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The James Bond Files ~ The Peter Vollmer Files
Introductory Notes by Wesley Britton 
South African author Peter Vollmer In honor of the new Peter Vollmer features at Spywise Secret Dossier, we wanted to remind Bond fans of the special history of Per Fine Ounce, in many ways the continuation novel that never was. Seven years after I published the “Reboot of Per Fine Ounce” article linked here, there are details to the saga I can now add to that essay. First, at the time I wrote that piece, I failed to stress the importance of the late literary agent Ron Payne on the creation of the Peter Vollmer incarnation of Per Fine Ounce. If you look over the table of contents to the “James Bond Files” here at Spywise Secret Dossier, it’s clear Ron Payne contributed so much to the features offered for you here from the only publication of O.F. Snelling’s revised James Bond Under the Microscope to articles Ron wrote such as his three-part “Untold Tales of 007”. (Plus the articles of Ron’s you can find in the Spies in History and Literature section as well.) While he was still with us, Ron also worked on helping the early works of Peter Vollmer, then writing as Peter Borchard, to find their way into print. At the same time, Ron worked on helping the Geoffrey Jenkins estate see the classic novels of the South African Ian Fleming protégé come back into print. Bringing these two interests together, Ron connected Vollmer with the Geoffrey Jenkins estate, urging that Vollmer be given the contract to write a Per Fine Ounce story based on a Geoffrey Jenkins synopsis and a few pages from the long-lost Jenkins manuscript, changing the lead hero from James Bond to Jenkins’ Commander Geoffrey peace. As Vollmer explains in his Prologue to Per Fine Ounce, Ron had many ideas for PFO, wanting to become a behind-the-scenes literary stage manager for a project he believed in so passionately. As Peter explains, many of Ron’s concepts didn’t make the final cut. But I’m certain Ron was justifiably proud of the results from his shepherding of Per Fine Ounce. 
So both Peter and I would like to dedicate the “Peter Vollmer Files” here at Spywise Secret Dossier to the memory of our late mutual friend, Ron Payne. Ron, you aren”t forgotten, and it’s our pleasure to publish this short tribute to you. In addition, in tribute to Ron, I’ve reposted an online radio interview I conducted with Ron on the old Dave White Presents show that aired over KSAV.org before Peter Vollmer became involved with Per Fine Ounce. That classic audio interview is now available at my Remember When Podcast Page. What will you learn if you check out that interview? For one thing, Geoffrey Jenkins was not only close friends with Ian Fleming, he was also friends with Bond producer Harry Saltzman. According to Ron, this friendship was what resulted in EON Productions opting not to ever film any continuation novels because of Glidrose’s rejection of the Per Fine Ounce manuscript. And in the opening scenes of You Only Live Twice, one scene was taken from Geoffrey Jenkins’ second Geoffrey Peace novel, Hunter Killer, where the lead protagonist is saved from a supposed coffin at sea by a helpful submarine torpedo tube. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of the stories Ron will share with you linking Ian Fleming and Geoffrey Jenkins with many a surprise to widen your eyes. If you’re into all things Bond, this is a conversation not to be missed. Wes Britton chats with Ron Payne on Remember When. Find out more about Peter Vollmer on his Author Page on U.S. Amazon. Follow Peter Vollmer on Facebook. |