Thunderball is the ninth novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. It was created with the intention of being turned into a film, and officially credited as being 'based on a screen treatment by Kevin Mc Clory, Jack Whittingham and Ian Fleming', a shared credit which has been the subject of much controversy. The novel was first published on March 27, 1961 and stands, technically, as the first novelisation of a James Bond screenplay, even though, at the time it was written and published, no such film had yet been produced.
Thunderball is the fourth film in the EON Productions James Bond series, and also the fourth film to star Sean Connery as British Secret Service agent, Commander James Bond 007. Released in 1965, it was the third 007 film to be directed by Terence Young.