James Bond and the End of Empire

Abstract

This chapter explores the relationship between the James Bond books and films and the historical condition of the ‘end of empire’. It examines how Ian Fleming’s books were a product of the ideological and cultural conditions of the 1950s and early 1960s, and explores their representation of nationhood, class and imperialism. It argues that the literary Bond responded to the decline of the British Empire by promoting a counter-narrative of British power in which the Pax Britannica still operates. It also considers how the films, following Dr. No, have adopted a more ironic stance towards Britain’s great power ambitions, while occasionally harking back to past glories.