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Music, books, and Bond give me a renewed sense of hope, lift my spirit. Therefore ...
I'd like to propose our next topic for here:
Books on Bond To Recommend
We don't need to spend a whole of of time on this, but I'd like very much to hear from as many of you as possible. I'm very interested to learn more about books on any aspect of Bond.
Please post a picture of the book, if you can, and why you enjoy it. No photo is fine, jus let us know what you have read and enjoyed over the years. Steelbooks, biographies on Fleming, biographies/autobiographies of anyone who has a part in James Bond's world - those are are welcome to be discussed. Thanks! :>
Also, thanks to all who participated in our last 2 topics. If anyone would still like to comment why Bond is relevant today (or not) or which Bond film they would like to really live in, please do. Your input on those is still very welcome.
I haven't bought it yet, but Duns On Bond sounds really interesting. One Bond script which never came to the screen and Ian Fleming's lost Bond novel, among other Bond discussions.
I do want to read both John Glen's and Lewis Gilbert's autobiographies, too. Have any of you read those?
These are three essentials along with Raymond Benson's legendary 'Beside Companion' (I also liked Helfenstein's 'The Living Daylights'.)
I really enjoyed 'The Battle For Bond' - I think the topic is the juiciest out of the series. I think it was a genuine page turner.
I'd also recommend 'James Bond: The Man and His World, the Official Companion to Ian Fleming's Creation' by Henry Chancellor. I like the presentation and it goes through the books and Fleming's literary motifs and thematic preoccupations in a very digestible way.
First off, thanks @Beatles for your TMWTGG review. Was great to read a book review again and you make some very interesting points about the structure of the book.
Then, is Bond still relevant?
Absolutely. Bond's superficial traits (the women, the cars, the adventure's) will make him fun. But it's the underlaying role he plays that makes him really interesting, and stand out from characters like Ethan Hunt, Bourne or xXx. He's got a very strong sense of duty and righteousness, but these don't Always allign. More often then not he questions what is right and what is wrong, whilst he still is 'in the line of fire'. It's what makes the books a fascinating read, and the films highly entertaining. In the novel TMWTGG he sits behind Scaramanga as they drive to the hotel. Gun at the ready. His job is to kill. Right there and then the novel should end, but it doesn't, for Bond doesn't kill in cold blood. It's not the right thing to do, and he also wants to find out more. The other three would've pulled the trigger there and then. It's this kind of balancing we do in our everyday life in the smalles decisions. Therefore it's fun seeing some fantasy figure doing these things when it really matters. It's spectacular, it's exciting, and more over it isn't us! We don't want to be in such dangerous situations, it goes agianst our nature.
So no matter what politics bring, Bond will Always be the glamourous saviour we wish we were but are glad we're not. And for those who're attracted to him: you wish you bedded but are glad are not engaged with.
Which film? oh, Thunderball!! Fiona and Domino? Prefereably I'd be Bond for the relevant scenes and just on the set for the rest of the film. Locations the same. Beeing in France when it still was a beautiful country (I'll get some flak for this one!) , the Bahama's, boating about. Flying choppers, that fantastic yacht?
Books:
I really enjoyed Roger Moore's 'Bond on Bond', and for something Bond related but real world I'd reccoment 'operation Mincemeat' by Ben Macintyre. AFAR Fleming was part of that ruse.
Another great one, and it's subject may have been part of Fleming's inspiration, 'Agent ZigZag' by the same author.
The book, James Bond - The Man and His World, is new to me. It sounds like fun; I'd love to get that one, too. Literary motifs, thematic occupations: yes, I'm interested. And thanks for posting a picture; I appreciate that.
And CommanderRoss, it's just great to have you back. :) Do stay awhile, at least on this thread. You are part of our family here. I agree with what you said, why Bond is still relevant. Good point about the smallest decisions we make on a daily basis ... and how Bond wrestles with that, in a much deadlier way and it's interesting to us to see that. I think Bond is comfortably often the same - we can count on him - but we also find that Bond is at times quite nuanced. I love the character; I have seen I was 15 years old. You said "Bond will always be the glamourous savior we wish we were but are glad we're not." True! And your choice of Thunderball is easy to agree with (especially if you are a man) because of the two perfect females in that film and the fab locations. France was beautiful - yes. Surely it is still beautiful in some places. So many lovely places are disappearing or reduced in this rapidly changing world.
I'm glad you mentioned Operation Mincemeat, too. That is an excellent book and one I enjoy re-reading from time to time. Yes, Fleming figures in the idea, that germ of a plot that developed and was such a success in WWII. I liked Agent ZigZag also. The author has a new one out; I need to look into that.
B-) I am sure there are a few other books people can recommend. Their favorites, some biographies/autobiographies, maybe a book on Bond style? Thanks to all, please keep your recommendations coming. Plus the holidays are right around the corner, so this is good timing as we think of buying gifts for family and friends (and ourselves!).
My three Bond bibles are -
James Bond, The Legacy. Very informative. Not only looking at the Bond series, but its impact on the world as a whole.
The James Bond Archives. You need upper arm strength to hold this behemoth! There are a few tid bits of information, yet I was disappointed as those tid bits were available elsewhere, such as on the Bond Special Edition DVDs. Still gorgeously put together.
Martins, Girls and Guns. Released in the run up to DAD, this entertaining volume has both the Bond novels and Bond films reviewed, plus a biography of Ian Fleming. Takes into account the character of Bond, throughout all his incarnations.
Other books I would recommend are -
Some Type of Hero. Chronologically going through each of the films, with candid interviews with the people behind the legend that is Bond.
The Essential Bond. My first Bond book. Still a good read, even if it has been overtaken by more in-depth books.
