Thrilling Cities Audio Book

superadosuperado Regent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,651MI6 Agent
edited June 2018 in James Bond Literature
Hi all, I couldn't find an existing thread on this, which is why I"m posting. Has anyone listened to the audio reading of Thrilling Cities on BBC? Here's the link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04lx1vq

The first chapter, "Hong Kong" became available today, but my question is, does anyone know if the whole book will be made available? I've been waiting for an audio edition of Thrilling Cities. I have the book but (please forgive me, Fleming fans!) find it tedious to read and just want to passively enjoy the readings.
"...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....

Comments

  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/43074/bond-on-tv-and-radio/
    There is this for all things Bond related on TV and radio.
    Thanks for posting must give it a listen. {[]
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,644MI6 Agent
    It's a three-part series of readings only. Tokyo is next this Friday on BBC Radio 4. :) -{
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Caught "Tokyo" earlier today. Good stuff, and topped & tailed by John Barry playing "The Human Jungle" theme- appropriately enough.
  • superadosuperado Regent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,651MI6 Agent
    Barbel wrote:
    Caught "Tokyo" earlier today. Good stuff, and topped & tailed by John Barry playing "The Human Jungle" theme- appropriately enough.

    That's right, these episodes become available on Fridays! I'll have something to listen to in a bit when I take my morning walk :D
    "...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
  • superadosuperado Regent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,651MI6 Agent
    I just listened to the 3rd installment on BBC 4 Radio, "Chicago and New York," and I have to say I'm disappointed. To be fair the forward does warn that the reading is abridged, but by calling it this it seems they mean “severely gutted.” I expected the interlude "007 in New York" to not be included but just comparing the reading with passages in the book, there is a lot of missing material. I understand the rational to abridge these particular readings because much of the passages are lengthy, overly detailed and lacking the narrative dynamics of the "Fleming Sweep" present in his fiction but it would have been more appropriate to call the readings "Excerpts of Thrilling Cities."
    "...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,644MI6 Agent
    Yes, from the short running times I knew they would be severely abridged unfortunately. There are some very interesting details that relate to the Bond novels in Fleming's Thrilling Cities, so it really is worthwhile persevering with! In fact I've written a long blog article off the back of it. :) -{
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • superadosuperado Regent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,651MI6 Agent
    edited June 2018
    Finally, Thrilling Cities unabridged has become available as an audio book via Audible, via Amazon UK. It's over 9 hours and if you sign with Audible, you receive one free download, and you can cancel your free subscription within a month before getting charged for membership, which is what I did after downloading. Nice deal.

    http://www.ianfleming.com/new-thrilling-cities-audiobook-w-f-howes/

    BTW, it's also available on Audible/Amazon USA, but I had already availed of their two free promotional downloads (Amazon UK offered one), one of which was "Ian Fleming's Commandos" by Nicholas Rankin, which is why I went the Amazon UK route for Thrilling Cities.
    "...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Having the book and having read it more than once, I'm not going to go for the audio version. It's a good read, and I'm sure that the audio version will be enjoyable.

    Perhaps they might do Fleming's "The Diamond Smugglers" next (hopefully)? I suppose his "State Of Excitement" is out of the question, though.
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