Casino Royale

A James Bond Novel

By: Ian Fleming

Narrated by: Richard Armitage

Read by Richard Armitage

JAMES BOND PLAYS A DEADLY GAME OF CHANCE IN IAN FLEMING’S LEGENDARY FIRST 007 NOVEL

“Le Chiffre” is a ruthless operative and the accountant for a soviet SMERSH cell in France, but he’s on the verge of disaster after gambling away his client’s money. Taking the last of his stash, he lures a dozen wealthy players to a high-stakes baccarat game, hoping to hustle his way whole.

The British Secret Service would like to see this red thorn plucked from the hide of Europe, and sends their best card sharp, James Bond, to bankrupt Le Chiffre for good.

With the cards running against him and SMERSH operatives threatening to kill him and his beautiful ally, Vesper Lynd, 007 needs his luck to turn before he wagers away their lives.

©1953 Ian Fleming Publications Ltd (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Richard Armitage

Richard Armitage is an absolute delight to listen too. The story is fantastic, but the way he reads it makes it all the better.

Lived the movies and this was so much better

Ive seen the movies more tumes than I can count. I was curious on how different they would be from the book. I think the book is much better. Im slowly reading the Ian Fleming Bonds and have only dine his short stories so far. The short stories are completely different. This novel seems closer to the latest movie.

Armitage. Richard Armitage.

Ian Fleming gets the Armitage treatment and it's another must listen. Get your ears ready.

A great story that started it all.

Even though I have seen the movie, the book kept me very entertained.

The only t thing I don't like about this book is the torture, I can't believe this was written 71 years ago. It makes still cringe today.

The suspense

I've always been a big James Bond fan so I recommend these books to anyone looking for a edge of your seat style story.

Classic

Interesting story telling. Classic Bond. The book that started it all is a great listen.

Superb Start to the Series

Engaging story. Enjoyed getting to learn who this Bond is and how he thinks. Performance is great and makes you feel like your listening to Bond. However, the reading is slow with lots of pausing. I listened at x1.25 speed and that helped, but even then the pausing at times seemed long. It is a great book and the performance makes you think it's Bond.

Good intro to James Bond

I’m not a Bond connoisseur but decided to get this to understand his origins. Some parts were exceptional, especially the baccarat scene. Not my favorite spy novel ever, but Bond fans should find it interesting for what it is.

the original

the original James Bond story. dip your toes and immerse yourself in the story that started a world wide phenomenon. you won't regret it, still I've of the best even after all these years

James Bond, The Beginning of an Icon

In "Casino Royale", Ian Fleming introduces us to James Bond, who in Mr. Fleming's other writings and later in films, becomes an iconic figure. James is an exceptional agent with a cold and calculating way of thinking but this story also shows his flaws and human emotions of a man who is passionate about serving his country. The torture scene was particularly brutal and it was hard to keep my imagination in check. I enjoyed this story from the first chapter to the end and am looking forward to the other works available in this collection.

I have enjoyed most of Richard Armitage's performances in his previous audible works, however, I cannot call this particular narration a performance. In the first five or so chapters it seemed as if he was just reading words on a page without any real emotion. As the story progressed, I notice that it went from slow and unemotional to a narration that made me feel what the characters were thinking, feeling and enduring. I will still look forward to more of his narrations, but in my opinion, this wasn't one of his best.