QUESTION #1:

      In your book's chapter, CREATING A HIGH LEVEL CHRONOLOGY FOR IAN FLEMINGS JAMES BOND, page 4, you state that based upon information in Goldfinger, it is learned that the events in Casino Royale happened in 1951. You even footnoted the statement referencing Goldfinger, CHAPTER TWO - LIVING IT UP. In the this chapter in Goldfinger, a third party, Mr Du Pont makes a reference to the baccarat game in Casino Royale by saying 'France, '51, Royale les Eaux.' This doesn't prove that Casino Royale takes place in 1951 just because Du Pont says so.

ANSWER TO QUESTION #1:

      I agree that this reference alone doesn't prove that CASINO ROYALE occurs in 1951, but when used in context of the complete paragraph in which my statement is and the paragraph following it, it becomes obvious that Mr Du Pont was correct. Plus, if one reviews the chronological crosscheck chapter of my book, HIGH LEVEL CROSSCHECK BY SEQUENCE OF BOOKS PUBLISHED, information under FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE, pages 7 and 8, and the information under GOLDFINGER, pages 8 and 9, bears this out. 

      Heres another way of looking at how 1951 for Casino Royale makes sense:

       First let's lock down the year for Goldfinger and From Russia, With Love:

STEP1:

FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE
CHAPTER 6 Death Warrant (1954: per Fleming CHAPTER 13 - 'B.E.A. Takes You There...', Friday, August 13 is a date in 1954, this whole chapter is based on it being Friday, August 13th)
    In this chapter of Fleming's book:
"and now (see Highsmith file of December 1950) holds the secret  number '007'" per Fleming

GOLDFINGER
CHAPTER FIVE NIGHT DUTY 

    In This chapter of this book:
Bond "had been in the double-O section for six years" per Fleming.

MY CONCLUSIONS FOR STEP1:
1. By May 1957, Bond had been in the double-O section for around six years and five full months. This fits closely with the Highsmith file of December 1950 statement in From Russia, With Love's CHAPTER 6 Death Warrant and the statement in Goldfinger's CHAPTER FIVE - NIGHT DUTY.
2. From Russia, With Love is set in 1954 because Friday, August 13 is in 1954. Also, in CHAPTER 11 - The Soft Life, Fleming referred to Thursday, August 12 which is also a date in 1954.

Now let's look at Diamonds Are Forever, Moonraker, Live and Let Die,

Casino Royale, and the reason that the C.M.G. is given:
STEP2:

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
Fleming did use an explicit date in Diamonds Are Forever that does place its events in 1953. Near the end of VII - 'SHADY TREE' in the Cape edition, Shady Tree told Bond: 'Fourth race on Tuesday. The Perpetuity Stakes. Mile and a quarter for Three Year Olds. And put your money on just before the windows close.' [In the American first edition of Diamonds Are Forever, the text is the 'Third race on Tuesday.'] In XII - THE PERPETUITIES, Fleming stated in the narrative concerning this exact race that it was on: 'Second Day. August 4, said the programme. The Perpetuities Stakes.' Tuesday, August 4 is a calendar date in 1953. In this chapter in the manuscript archived at the Lilly Library, Fleming also used the date Friday, July 31, along with the Tuesday, August 4 date within the description of the horseracing program. Friday, July 31 is also a calendar date in 1953.
    If Diamonds Are Forever had occurred in 1954, it would have chronologically overlapped events in From Russia, With Love.

FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE
CHAPTER 6 - Death Warrant (1954)
In this chapter of Fleming's book:
'The fact that this spy [Bond] was decorated with the C.M.G. in 1953...' per Fleming.

