70 YEARS OF 007

Meet James Bond, the world's most famous spy, in these landmark 70th anniversary reissues of Ian Fleming's classic series.

Bond may have a license to kill, but 'Pistols' Scaramanga has a talent for it. He's a KGB-trained assassin who's left a trail of dead British Secret Service agents in his wake. His weapon of choice? A gold-plated Colt .45.

In the aftermath of his brainwashing by the Soviets, Bond is given one last chance to win back M's trust: terminate Scaramanga before he strikes MI6 again. Traveling to Jamaica under an assumed name, Bond manages to infiltrate Scaramanga's organisation and soon discovers that the hit man's criminal ambitions have expanded to include arson, drug smuggling, and industrial sabotage. Worst of all for Bond, Scaramanga has a golden bullet inscribed with the numbers 007 and he's eager to put it to use.

Under the heat of the Caribbean sun, Bond faces a seemingly impossible task: win a duel against the man with the golden gun.

Ian Lancaster Fleming was born in London on 28 May 1908. On the outbreak of the Second World War he played a key part in British and Allied espionage operations.

His first novel, Casino Royale, was published in 1953 and introduced James Bond, Special Agent 007, to the world. The first print run sold out within a month. Following this initial success, he published a Bond title every year until his death. The Bond novels have sold more than 100 million copies and inspired a hugely successful film franchise which began in 1962 with the release of Dr No, starring Sean Connery as 007.