James Bond Book: Day-Lewis Is Boyd's Ideal 007

William Boyd, who has written a new James Bond novel, has said Daniel Day-Lewis would be perfect to play the 007 he created.

The book, called Solo, takes the now 45-year-old spy into worn-torn Africa as the 1960s come to an end.

Boyd follows in the footsteps of authors including Kingsley Amis and Sebastian Faulks, who have both written new Bond books since the death of his creator, Ian Fleming, in 1964.

The book was launched at The Dorchester Hotel in central London with a suitably glamorous photocall involving sports cars and flight attendants, ahead of its publication on Thursday.

The author said: “If there was to be an actor to play my James Bond, I’d choose another actor who has also been in a film of mine and who I also know and who is also called Daniel – Daniel Day-Lewis – because I think Daniel Day-Lewis actually resembles the Bond that Fleming describes.”

He said Fleming once described Bond as “looking like the American singer-songwriter Hoagy Carmichael”, pointing out that Day-Lewis looks like Carmichael.

But Boyd, whose novel Restless was adapted for television last year, said it was “highly unlikely” Solo would be made into a film.

He explained: “It is set in 1969 and the Bond films are always set in the present day. They’ll never make a retro Bond, I suppose they can take my plot and update it, but then it would be different and because it’s set in the 1960s it gives it a particular flavour.”

Boyd said he was “intrigued” by Fleming, who he used as a character in his novel Any Human Heart, and had worked with three of the men who have played the secret agent – Sir Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

He said: “The idea that these somewhat random connections with Fleming and Bond should culminate in my writing a new James Bond novel is irresistibly appealing.”

Boyd has written 11 novels, with many of them, including A Good Man In Africa and Any Human Heart, being adapted for film or television.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of Fleming’s first James Bond novel Casino Royale.

Fleming wrote 14 Bond books and the series has continued since his death with more than 100 million titles sold.

Sam Mendes, who directed the record-breaking Skyfall, has said he will also direct the 24th Bond film, which is due to be released in 2015.

James Bond Book: Day-Lewis Is Boyd's Ideal 007