A review by sfian
Thunderball by Ian Fleming

5.0

Of the Bond stories so far this one feels the biggest. The bustle surrounding M, The Chief of Staff and Moneypenny as Bond is called in for his mission, the threat of Spectre's plan and the return of Leiter to the CIA because of it, the commandeering of a nuclear sub and the final undersea fight - which, although focused on Bond, features him leading a small army - all add to the sense of "big screen" adventure which comes after an almost comical opening as Bond is sent to a health farm (interesting to see that Fleming wrote about things that, half a century later, are still being touted by some and seen as faddish by others) where, as with scenes from earlier books, he proves he isn't the infallible secret agent he is so often held up to be - surely you would check around you when making a phone call to get details about somebody...?

The middle section, set in Nassau, slows things down a bit and, at times, comes across as Bond on holiday, but not sufficiently to lose interest. In fact the pages-long story that Domino weaves around the life of the sailor pictured on a pack of cigarettes is more endearing than off-putting.

There is the usual casual racism and almost misogyny, particularly around Bond's attitude to women drivers - "Women are often meticulous and safe drivers, but they are very seldom first-class. In general Bond regarded them as a mild hazard and he always gave them plenty of road and was ready for the unpredictable. Four women in a car he regarded as the highest danger potential, and two women as nearly as lethal..." - but such is almost certainly a sign of the times Fleming was writing in as it is an indication of his own feelings.