Jorrit van der ValkIt’s a cliché, I know: every man wants to be James Bond and every woman the beautiful Bond girl. Yet it’s something I often think about while reading Darker Than The Sun. How wonderful would it be to explore the world as 007 or one of Bond’s love interests?
In the Austrian region of Vorarlberg lies the village of Sankt Gallenkirch. It’s the heart of the Silvretta Montafon ski area. I’ve settled here with my father for two weeks to enjoy the fresh Alpine air. During our vacation, we’re treated to everything this breathtaking region has to offer: icy cold days, half a meter of snow, exciting hikes, stunning views, and Kaiserwetter. That is something James Bond would definitely enjoy here: clear blue skies and winter sun shining over freshly fallen snow. The chalet where my father and I are staying could easily serve as a location in a Bond film.
As I read Darker Than The Sun, I easily imagine the Austrian locations from the movies. Sölden, for example, is just an hour away. Because of the weather, the locations from Spectre (2015) can’t be visited. Authors Ajay Chowdhury and Matthew Field describe the Alps as the kind of place Ian Fleming, James Bond’s creator, stayed during a difficult mental period when he was eighteen. He stayed in the ski village of Kitzbühel, nearly two hundred kilometers from Sölden, the place where Fleming learned to ski and to write.
Locations
Darker Than The Sun: An Atlas of James Bond Movie Locations covers the filming locations from the 25 ‘official’ James Bond films. It’s important to note that the authors refer only to the EON Productions films. So don’t expect information about Never Say Never Again (1983) or the two Casino Royale productions from 1954 and 1967.
It’s impressive that Ajay and Matthew managed to fit so much information about the films into such a compact, nearly square book. It’s the kind of guide you can easily slip into your bag while discovering Bond film locations.
This leads naturally to the comparison with that other Bond travel guide: On the Tracks of 007. After thirty years, that book has become an icon in the Bond community.
However, it focuses more on exploring the locations yourself rather than the stories behind them. It’s also very much the personal journey of Martijn Mulder, the man behind the book. Saying that the two books are identical would be far too easy.
Background Information
This atlas of James Bond film locations is more than just a travel guide. The authors provide detailed descriptions of each location and clearly choose to include a lot of background information. That makes the book truly unique in the niche it occupies. A few examples that stood out to me:
In the chapter on For Your Eyes Only (1981), we learn that cooperation with the monks of the Aghia Triatha monastery didn’t run smoothly. In the film, this is where the final confrontation between Kristatos and Bond takes place, as they battle over the ATAC device (used by the British to communicate with their Polaris submarines). According to producer Michael Wilson, many monks were unhappy with the film crew’s presence.
The monks believed they would receive a more generous financial contribution. As a result, they frequently protested against the crew’s presence. Producer Albert Broccoli managed to calm tensions by making a substantial donation to their charitable fund.
The finale of The World Is Not Enough (1999), set on the Bosporus in Istanbul, presented the filmmakers with different challenges. How do you prevent international maritime traffic from sailing straight through your scenes? Screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade explain in Darker Than The Sun that chains were once used—stretched between Kiz Kulesi, Maiden’s Tower, and the mainland.
Maiden’s Tower, an 11th-century lighthouse, is where Elektra imprisons Bond and M. For the production, a submarine was placed there, which successfully kept shipping at bay and created a spectacular finale. Today, the lighthouse is a restaurant.
Special Maps
An atlas wouldn’t be complete without topographic maps, and Darker Than The Sun certainly delivers. But the creators added something special: the locations are plotted partly based on cast and crew movements. This adds a dynamic layer to the book.
To incorporate fictional locations—often filmed at Pinewood Studios—into Bond’s journeys, the authors provide a complete overview. Bond’s travels, and those of other characters, are illustrated with photos and stories. Each chapter begins with a map of the full journey, followed by more detailed focus throughout the chapter.
Authors
Ajay Chowdhury and Matthew Field are well-known figures in the James Bond world. They previously co-authored Some Kind of Hero, one of the most extensive reference works on the films, full of anecdotes and stories from cast and crew.
With Spy Octane: The Vehicles of James Bond, Volume One, you dive into the world of cars, boats, and other vehicles from the films. This stunning coffee-table book, full of photos and stories, is a real eye-catcher.
I’m certain we’ll hear more from these authors in the future—especially since more volumes of Spy Octane have already been announced. These men live and breathe James Bond, and I’m privileged to call them my friends.
A Clear Conclusion
If I had to translate the book into a star rating, there’s no way around it: five stars. No more, no less. Darker Than The Sun offers a unique perspective on the world of James Bond and gives readers plenty of ideas to immerse themselves in the world of 007.
The book is full of background information and includes many anecdotes from cast and crew. The per-film maps are a fantastic addition and, after nearly twenty years in the Bond community, they gave me a fresh perspective on the world of 007.
Darker Than The Sun: An Atlas of James Bond Movie Locations is available on Amazon for 35.99 euro. Currently, the American tech giant offers a 36% discount on the Ivy Press publication, bringing the price down to 22.99 euro.
Gosse Drent
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