David Cannadine on James Bond [audio 30min]

As part of the Ian Fleming centenary, Prof David Cannadine sets James Bond and his creator in their historical context. He suggests that Bond was popular not just because he was sexy and suave - he was seen as a consoling fantasy for a country that had lost an Empire but not yet found a role in the world. Cannadine is Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Professor of British History at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London.