What to Read and Watch if You're Excited about 007: Road to a Million

What would you do for a million pounds? From the producers of the James Bond films, 007: Road to a Million is a new show premiering on Prime Video on November 10. In this reality TV competition, nine pairs of everyday people take on a series of Bond-inspired challenges under the watchful eye of The Controller, Brian Cox. Reportedly, the Succession star has long dreamed of playing a Bond villain and he's clearly having a grand time pulling the strings as the contestants are unleashed on an epic global adventure for a shot at winning the prize.

Bond history

Contestants on the 007: Road to a Million might do well to read these books offering a broad view of the Bond universe. 

Nobody Does it Better by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross
This comprehensive history of the Bond franchise takes you from Russia—with love, of course—to Vegas, from the bright blue waters of the Bahamas to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge. It's Bond and beyond.

The Politics of James Bond by Jeremy Black
The evolution of Bond sheds light on world political attitudes and reflects elements of the real espionage history of the period. This look at Bond's lasting legacy offers an intriguing glimpse into both cultural history and popular entertainment.

The Many Lives of James Bond by Mark Edlitz
A compelling look at the creative forces behind the franchise, this book offers wide-ranging interviews with Bond actors, directors, screenwriters and more, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the process of bringing Bond to life.

The Man Who Saved Britain by Simon Winder
Bond. James Bond. The ultimate British hero—suave and stoic—was the necessary invention to heal a nation traumatized by WWII. This book offers an insightful and, above all, entertaining exploration of postwar Britain under the influence of the legendary Agent 007.

The best of Bond

Supposedly, Ian Fleming started writing about Bond as a way to alleviate anxiety about his upcoming nuptials. He likely had no inkling of how massive this franchise would become. Here are our five favorites of Fleming's fourteen Bond novels.

Moonraker
A terrific villain (Hugo Drax), one of the best Bond girls (Gala Brand), an edge-of-your-seat car chase, and an unforgettable game of bridge are just a few of the elements that make this a perfect Bond novel. 

Casino Royale
The original Bond novel holds up brilliantly as a masterwork of 1950s literature. From the Cold War intrigue to the charismatic magnetism of Bond, we were hooked from the very first page. 

From Russia With Love
John F. Kennedy famously named this as one of his ten favorite books and we can't blame him. This shout-out from the beloved US President led to a surge in sales and propelled the success of the film franchise.

Dr. No
This over-the-top romp obviously had a huge influence on the style and flair of the Bond films. There's a gleeful element of fantasy that just makes everything a bit more fun.

You Only Live Twice
This is one of the darkest Bond novels and it showcases Fleming's fascination with Japan. From dining etiquette in Tokyo restaurants to fishing methods in seaside villages, it offers a rich sense of place.

Since Fleming's death in 1964, the Bond series has been expanded by a bevy of  big-name ghost writers including Kingsley Amis (writing as Robert Markham), John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks, Jeffrey Deaver, Anthony Horowitz, and others.  

What else to read

Expand your spy horizons with these excellent espionage thrillers.

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
A tall, blond Englishman with opaque, gray eyes. A killer at the top of his profession. One man whose mission is so secretive not even his employers know his name. This gritty fast-paced thriller will keep you up all night turning the pages.

A Perfect Spy by John le Carré
Over the course of his seemingly irreproachable life, Magnus Pym has been all things to all people. But his disappearance raises baffling questions in this moving and morally tangled chronicle of modern espionage.

Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams
In 1948, Iris and her family disappear amid suspicions that her diplomat husband has defected to Moscow. Four years later, her estranged twin sister Ruth finds herself on a dangerous, covert mission to bring Iris and her family home.

Transcription by Kate Atkinson
In 1940, eighteen-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited for espionage work with an obscure department of MI5. Ten years after the war has ended, she finds herself under threat by figures from her past. A bill of reckoning is due.

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
The narrator in this Pulitzer Prize-winner is a half-French, half Vietnamese army captain living in the U.S. after the Fall of Saigon. While building his new life, he is secretly reporting back to his communist superiors in Vietnam.

For the visuals

The new show sends the contestants to solve problems all over the world in gorgeous horizons that offer callbacks to some of the jet-setting scenes from Bond movies, so you may get an itch to revisit some of these iconic moments. Here are some popular choices from our inventory.

• Dr. No (1962)
• From Russia With Love (1963)
• Goldfinger (1964)
• Thunderball (1965)
• You Only Live Twice (1967)
• On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
• Diamonds are Forever (1971)
• Live and Let Die (1973)
• For Your Eyes Only (1981)
• Never Say Never Again (1983)
• The Living Daylights (1987)
• Goldeneye (1995)
• Casino Royale (2006)
• Quantum of Solace (2008)
• Skyfall (2012)
• Spectre (2015)
• No Time to Die (2021)

If you're jonesing for more Bond, check out this post from last year.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon