Published in 1964, You Only Live Twice is Ian Fleming’s eleventh James Bond novel. Following the murder of his wife, Tracy, Bond is grieving and performing poorly at work. M gives him an unusual diplomatic assignment in Japan, where he must persuade intelligence chief Tiger Tanaka to share valuable secret information with Britain.

Tanaka agrees on condition that Bond eliminate the mysterious Dr Guntram Shatterhand, who has created a fortified garden filled with poisonous plants and animals that attracts people seeking death. Bond discovers that Shatterhand is actually Ernst Stavro Blofeld. He infiltrates the estate, confronts and kills Blofeld, but is injured during his escape and loses his memory. Bond later lives with Kissy Suzuki in a Japanese fishing village, unaware of his former identity. The novel combines espionage with grief, revenge and cultural displacement, while bringing Bond’s conflict with Blofeld to a personal conclusion.