The Lifeline: With an introduction by Miles Jupp and David Stenhouse: 0 Paperback – 14 Mar. 2024

I was really intrigued to read this, a great discovery! The blurb said it was the book that inspired Ian Fleming to start writing the James Bond series and it turns out that P Bottome (fab name) taught Fleming to write. He did acknowledge her influence once he wrote Casino Royale.The plot is smart and fast-paced, Mark Chalmers is asked by British Intelligence to take a message to the Austrian Resistance at the beginning of WW2. He thinks he is going on this one mission but finds himself drawn into increasingly treacherous territory. With all the Bond hall marks, a beautiful girl, stunning scenery and plenty of jeopardy, it makes a great read. Surprisingly fresh for a book written in the 1940s!

"The Lifeline" opens in 1938 where Mark Chalmers is a teacher at Eton. He is asked to do a favour for a friend from the Foreign Office, on behalf of British Intelligence, and pass information to an agent in Nazi-occupied Austria. He agrees, and is parachuted in. But once there, despite having no intention of committing himself beyond this one job, finds himself involved in further acts of espionage and spying, fighting with the Austrian-German Underground. What follows is a series of action-packed adventures and near escapes. Written just after the end of WW2, this book must have had a profound impact on readers, and still does so eight years later.Those new to Phyllis Bottome may well be drawn to her books because of comparisons to Fleming's Bond books, and the idea that he based Bond on her character. It's no surprise - Chalmers is 36, dark haired, athletic, a proficient skier and sportsman, speaks fluent French and German and has a taste for wine, food and women. That's Bond. And, of course, Fleming studied under Bottome at her school in Austria. But that doesn't detract from the originality and power of her writing. And The Lifeline is her only proper spy novel.The book is clearly a product of its time - and I was pleased to see that little revising or editing has been made to the text. Those approaching the works of Bottome, like any other writer of the early 20th Century should be prepared to enjoy and tolerate the language of the time. It reflects both the attitudes and the nuances of that period, and is part of the enjoyment for me. We can only hope more of her wonderful stories are made available to a new audience.

Two things nudged this book into my line of sight.....the book cover 'blurb' (described it as a good WW2 espionage adventure) and the whole Ian Fleming / Bond connection (is it or is it not relatable as a possible origin notion)....but oh my goodness.....what a dull book.....well written......but dull....there was much self-analysing and petulance by the lead role (Mark Chalmers) that I came to loathe said character....and I really had to keep focused to get to the end of the book.....I am pleased that I stuck with it though.....so I need never go back to it....

First published in 1946, Bottome’s hero shares many similarities with Ian Fleming’s Bond. It seems that Bond may not have existed without Bottome. It was at the school she ran in Austria with her ex-spy husband, Ernan Forbes Dennis, that she taught Fleming to write. A fascinating piece of history and great writing. Perfect for all Bond fans