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James Bond
Stephen Coan


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 40
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The latest entry into the resurrected James Bond novel franchise, Carte Blanche by Jeffrey Deaver, has a character who boasts an ancestor who fought at the battle of Kambula. Mention is also made of the battle of Isandlwana and later of Rorke's Drift. Alas, I fear there are those among us who will dispute Mr Deaver's scholarship. (I haven't given page references as the mentions involve plot developments)
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John Young


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1020
Location: Lower Sheering, Essex
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Stephen,

Odd you should mention this at this time. Only this morning I finished reading Kim Newman's excellent re-released Anno Dracula, in which Newman weaves an excellent tale based around the Jack the Ripper murders set in an alternative Britain ruled by a remarried Queen Victoria and her Prince Consort, Dracula. The tale is laced with Victorian characters from fact and fiction, and I guessed long before I got to it that he would mention the Zulu War somewhere in the book, and my hunch was rewarded with a passing reference of Rorke's Drift.

As to James Bond he is due to appear in third book of Newman's quartet, which also due for re-release.

If anyone is at all interested in Victorian history or fiction I would commend Anno Dracula to them.

John Y.
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Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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Stephen

You didn't say which side the ancestor fought on! Capt Alan Gardner managed two out of the three (and we mustn't forget Adendorff either) and was partly responsible for a warning which reached Rorke's Drift, where he had been a day or so before and which he passed within a few miles of again after sending the warning. Perhaps "two and a bit" out of three?

I'm assuming the character in the book is not an African, and so won't be claiming an ancestor who was on the attack in all three, but there will be many thousands again of those who managed the same two as Gardner, with - stretching it a bit - a few hundred who might claim all three?

Does he claim his ancestor actually took part in all three? I think you're right that the odd poster here might just call the author's own reading into question!

Peter
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Stephen Coan


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 40
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John and Peter

Anno Dracula sounds interesting. Does Allan Quatermain get a look in?

The relative referred to was on the Zulu side. Much of the new Bond novel is set in Cape Town where Bond teams up with a female Zulu cop.
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John Young


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1020
Location: Lower Sheering, Essex
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Stephen,

Quatermain rates two mentions in Anno Dracula. Obviously he has appeared before Alan Moore's graphic novels of The League of Extraordinary Gentleman, in the film adaptation of which he was played by a former James Bond, Sir Sean Connery. Another character played by Connery does reappear by the skill of Mr. Newman's pen, but I'll leave you to read it and discover who that is!

Regards,

John Y.
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Stephen Coan


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 40
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John

Many thanks for the advisory. Will investigate further.

Stephen
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AMB


Joined: 07 Oct 2005
Posts: 921
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If I remember rightly, Quartermain was based upon that great hunter, F C Selous.

Now, I'm just off to polish my Aston...(it got dusty at the Festival of Speed(!))

AMB
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Martin Everett


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 786
Location: Brecon
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Many years ago I met James Bond - Patrick Dalzel-Job at his home near Plockton and stayed in his boathouse. A wonderful experience.

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Martin Everett
Brecon, Powys
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AMB


Joined: 07 Oct 2005
Posts: 921
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Martin,

A real hero.

Was he happy to chat about his life?

AMB
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Stephen Coan


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 40
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AMB,

Yes, Selous is frequently cited as the inspiration for Haggard's character Allan Quatermain. However Haggard himself always denied this. On at least one occasion he pointed out that at the time he had conceived Allan Quatermain "I did not know Selous". Of course, that doesn't mean he hadn't heard of him, but there were plenty of other hunter-traders that Haggard would have met in southern Africa during his time there in 1875 to 1881. I think Quatermain is probably an amalgam of several of those.

Stephen
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James Bond
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