Making of OHMSS The marvelous tome would make even our own 4Ever change her mind about OHMSS. ;)
My Word is my Bond The autobiography to our fav raconteur, the leg-end that is Sir Roger Moore.
I do want Roger's book, too. Martins, Girls, and Guns sounds like fun! Was that supposed to be Martinis? ;) (or is it for Aston Martins ...?) I will check into that one also.
@Royale I was wondering on Roger Moore's 'My word is my Bond'. Is it similar to Bond on Bond (which I thouroughly enjoyed, Moore has a fantastic sense of humour)? Or is it completely different?
I like the way Roger speaks about things. I do need to read his books. I'm happy he's still active, busy with good things (UNICEF, giving his one man show tour, etc.), and enjoying life. He's always had such a lovely approach to being Bond, his experiences, all of that.
"My Word In My Bond" is Roger's autobiography. As such, there's a lot more than Bond in it, although there is of course plenty of Bond. Roger's sense of humour certainly does shine throughout this volume.
@4EverBonded, just looked that book up on Amazon and it's a collection of Terry O'Neill's photography from the early Bond films with reflections from cast and crew. According to the Amazon reviews, most of the Connery photos are from Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever and most of the Moore photos are from Live & Let Die. One of its more interesting inclusions appears to be a set of George Lazenby and Jill St. John together!
I think 'All About Bond' just shot to the top of my Christmas wish list, along with 'Some Kind of Hero' (well, obviously! ;) ).
It talks about the films that may have influenced Bond and the Bond films up to TND it is a good and detailed read.
Also covers a lot of detail about the books' plot as well and how the films deviate from the books (especially TSWLM and how FYEO borrows from two short stories)
I'd like more suggestions, of course. Thanks, everybody. :>
they cover all aspects, from Ian Fleming's live story, to his inspiration, to the way the films are made and actor's lives' stories and the meaning of Bond in the real world. What do you look for in a book about Bond?
Personally I'm not that interested in the way the films are made, I'm more of a consumer. But some people stand out (Notably Roger Moore). But I prefer the (historic) connections and real stories over any meaning given to the films.
The Science of James Bond: From Bullets to Bowler Hats To Boat Jumps, The Real Technology Behind 007's Fabulous Films
"From the sleek Aston Martin that spits out bullets, nails, and passengers at the push of a button to the microjet that makes hairpin turns to avoid a heat-seeking missile, the science and technology of James Bond films have kept millions of movie fans guessing for decades. Are these amazing feats and gadgets truly possible?
The Science of James Bond takes you on a fascinating excursion through the true science that underlies Bond's most fantastic and off-the-wall accoutrements. The acclaimed science-fiction authors Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg provide a highly entertaining, informative look at the real-world achievements and brilliant imaginations behind such singular Bond gadgets as the buzz-saw Rolex, the car that turns into a submarine, and the ever-popular rocket-firing cigarette. They examine hundreds of Q Division's ingenious inventions; analyze Bond's astonishing battles beneath the earth and sea, in the skies, and even in outer space; and ask intriguing questions that lead to enlightening discussions about the limits of science, the laws of nature, and the future of technology.
Filled with entertaining anecdotes from Bond movie shoots and supplemented with "tech" ratings for all of the Bond movies, The Science of James Bond separates scientific fact from film fantasy--with some very surprising results."
This book is one I got on random around the first year I really became addicted to Bond, circa 2008 or 2009. I was shopping at some bargain outlet hours from home and found a used copy of it amongst a sea of other tomes. It seemed interesting and it was on the cheap, so I couldn't say no.
The text was published in 2006, just missing Casino Royale release, so it covers Dr. No to Die Another Day, beginning with a dissection of spy craft and how the gadgets Bond uses in Fleming's books and the movies were a reflection of real weaponry agents used in the field throughout the 60s and onwards. The rest of the book examines the many screen creations seen in the Bond series from a gadget-laden Aston Martin and jetpack to the Moonraker rocket, investigating with pure, hard science just how on the money the series was when it came to playing correctly with the laws of science. It's an excellent read for people who want to get a rich dissection of some of the coolest onscreen gadgets and weapons of the Bond series, and I think many would be surprised at just how scientifically plausible much of what we see was and is, even in the 60s.
https://www.amazon.com/Science-James-Bond-Technology-Fabulous/dp/0471661953/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Now I must ask for personal recommendations. I'm currently getting ready to finish my Bond Blu-ray collection by purchasing the discs I haven't got in my possession yet, and I need to add another order of something on Amazon to get free shipping. I was thinking that the perfect thing to buy alongside some of the films would be an informative book of some area of Bond, but I can't for the life of me decide which to jump on.
I jotted down all the books recommended here, and the ones that most caught my eye were "The James Bond Archives," which I've never heard of, "Some Kind of Hero," and the Chandler "Bedside Companion." Charles Helfenstein's "Making of" books on OHMSS and TLD sound interesting, but I confess that neither makes me feel like I need to purchase them, though I do appreciate the former. They just don't feel like books written for me, though if he did a book on any of the first four Connery films, especially FRWL, I'd get it instantly on principle alone.
EDIT: I've looked for a couple of hours at various Bond books across the net and on Amazon and must confess with a bit of sadness that none of them really compel me to order them. I'd be most interested in books with fascinating and rare information on the films, but in this day and age where so much is already on the web it's difficult to know what books truly cover new ground and which simply recycle already unveiled information.
This is why my brain doesn't do well with choices... Now I'm at a true loss for what to order.
James Bond movies from the 1980s
A close look on A View To a Kill
The 'making of' books from LTK, Goldeneye, TND en Twine.
I also love Catching Bullets, JB Archives, Bond by Design, Helfensteins books, Bond Legacy, Bondgirls Are Forever and many more.