MOONRAKER
In CHAPTER IV - THE SHINER, Bond had been awarded the C.M.G. (abbreviation for Companion (of the Order of) St Michael and St George) which he did not have in prior Bond books. He would have received it as a 1953 New Year's Honor:

       Per my book page 43, The Order of St Michael and St George (C.M.G.      was instituted on 27 April 1818 by the Prince Regent (later George IV), and it was intended to commemorate the placing of the Ionian Islands under British protection; originally it was intended for distinguished citizens of the islands, and also of Malta. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, due to the expansion of the British Empire, the Order was then extended to those who had given distinguished service in the Dominions and Colonies, as well as foreign affairs generally. Today, the Order is awarded to men and women who have held, or will hold, high office, or who render extraordinary or important non-military service in a foreign country.


        The key here is the portion that states that it (the C.M.G.) is extended to those who had given distinguished service in the Dominions and Colonies.
        Since Bond's C.M.G. was a 1953 New Year's Honor, Bond received it for his distinguished service in the British Empires Colony of Jamaica which included the results of his assignment recorded in Live and Let Die. This would place Live and Let Die in 1952. Since Live and Let Die's events happened from January into mid-February, Casino Royale, which is prior to Live and Let Die, would be in 1951 as Fleming stated via Junius Du Pont in Goldfinger, CHAPTER TWO - LIVING IT UP. The transitional device used to connect the chronological sequence of Casino Royale to Live and Let Die is the discussion between M and Bond concerning the healing of Bond's hand,(Live and Let Die, CHAPTER II - INTERVIEW WITH M).

MY CONCLUSIONS FOR STEP2:
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER dates best to 1953. Friday, July 31, along with the Tuesday, August 4 date within the description of the horseracing program. Friday, July 31 (a date in the original manuscript) is also a calendar date in 1953.

MOONRAKER dates best to 1953. Since Bonds C.M.G. was a 1953 New Year's Honor, Bond received it (prior to his actual assignment in MOONRAKER) for his distinguished service in the British Empire's Colony of Jamaica which included the results of his assignment recorded in Live and Let Die.

LIVE AND LET DIE dates best to 1952. Again because Bond's C.M.G. was a 1953 New Year's Honor, Bond received it (prior to his assignment in MOONRAKER) for his distinguished service in the British Empire's Colony of Jamaica which included the results of his assignment recorded in Live and Let Die (events happened from January into mid-February).

CASINO ROYALE dates best to 1951. Since Live and Let Die's events happened from January into mid-February, Casino Royale, which is prior to Live and Let Die, would be in 1951 (end of May to mid-July) as Fleming stated via Junius Du Pont in Goldfinger, CHAPTER TWO - LIVING IT UP.

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COMMENT #1:

     Your book states that the events in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN occurred from November 1963 to the end of February 1964. In chapter 4 The Stars Foretell, in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, the date Wednesday, May 28^th is mentioned in an ad. This was not a date in 1964.

REPLY FOR COMMENT #1:

     In the American First Edition and many American paperback editions, the ad in the Daily Gleaner concerning real estate located at No. 3 1/2 Love Lane stated that it would be auctioned on Wednesday, May 27^th. This date with its stated day of the week was an actual date in 1964. In the British editions, the date was Wednesday, May 28^th which wasn't an actual date in 1964. (May 28^th happens to be Flemings birthday). Wednesday, May 28^th would have been a day in 1969.

      If one rereads chapter 4 The Stars Foretell, in the Gleaner 'the fact that de Gaulle had just sensationally announced his recognition of Red China was boxed well down the page.'- per Fleming. De Gaulle made his announcement on January 27, 1964. Hurricane Flora was also mentioned in this chapter. Sugar cane crops were destroyed as Hurricane Flora stalled for four days in October 1963 over eastern Cuba. One of the plot lines in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN involved ways of helping to increase sugar profits for Cuba after the destruction that had been done by Hurricane Flora.

      In the GLOSSARY FOR THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN in my book, one will find entries for de Gaulle announced France's recognition of Red China (on page 429) and Hurricane Flora (on page 432).

