On November 19, 2007, Amazon.com launched a revolutionary wireless reading device called Amazon Kindle. With its state of the art electronic-paper display, simplicity (no computer, no cables and no syncing) and free wireless connectivity (Sprint EVDO network), it immediately became the best e-book reader on the United States market. It sold out in five and a half hours and remained out of stock until late April 2008.
On May 28, 2008, Amazon released the Kindle edition of Sebastian Faulks’ Devil May Care. On June 3, all fourteen of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels were released as Kindle editions. A week or so later, all the Fleming e-books were pulled from the site inexplicably.
I called an Amazon.com customer service representative to inquire about them and was told that either the publisher (Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.) pushed the release date back or that the e-books were formatted incorrectly.
Yesterday (over two months after they were pulled) Amazon put all fourteen novels back into the steadily growing Kindle Store, giving Kindle owners access to fifteen James Bond novels ($9.99 each). Hopefully IFP releases Kindle editions of the Bond novels by Amis, Gardner and Benson in the near future but unfortunately they probably won’t since there is currently no plans of even re-releasing them in traditional book format. The Young Bond novels, however, have a better chance of being released as a Kindle edition so stay tuned to FelixLeiter.com and The Young Bond Dossier.
The cover art for Devil May Care is the same as the US hardback edition, however, the cover art for the Fleming Kindle editions are all variations of the same brand new cover featuring a Bondesque Ian Fleming with a tuxedo, overcoat and briefcase. The covers also contain a new Ian Fleming logo. It’s ‘Ian FLEMING’ with his body forming the ‘I’ in Fleming:
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE AMAZON KINDLE
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE IAN FLEMING KINDLE EDITIONS
CLICK HERE TO BUY ‘DEVIL MAY CARE’ (KINDLE EDITION)
Not convinced you need an Amazon Kindle? Read the review I wrote for it in June (Yes, I own one):
Righty007’s Amazon Kindle Review
Pros: I’ve played around with it for a few days and I absolutely love it! The E-Ink technology is beautiful and looks just like a printed page. I’ve never been an avid reader but I’ve found myself reading much more with my Kindle. It’s lightweight, easy to use and much better than a traditional book. It uses Amazon Whispernet, which uses the Sprint EVDO network and is how books, newspapers and blogs are sent to your Kindle. This free service is awesome and allows you to use an “experimental” Internet browser to surf the net and check your e-mail. Buying new Kindle editions is easy and fast.
It comes with a built in dictionary in case you come across a word you don’t know and allows you to highlight sentences as well as write notes about what you’re reading. You can also download MP3s to listen to while you read and you can adjust the text size to one of six sizes. That’s a great feature for older readers or readers with poor eyesight.
Cons: The cover that comes with the Kindle is crap and doesn’t hold the Kindle in properly. That’s why I purchased a $50+ genuine leather case for it from BuyMedge.com. The next and previous page buttons on the sides are easy to accidently push, which gets annoying sometimes when you’re not ready to change pages. Using the “experimental” browser is time consuming because of the lack of a mouse or stylus. Instead, you have to use a scrolling thing on the side of it. Go to Amazon.com to view pictures of its features/design.
There’s no doubt that Kindle 2.0 will be much better but I’ve heard it might take a few years because Color E-Ink is still being developed. However, I still recommend the Kindle to all readers (and now all fans of the James Bond novels). Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader with a fantastic free wireless Internet service. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s the best e-book reader on the market but don’t buy it if you want a multipurpose gadget that does everything. That’s what your laptop, iPhone and/or PDA is for!
It’s currently $359 and only available in the United States right now. For more information on the Kindle’s features, visit Amazon.com.
Discuss this literary Leiter news in this thread on the FelixLeiter.com Forums, the only place dedicated to the discussion of Felix Leiter on the Internet.
Related Articles:
Fleming’s Felix: The CIA Man as Originally Envisioned
The Raymond Benson FLc Interview
A Fleming Enthusiast’s Review of ‘Devil May Care’
Fleming’s Felix Leiter is Back!
Jack Wade: Fleming’s Felix in Disguise?
