Brokenclaw
Encyclopedia
Brokenclaw, first published in 1990
, was the tenth novel by John Gardner
featuring Ian Fleming
's secret agent
, James Bond
. Carrying the Glidrose Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom
by Hodder & Stoughton
and in the United States
by Putnam
. The book title is sometimes presented as two words, but is correctly one word since it is a character name.
Instead of picking up where the novelisation Licence to Kill left off, Brokenclaw completely ignores the story's events and continues from Win, Lose or Die
.
(as detailed in Win, Lose or Die), Bond threatens to resign. Instead, M
orders Bond to take a vacation. Bond travels to Victoria, British Columbia
where he is intrigued by Lee Fu-Chu, a half-Blackfoot
, half-Chinese
philanthropist
who is known as "Brokenclaw" because of a deformed hand.
Later, Bond is ordered to San Francisco where he is tasked to investigate the kidnapping of several scientists who have been working on a new submarine
detection system and an "antidote" known as LORDS and LORDS DAY. Bond and CIA
agent Chi-Chi Sue go undercover using the codenames Peter Abelard and Héloïse that were assigned to two agents from the People's Republic of China
that are sent to evaluate the submarine technology before purchasing it.
Ultimately, Bond discovers that Brokenclaw is involved in this scheme on behalf of China, and also has plans of his own which involve sparking a worldwide economic disaster by bringing about the collapse of the dollar by tapping into the New York Stock Exchange
, which would in turn bring down other major currencies worldwide. The plan, dubbed Operation Jericho was a long-term plan initially started by the Japan
ese, but now believed to have been worked on simultaneously by the Chinese before being acquired by Brokenclaw.
Brokenclaw's hideout in California is raided by Special Forces after he is located by Naval Intelligence officer Ed Rushia who was searching and attempting to help Bond and Chi-Chi while on their mission. Brokenclaw escapes the raid only to be tracked down by Bond and Rushia, off the books, to the Chelan Mountains
of Washington where Bond is challenged to a torture ritual known as o-kee-pa. In the end, the competition comes down to a fight between the two using bow and arrows
; Brokenclaw barely misses Bond and in turn is shot through the neck by Bond's arrow.
1990 in literature
The year 1990 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*J. K. Rowling gets the idea for Harry Potter while on a train ride from Manchester to London. She says "I was staring out the window, and the idea for Harry just came. He appeared in my mind's eye, very fully formed...
, was the tenth novel by John Gardner
John Gardner (thriller writer)
John Edmund Gardner was an English spy novelist, most notably for the James Bond series.-Early life:Gardner was born in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland. He graduated from St John's College, Cambridge and did postgraduate study at Oxford...
featuring Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
's secret agent
Secret Agent
Secret Agent is a British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on two stories in Ashenden: Or the British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham. The film starred John Gielgud, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll, and Robert Young...
, James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
. Carrying the Glidrose Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by Hodder & Stoughton
Hodder & Stoughton
Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette.-History:The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged fourteen, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publisher for the Congregational Union...
and in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Putnam
G. P. Putnam's Sons
G. P. Putnam's Sons was a major United States book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group.-History:...
. The book title is sometimes presented as two words, but is correctly one word since it is a character name.
Instead of picking up where the novelisation Licence to Kill left off, Brokenclaw completely ignores the story's events and continues from Win, Lose or Die
Win, Lose or Die
Win, Lose or Die, first published in 1989, was the eighth novel by John Gardner featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond. Carrying the Glidrose Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton and in the United States by Putnam.Beginning with this...
.
Plot summary
After expressing frustration over a lack of action after his year-long mission with the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
(as detailed in Win, Lose or Die), Bond threatens to resign. Instead, M
M (James Bond)
M is a fictional character in Ian Fleming's James Bond series, as well as the films in the Bond franchise. The head of MI6 and Bond's superior, M has been portrayed by three actors in the official Bond film series: Bernard Lee, Robert Brown and since 1995 by Judi Dench. Background =Ian Fleming...
orders Bond to take a vacation. Bond travels to Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
where he is intrigued by Lee Fu-Chu, a half-Blackfoot
Blackfoot
The Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi is the collective name of three First Nations in Alberta and one Native American tribe in Montana....
, half-Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
who is known as "Brokenclaw" because of a deformed hand.
Later, Bond is ordered to San Francisco where he is tasked to investigate the kidnapping of several scientists who have been working on a new submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
detection system and an "antidote" known as LORDS and LORDS DAY. Bond and CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
agent Chi-Chi Sue go undercover using the codenames Peter Abelard and Héloïse that were assigned to two agents from the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
that are sent to evaluate the submarine technology before purchasing it.
Ultimately, Bond discovers that Brokenclaw is involved in this scheme on behalf of China, and also has plans of his own which involve sparking a worldwide economic disaster by bringing about the collapse of the dollar by tapping into the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
, which would in turn bring down other major currencies worldwide. The plan, dubbed Operation Jericho was a long-term plan initially started by the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese, but now believed to have been worked on simultaneously by the Chinese before being acquired by Brokenclaw.
Brokenclaw's hideout in California is raided by Special Forces after he is located by Naval Intelligence officer Ed Rushia who was searching and attempting to help Bond and Chi-Chi while on their mission. Brokenclaw escapes the raid only to be tracked down by Bond and Rushia, off the books, to the Chelan Mountains
Chelan Mountains
The Chelan Mountains, or Chelan Range is a mountain range in the U.S. state of Washington. Located west of the Columbia River, north of the Entiat River, and south of the Lake Chelan, the range is part of the North Cascades section of the Cascade Range...
of Washington where Bond is challenged to a torture ritual known as o-kee-pa. In the end, the competition comes down to a fight between the two using bow and arrows
Bow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
; Brokenclaw barely misses Bond and in turn is shot through the neck by Bond's arrow.
