The London Gazette announcement was brief: “BOND, JAMES, Commander RNVR, relieved of current duties at the Foreign Office. Promoted to the substantive rank of Captain and returned to active service forthwith.” The return of James Bond to the Royal Navy marks the intriguing backdrop to John Gardner’s thrilling next adventure featuring Ian Fleming’s celebrated hero. Bond takes a refresher course and keeps up his flyling hours by doing a conversion course on Sea Harriers. And eventually he learns that his mission is to serve on the Royal Navy’s major aircraft carrier, HMS Invincible, as minder to a phalanx of of top brass British, American and — in this era of glasnost — Russian admirals, who are on board for a NATO exercise. But why? Can a dangerous hijacking by airborne troops using hang-gliders on a Japanese tanker, some time before, be connected to Bond’s current mission?
