done to Bond?"

Trivia
"For Your Eyes Only" is a collection of five short stories that Ian Fleming had originally written for one hour television shows for CBS in mind. Two of the short stories contained in the "For Your Eyes Only" collection had been previously published. "Quantum of Solace" had been published in the May issue of Cosmopolitan magazine in 1959, and "The Hildebrand Rarity" had been published in the March issue of Playboy magazine in 1960.

 
Above: British Pan paperback 1st-4th editions (1962 onwards).

From A View To A Kill
Villains: Russian spies
Plot: Theft of SHAPE intelligence from motorcycle couriers.
Bond Girls: Mary Anne Russell
Allies: Colonel Schreiber, Commander Rattray
Locations: Paris and surrounding areas, France
Highlights: Assassination of Russian motorcyclist.

Synopsis
A motorcycle dispatch rider is shot and killed and his documents stolen. Bond goes to investigate, and near the crash site he discovers and underground base of Russian agents. Dressing up as a dispatch rider, he shoots his Russian trailer and takes his place. This exposes the whole operation.

  For Your Eyes Only
Villains: Von Hammerstein; Gonzalez
Plot: Blackmail/murder of Havelock's to forcefully buy Jamaican estate.
Bond Girls: Judy Havelock
Allies: Colonel Havelock, Mrs. Havelock, Agatha, M
Locations: Jamaica; London, UK; Ottawa, Canada; N. Vermont, USA
Highlights: M briefing, meeting with Judy

Synopsis
This is another forgettable short story, in which Bond does a favour for M by arranging to kill Nazi war criminal von Hammerstein, who killed M’s friends the Havelock's in order to get their property. In a strictly secret mission Bond goes to Canada to carry out the mission, but he is beaten to it by Judy Havelock, the dead couple’s daughter. Bond shoots von Hammerstein’s henchmen, and the pair escape.


Above: Triad/Granada movie tie-in paperback edition (1981); American Signet paperback 2nd - 21st editions (1962 onwards); British Pan paperback 6th-16th editions (1963 onwards)


Quantum of Solace
Villains: N/A
Plot: Governor's anecdote regarding his dinner guests
Bond Girls: N/A
Allies: Phillip Masters, Rhoda Masters, The Governor
Locations: Nassau, The Bahamas
Highlights: Final twist revealing dinner guest's identity

Synopsis
Bond, following a mission in Cuba, is stuck at what seems a boring dinner with the Governor of the Bahamas and his dull guests. However, Bond eventually leaves very interested, realising that there is more to the world than his spying. The governor told him a story of a man who once worked for him and got married, but shortly after his wife had a well-known affair making him the laughing stock of Bermuda’s British community. But the governor’s old friend managed to ruin her socially and financially before divorcing her and leaving the island. The story ends with a nice twist when Bond discovers the identity of one of the dinner guests.

Risico
Villains: Kristatos
Plot: Russian funded operation to smuggle drugs into Britain to demoralize population
Bond Girls: Lisl Baum
Allies: Columbo, M
Locations: Rome, Itale; Venice; Santa Maria; Albania;
Highlights: Beach chase, warehouse gun battle

Synopsis
Bond is sent to Rome to investigate drugs smuggling, and his contact Kristatos tells 007 of ‘Mr Big’, Enrico Columbo. Bond gets close to Columbo’s mistress by posing as a researching author, but then is captured by Columbo, who explains to Bond that Kristatos is the actual villain and is smuggling drugs for the Soviet Union to undermine the West.

Bond and Columbo raid Kristatos’s warehouse, and Bond kills the villain in the process.


The Hildebrand Rarity
Villains: Milton Krest
Plot: Catching a rare fish to sell to Smithsonian Institute
Bond Girls: Liz Krest
Allies: Fidele Barbery
Locations: Chagrin Island, Indian Ocean
Highlights: Catching the fish, death of Krest

Synopsis
Holidaying in the Seychelles, Bond is persuaded by Milton Krest to join an expedition seeking a rare fish, The Hildebrand Rarity, which he must find to satisfy the authorities that he should be exempted from taxes. Krest not only beats his wife, but kills hundreds of other fish with poison in order to get his one specimen.

One night Krest is found murdered, killed either by Liz Krest or Bond’s friend Fidele Barbey. Bond disposes of the body of the millionaire, who had been killed when the Hildebrand Rarity was stuffed down his throat.

Right: British Pan paperback 19th-21st editions (1973 onwards)

 

Above: British Pan paperback 17th edition (1969); British Coronet paperback 3rd edition (1988); British Penguin paperback edition (2002)


Quotes
"It seemed to Bond that there was an extra small cleft of worry between the frosty, damnably clear, grey eyes."

"She could have been a model - probably had been before she became a hotel receptionist - that respectable female calling that yet has a whiff of the high demi-monde about it - and she still moved her beautiful body with the unselfconscious grace of someone who is used to going about with nothing, or practically nothing on."

"She had the gay, bold, forthcoming looks the Viennese are supposed to have and seldom do."

"The best things in America are chipmunks and oyster stew."

"The fat man was grinning delightedly. he came up and with Bond and, to Bond's horror, threw open his arms, clutched Bond to him and kissed him on both cheeks.
Bond said: 'For God's sake, Columbo.'"

"James Bond said: 'I've always thought that if I ever married I would marry an air hostess.'"

"Bond put ice into his drink, filled it to the top with soda and took a long pull at it. He sat back and lit a Laurens jaune. Of course the evening would be a disaster."

 
Above: Penguin USA paperback 1st edition (2003)

Reviews

"Mr Fleming's licensed assassin is in good form... Few me can have been able to mix business with pleasure so successfully as Bond."
- The Times Literary Supplement

"Urban savagery...smooth tale spinning."
- New York Herald Tribune

"Admirers of Bond will find him in top form"
- Listener