"Bulldog Drummond"

James Bond is very much a part of modern British and American culture - both in the original Ian Fleming novels and, even more so, in the series of Bond movies which have been so popular. But did you ever wonder where the character of James Bond originated?

Meet Bond's spiritual father, then: "Bulldog Drummond," by "Sapper," the pen name of H. C. McNeile, the subject of this week's audio review on the Classic Mysteries podcast. You can hear the whole thing here. Ian Fleming acknowledged that Captain Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond was one of his primary inspirations for Bond. Drummond too was wildly popular with both the reading and moviegoing public. In the original "Bulldog Drummond," published in 1920, Drummond, a recently demobilized British army captain, finds himself drawn into fighting a murderous international intrigue intent on taking over the world. From the international atmosphere, to the super-villain, "Carl Peterson," to Drummond's instinctive habit of thinking with his fists and weapons, you'll see the antecedents of James Bond - lacking only Bond's taste for women. But then, this was Edwardian London.

At any rate, the Bond saga continues - in the form of a new book, "Devil May Care," by Sebastian Faulks, published just last year - so it's only fitting that "Bulldog Drummond" itself should be back in print. If you like thrillers and international intrigue, you may well enjoy meeting the Captain.