Guides:

 

Amis, Kingsley. The James Bond Dossier. New York: New American Library, 1965. [Davis PR6056.L4 Z56]

 - This is really the first work to seriously examine the Ian Fleming novels (excluding the posthumously published Octopussy short story set). Aspects such as women, politics, and physical descriptions paint a clear picture of the literary 007 from a contemporary’s perspective.

 

Benson, Raymond. The James Bond Bedside Companion. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1984. [Davis PR6056.L4 Z58 1984]

 - This work, penned by the current author of the James Bond novels, is considered by many fans to be an important reference to the James Bond world (at least up until 1984). Benson provides a brief biographical sketch of Ian Fleming, an overview of James Bond’s literary characteristics (ie: personal habits, appearance, tastes), an overview of the books from Fleming to John Gardner’s Icebreaker, and a rundown of the Bond films through 1983’s “Octopussy”. Benson also includes appendices for a bibliography, Bond’s literary weaponry, and injuries that the literary Bond has sustained over the years.