From Library Journal
The allure of James Bond was best described by Raymond Chandler, who insisted that 007 is "what every man would like to be and what every woman would like to have between her sheets." Who can argue with that? This month marks the 40th anniversary of the film release of Dr. No, which was the first Bond adventure to make the big screen, and two big coffee-table books are being published to honor the occasion (LJ 10/1/02, p. 96). Shockingly, Fleming's original novels have gone out of print, but Penguin here reproduces a trio of the British secret agent's early outings, released in 1952, 1958, and 1959, respectively, sporting stylish cover art. These stories were racy for the nifty Fifties but are quite tame by today's standards. Still, they can be fun. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with LIVE & LET DIE and DR. NO.]--Through the filter of modern sensitivities, the James Bond adventures of Ian Fleming appear to be racist, sexist, overflowing with nicotine and alcohol, and melodramatic. But exchange that filter with one of historical perspective, and one finds oneself in a delightful romp out of time. Robert Whitfield's polished voice is an enchanting accompaniment to Fleming's exotic settings and stories. His English accent is as smooth as a dry martini--shaken not stirred--and he slips into other accents (West Indian and African American in LIVE & LET DIE, German in GOLDFINGER, and Chinese in DR. NO) as easily as the fictional 007 slips out of a dangerous situation and into the bed of a beautiful woman. Listening to these unabridged novels is more subtle than watching the films, but ultimately more rewarding. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Book Description
Auric Goldfinger, the most phenomenal criminal Bond has ever faced, is an evil genius who likes his cash in gold bars. This powerful villain is planning the biggest and most daring heist in history-robbing all the gold in Fort Knox.

About the Author
Ian Fleming (1908-1964), creator of the world's best-known secret agent, is the author of thirteen James Bond novels. Born in London in 1908 and educated at Eton and Sandhurst, he became the Reuters Moscow correspondent in 1929. Much of the James Bond material was drawn directly from Fleming's experiences as an intelligence officer.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Auric Goldfinger: cruel, clever, frustratingly careful. A cheat at canasta and a crook on a massive scale. The sort of man James Bond hates. So it's fortunate that Bond is the man charged by both the Bank of England and MI5 to discover what this, the richest man in the country, intends to do with his ill-gotten gains - and what his connection is with SMERSH, the feared Soviet spy-killing corps. But once inside this deadly criminal's organization, 007 finds that Goldfinger's schemes are more grandiose - and lethel - than anyone could have imagined. Not only is robbing Fort Knox on his agenda, but mass murder as well.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

The allure of James Bond was best described by Raymond Chandler, who insisted that 007 is "what every man would like to be and what every woman would like to have between her sheets." Who can argue with that? This month marks the 40th anniversary of the film release of Dr. No, which was the first Bond adventure to make the big screen, and two big coffee-table books are being published to honor the occasion (LJ 10/1/02, p. 96). Shockingly, Fleming's original novels have gone out of print, but Penguin here reproduces a trio of the British secret agent's early outings, released in 1952, 1958, and 1959, respectively, sporting stylish cover art. These stories were racy for the nifty Fifties but are quite tame by today's standards. Still, they can be fun. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile