Fleming, Bond, and Gentlemanliness

From Oklahoma City’s OKC.net comes an interesting essay by Daniel Page, which examines the notion of “gentlemanliness” vis-à-vis That Gentleman Secret Agent with a License to Kill — James Bond.

Starting with the thesis that “no one exemplifies being a gentleman better than James Bond,” Mr. Page connects Ian Fleming’s personal behavior and attitudes to the way Bond is portrayed in both novels and films, i.e. a sophisticated gentleman. (We think it could be argued that 007 is more “sophisticated” than he is actually a “gentleman,” but all of this is debatable.)

At any rate, we think you’ll find Shaken, Not Stirred: Ian Fleming and the Lost Art of Being a Gentleman to be an interesting and entertaining read. There’s a “Comments” section following the article, where you can chime in with your own ignorant prejudices and informed opinions. Tell ’em HMSS sent you!