David Tennant is a consummate reader of audiobooks,
previously having brought to vivid life such titles as My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again and, of course, the How To Train Your Dragon series by
Cressida Cowell. Now he turns his vocal talents to a classic modern British
adventure story to read On Her Majesty’s
Service, one of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels. We've had a sneak peak (or whatever the aural equivalent is) and we can tell you that this is definitely set to be another David favourite.
Dropping his native accent in favour of something more Home
Counties, David Tennant takes up the tale as 007 embarks on another danger-packed
mission to save the world from a criminal threat.
Following information given to him by crime syndicate boss Marc-Ange
Draco, Bond continues his pursuit of Ernst Blofeld and SPECTRE to Switzerland
while also finding time to romance Draco’s daughter. The drama finds him making
a breathless downhill escape on skis from the enemy base, told at a galloping
pace by Tennant. Bond dodges avalanches and SPECTRE guards, even finding the
time to swig a little nip of alcohol between threats. Tennant handles the
changes of pace deftly – from the poignancy, almost ennui, in the opening
passages of the novel through adrenaline-fuelled pursuit to utter exhaustion and
relief – and as a listener we are drawn so easily into Bond’s world that it
almost feels as though we are shoulder to shoulder with him as the mystery
unravels.
Yet as the adventure draws to a close there is an
unfortunate escape and a terrible tragedy.
The audio release also includes an exclusive interview with
David Tennant
On Her Majesty’s
Secret Service is one in a series of twelve Ian Fleming novels read by some
of the country’s finest acting talent for the 007 Reloaded series. The series is now available to pre-order from
AudioGo and each pre-order includes entry into a competition to win a special
one-off prize: a facsimile of the first-edition hardback
novel of the same story, signed by the star reader. The series is released on
CD and MP3 download on September 6th 2012.
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