Characters
- James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
- MM (James Bond)M is a fictional character in Ian Fleming's James Bond series, as well as the films in the Bond franchise. The head of MI6 and Bond's superior, M has been portrayed by three actors in the official Bond film series: Bernard Lee, Robert Brown and since 1995 by Judi Dench. Background =Ian Fleming...
- Bill Tanner
- Ann Reilly
-
- Brokenclaw: Half Chinese, half Blackfoot, he was born Lee Fu-Chu. He received the name "Brokenclaw" because of a deformity in his left hand where his thumb is on the right (viewing the palm up) rather than the left. Brokenclaw is a crime lord in San Francisco who has a large hold on the city's prostitution, gambling, and drug rackets. He also works for CELD (Central External Liaison Department), the intelligence service of the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, and possibly CCI (Central Control of Intelligence). Brokenclaw has managed to get his hands on a new technology that can detect submarine signatures which he plans to give to CELD. Additionally, Brokenclaw also plans to cause economic disaster by bringing about the collapse of the dollarUnited States dollarThe United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
. Ultimately Brokenclaw's plans are prevented by Bond. He later retreats to a getaway location in the Chelan Mountains of Washington. There he challenges Bond to a ritual known as o-kee-pa. During this competition he is shot by Bond in the neck with an arrow.
- Brokenclaw: Half Chinese, half Blackfoot, he was born Lee Fu-Chu. He received the name "Brokenclaw" because of a deformity in his left hand where his thumb is on the right (viewing the palm up) rather than the left. Brokenclaw is a crime lord in San Francisco who has a large hold on the city's prostitution, gambling, and drug rackets. He also works for CELD (Central External Liaison Department), the intelligence service of the People's Republic of China
-
- Miss Sue Chi-Ho: Known to her friends as Chi-Chi Sue or simply Chi-Chi, she is on loan from the CIACentral Intelligence AgencyThe Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
. She can speak fluent Cantonese and was previously a U.S. Naval Intelligence officer. She accompanies Bond on Operation Curve posing as Jenny Mo, an operative codenamed Héloïse from the People's Republic of China who was sent to evaluate Brokenclaw's submarine detection technology.
- Miss Sue Chi-Ho: Known to her friends as Chi-Chi Sue or simply Chi-Chi, she is on loan from the CIA
-
- Ed Rushia: A Commander with U.S. Naval Intelligence. He is tasked with following Bond and Chi-Chi to ensure their safety throughout their mission. After Bond and Chi-Chi disappear, Rushia searches California for them. After eventually picking up their signal he helps Bond escape a deathtrapDeathtrap (plot device)A deathtrap is a literary and dramatic plot device in which a villain, who has captured the hero or another sympathetic character, attempts to use an elaborate and usually sadistic method of murdering him/her....
in which Bond is thrown to Brokenclaw's wolves. He later teams up with Bond, off the record, to find Brokenclaw in Washington after Brokenclaw's hideout is raided.
- Ed Rushia: A Commander with U.S. Naval Intelligence. He is tasked with following Bond and Chi-Chi to ensure their safety throughout their mission. After Bond and Chi-Chi disappear, Rushia searches California for them. After eventually picking up their signal he helps Bond escape a deathtrap
-
- Wanda Man Song Hing: A Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, Wanda is undercover posing as Brokenclaw's lover. Her father who owed Brokenclaw an enormous sum of money gave her (willingly to go undercover) to Brokenclaw as compensation. She is later discovered and as retribution her father is thrown to the wolves while she is badly tortured.
-
- Agents Nolan and Wood: Crooked FBI agents who are working secretly for Brokenclaw. They discover Bond is not who he claims to be and capture him for Brokenclaw. They later capture Chi-Chi for Brokenclaw and attempt to hold her ransom. They are eventually arrested by Ed Rushia.
Publication history
- U.S. first hardback edition: August 1, 1990 PutnamG. P. Putnam's SonsG. P. Putnam's Sons was a major United States book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group.-History:...
- UK first hardback edition: September 1990 Hodder & StoughtonHodder & StoughtonHodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette.-History:The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged fourteen, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publisher for the Congregational Union...
- UK first paperback edition: October 1991 Coronet Books
- U.S. first paperback edition: 1991 Berkley BooksBerkley BooksBerkley Books is an imprint of Penguin Group that began as an independent company in 1955. It was established by Charles Byrne and Frederic Klein, who were working for Avon and formed "Chic News Company". They renamed it Berkley Publishing Co. in 1955. They soon found a niche in science fiction...
Trivia
- Although it has been established by Ian FlemingIan FlemingIan Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
on numerous occasions that James Bond hates teaTeaTea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, in the opening chapters of the novel Bond drinks tea. - Peter AbelardPeter AbelardPeter Abelard was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, theologian and preeminent logician. The story of his affair with and love for Héloïse has become legendary...
and HéloïseHeloise (student of Abelard)Héloïse d’Argenteuil was a French nun, writer, scholar, and abbess, best known for her love affair and correspondence with Peter Abélard.- Background :...
, Bond and Chi-Chi's undercover names, is a reference to a legendary love affair. - John Gardner considered Brokenclaw to be one of his least favourite Bond books, in addition to Role of HonourRole of HonourRole of Honour , first published in 1984, was the fourth novel by John Gardner featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond...
. At the time Gardner wrote Brokenclaw he had just moved to the United States and had been recovering from a prostate cancerProstate cancerProstate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
operation.