I Note the Passing of the Author Who Grasped the Bond Baton

Trivia time: Do you know who wrote more James Bond books than originator Ian Fleming? Fleming wrote a mere 12, this author wrote 14. According to an August 29 article in The New York Times*, “Though the reaction of critics was mixed, the novels were embraced by all but the most orthodox Bondians and appeared regularly on the New York Times best-seller list. Among Mr. Gardner’s Bond titles are “License Renewed” (G. K. Hall, 1981); “Win, Lose or Die” (Putnam, 1989); “Brokenclaw” (Putnam, 1990); and, most recently, “Cold Fall” (Putnam, 1996).”

The author was John Gardner, who died August 3 near his home in Basingstoke, England. He had written more than four dozen books in a prolific career that surpassed 40 years.

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