COMMENT #2:

     Concerning LIVE AND LET DIE, referring to race riots in America, Captain Dexter says, "Remember '35 and '43? You'd have to call out the Militia." No mention is made of these events, but they do a great deal to put the story in perspective. The March 1935 Harlem Riot caused three deaths and widespread damage. The 1943 riot in Harlem is also well-documented. Nor is the Amsterdam News mentioned - a famed black-run newspaper. Why are these important? Felix Leiter WROTE for the Amsterdam News.

 REPLY FOR COMMENT #2:

     Contrary to the above statements made that my book's doesn't make reference to the 'Amsterdam News' and the '35 and '45 Harlem riots, they are referenced in Ian Fleming's James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies for Ian Fleming's Bond Stories:

See page 45 in the GLOBAL GLOSSARY:

 Felix Leiter: Fleming created this characters name by combining his
        friend  Ivar Bryce's middle name of Felix with his friend Tommy Leiter's
        last name.

             Felix Leiter: American. Texan. Ex-Marine.
                 In his early twenties, he wrote a few pieces on Dixieland
                 jazz for the 'Amsterdam News', one of the leading black 
                 weekly newspapers. Its office was located in Harlem.   
            Around April 1936, wrote a series of articles for North
                 American Newspaper Alliance on the Negro theatre.
            In 1951 at the approximate age of 35 years old, Leiter was 
                 a C.I.A agent working with the Joint Intelligence Staff of 
                 N.A.T.O. (CR, LLD, DAF, G, T, 007NY (mentioned), MWGG)

 See GLOSSARY FOR LIVE AND LET DIE, Page 75:

 '35: Reference to the Harlem Riot of 1935 which was essentially a
         black rebellion against inequitable conditions and police brutality.

'45: Should be '43. Reference to the Harlem Riot of 1943 which was 
         essentially a black rebellion against inequitable conditions and
         police brutality.

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COMMENT #3:

Let's look at Live And Let Die, for example. John Griswold sets the story in January, 1952 (for no particular reason).

 REPLY FOR COMMENT #3:

Quoting from DETAILED CHRONOLOGY FOR LIVE AND LET DIE:

 NOTE2: Fleming used a misleading date in the Bond chronology in
       this chapter. He inserted a line about Florida as being advertised "the
      land of Miss Orange Blossom 1954". In the manuscript archived at the
      Lilly Library, the narrative had "the land of Miss Orange Blossom 1953".

      Neither of these is correct. Fleming explicitly stated within
      Goldfinger's CHAPTER TWO LIVING IT UP that the events of Casino Royale
      occurred in 51 (1951). In Live and Let Dies CHAPTER II INTERVIEW WITH M,
      Bond remembered that concerning M: He had not looked into those
      cold, shrewd eyes since the end of last summer. (Italics added). 
      Bond's flashback was in reference to his meeting with M who advised Bond
      to take some leave and then get some new skin grafted over the back
      of his hand. The back of Bond's right hand required the removal of
      the stiletto marks made by a SMERSH agent in Casino Royale. The
      events in Live and Let Die occurred in January and into mid-February 1952.

      See: STATEMENT CONCERNING MISLEADING REFERENCES IN THE

        BOND BOOKS.

    It becomes obvious to me that the above NOTE2 in the older edition needed revisision and was revised for clarification within the current version. It now reads as:

 NOTE2: There is a line about Florida as being advertised "the land of
      Miss Orange Blossom 1954". In the manuscript archived at the Lilly
      Library, the narrative had "the land of Miss Orange Blossom 1953".
      As Fleming revised his chronology with subsequent stories about James
      Bond, the events in Live and Let Die shifted to January and into
      mid-February 1952. Read page 4's first and second full paragraphs of
      CREATING A HIGH LEVEL CHRONOLOGY FOR IAN FLEMINGS JAMES
      BOND and pages 7 through 9 of the HIGH LEVEL CHRONOLOGY
      CROSSCHECK BY SEQUENCE OF BOOKS PUBLISHED as to why
      LIVE AND LET DIE falls into 1952.

  Copyright © 2006 John Griswold. All Rights Reserved.