The Living Daylights

Thomas Felix Creighton examines the Britishness of Timothy Dalton's first outing as Ian Fleming's creation, James Bond, 007.

Part One: Brits in Afghanistan

Thomas touches on iconic imagery, such as the infamous painting, “The remnants of an army, Jellalabad [sic], January 13, 1842”, which is better known as just "Remnants of an Army". It was painted by Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler in 1878, and shows Dr. William Brydon, assistant surgeon in the Bengal Army, arriving at the gates of Jalalabad in January 1842. He was thought to be the only survivor of a massacre at The Khyber Pass. This is detailed in a book Thomas has recommended before, "The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia" by Peter Hopkirk, the chapter "Massacre in the Passes". For the sake of variety, Thomas reads from a book not previously covered in his episodes on the British Empire, namely, Jeremy Paxman's "Empire: What Ruling the World Did to the British".

If it wasn't clear in the episode (Thomas has been down with a cold and is still a tiny bit fuzzy), the 'British' were fighting in Afghanistan mainly to forestall any Russian influence there, as it was seen as the gateway to India. Not so different from James Bond's objectives in the movie, I suppose.

Part Two: A Potpourri of Britishness

Covering a shop with a dress code, British technology, , and country estates. Thomas can't resist referencing an American court case, Leonard v. Pepsico, Inc. Give me a harrier jump jet, or I'll sue...

Part Three: Fleming. Ian Fleming.

Again, seeking some measure of variety, Thomas reads two short sections from "The Life of Ian Fleming" by John Pearson, Fleming's friend and biographer. Two further biographies were consulted, especially the ones by Nicholas Shakespeare and Andrew Lycett, but Pearson's was better on this occasion. Thomas also refer to a collection of Fleming's writing recently released, named, "Talk of the Devil", possibly getting the title wrong. If he does get it wrong, he blames the cold.

Exclusive Interview with the Director, John Glen

I was absolutely delighted to be joined by the director of five James Bond movies, including ‘The Living Daylights’, John Glen.

More on the pre-titles location, Gibraltar

What do you know about a place called 'Gibraltar'? Hopefully, after the above briefing, a lot more than you knew before!

In the above episode, I am joined by my good friend Caine, who has ten years of experience teaching about British culture in China. For the benefit of those of us in the West, he runs the Youtube channel with a special focus on traditional Chinese culture. Caine previously guided us on our deep dives into tea, British men's wardrobes, tattoo culture, and Christmas.

Check out Caine’s recommended rabbit hole: "The Pitcairn Islands". Well worth a Google, as we discuss!

How to spend a weekend in Gibraltar

Above is second part of my exploration of the British Overseas Territory in the Mediterranean looks at what do to over a long weekend, and what culture you might be able to Google, glean, and observe. I am joined again by my good friend Caine, who found all this out using the best method possible, by going there and doing the research. Although this is a 'Part 2', it can be enjoyed by itself, with 'Part 1' returned to later. This was fun to chat about, so I really hope you enjoy it.