New James Bond book revealed from celebrated historian - with huge links to classic 007 story

Historian and bestselling author Dan Jones has been commissioned to write a brand new James Bond adventure to celebrate the National Year of Reading.

All In, which will be published as a special edition on Thursday 3 December, pays tribute to Bond creator Ian Fleming’s fourth novel, Diamonds Are Forever, 70 years after its publication in 1956.

The news was announced on Monday (5 October), which has become known as James Bond day thanks to it being the date of the world premiere of the first James Bond film Dr. No in 1962.

The plot of the new novella finds Bond in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1954, as the British are leaving.

"It’s six years since Ceylon, land of the most precious gemstones on earth, was released from the Empire," the synopsis reads.

It continues: "The forts and officers’ messes on the island are emptying. But James Bond is travelling in the opposite direction – joined by his ally and lover, the diamond smuggler Tiffany Case. 007 is on a mission to track down one of the most valuable stones in the world.

"And he doesn’t have much time to do it. Bond is lured into a deadly game played from the cool mountains of Kandy to the pitch-black depths of the ocean floor, finding the stakes are far higher than gemstones alone. To come out alive, he’s going to have to gamble everything. It’s ALL IN – or nothing.”

Jones’s non-fiction books, which have sold more than a million copies worldwide, include Powers and Thrones, Crusaders, The Templars, The Plantagenets, Wars of the Roses, and Magna Carta. He is also an ambassador for the National Year of Reading.

He said in a statement: "Being asked to write a James Bond story is one of the greatest honours in contemporary fiction. I’m very excited to take Bond to Ceylon at such a pivotal moment in world history – and thrilled that Ian Fleming Publications are trusting me to pay tribute to Diamonds Are Forever, which is one of the great books in the Bond canon.

"But happiest of all is my inner child – the little boy who was such an avid reader that he went to the library twice on a Saturday, who would read the back of the breakfast cereal box if he ran out of books, and who scarcely dared to dream that he would grow up to be a writer, let alone one who has been asked to Go All In for the National Year of Reading.”

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The first Bond novel, Casino Royal, was published in 1953, with Fleming going on to write twelve Bond novels and two short-story collections.

Dozens of continuation works have been published since Fleming’s death, with fans being treated most recently to Charlie Higson's novel King Zero in September, as well as Hurricane Room, the third and final Double O novel by Kim Sherwood, back in May.

Amanda Douglas, managing director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, added: "We are delighted to be supporting the National Literacy Trust once again following the success of On His Majesty’s Secret Service. We are especially excited to be publishing All In, a brand-new James Bond adventure by Dan Jones, to commemorate the National Year of Reading.

"The campaign’s ‘Go All In’ message really resonated with us. Ian Fleming’s writing has always been at the heart of James Bond’s enduring appeal, and we hope All In will encourage readers of all ages to delve into the world of literary Bond."

All In will be published as a special edition on Thursday 3 December.

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