The novel is a ‘true’ biography (of sorts) of agent James Bond, covering the events of his life from his childhood up to the many adventures described in Ian Fleming’s adventures. It was last printed in 1986 (by Grafton in the UK and Grove Press in the US), making it one of the most difficult titles in the literary 007 canon to come by.

It was a strong face, certainly the eyes pale grey and very cold, the mouth was hard, the dark hair grey-streaked now still fell in the authentic comma over the forehead.’ This is how John Pearson reacted to his first encounter with the real James Bond, an encounter probably unique in the annals of thriller writing. He went on to write the bestselling authorised biography of Ian Fleming. At the time, like most of the world, he assumed that James Bond was nothing more than a character in Fleming’s highly charged imagination. Then he began to have his doubts. Doubts which were reaching such a pitch that the British secret service were trying to warn him off the scent. Despite this, he finally became convinced that James Bond was not only real, but actually alive. Thanks to a change in policy within the secret service, he was invited to embark upon a companion volume to his life of Fleming. This resulting book must be one of the most extraordinary biographies of our times the authorised life of a myth, the official biography of James Bond. Here, Pearson reveals amazing adventures, situations and incidents only hinted at in Ian Fleming’s books; the story of Bond’s life, the Bonds of Glencoe; the night he lost his wallet and his virginity in Paris and found his first love; his first assignment to save the bank at Monte Carlo; his duel with the S.S.; his women, scandals and tastes all here revealed. This promises to show a side of Bond never seen before.