Ephemeris of the Mind (Book Review) Moonraker
Time to read: 2 min read
Book Cover
Champagne and benzedrine! Never again.
Previous James Bond novel reviews:
Review
In the third James Bond novel, Bond is tasked with M to investigate Sir Hugo Drax, a British war hero and millionaire who is funding the development of the Moonraker, Britain’s first nuclear missile. Bond must investigate Drax and navigate the delicate political situation where there are some irregularities with Drax but at the same time Drax enjoys the support of the British government.
This is my favourite Bond story thus far as Bond in this story is what one would think of when one is thinking of classical spy stories, such as high stakes card games, high stakes car chases, and of course, high stakes geopolitical situations. The plot is predictable as always but feels surprisingly modern in its core premise: rich businessmen funding rocket development (Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin immediately came to mind). The female lead this time is Gala Brand, and Bond actually respects her in his own way this time as she’s a capable undercover agent working for the Special Branch of the Metropolitan Police.
Conclusion
A classic spy story.