Book: A Close Look At 'A View To A Kill'

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Comments

  • cwl007cwl007 England
    Posts: 611
    Just downloaded the book onto my kindle. Very much enjoying it precisely because I really dislike AVTAK and its really interesting to get someone else's view of it then 're appraise it yourself. Any plans to cover another Bond film JamesBondinourSights? Especially another under valued one.
  • Thanks. Glad you’re enjoying it. I do hope it’s an involving read. You may find your opinion of the film stays the same and that is absolutely okay. I find AVTAK an interesting Bond film on such a range of levels, and that’s what I’m hoping/trusting the book captures.
    I don’t really have another Bond film in mind to cover in book length. At present, I’m looking more towards articles and essays. Having said that, I think a Bond film like Licence to Kill would well deserve an in-depth appraisal. (Actually, come to think of it, Luke Williams did such a thing in 007 Magazine not too long ago.) Thanks for asking.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,271
    I love this book. I think it deserves a lot more attention than it's got hitherto. I'd love to see another book by Dr Andrew McNess, perhaps on that other overlooked entity Licence to Kill, which I know that Andrew also favours. How about it, Andrew? I'd be first in line to buy it if you ever came to write it!
  • Dragonpol wrote:
    I love this book. I think it deserves a lot more attention than it's got hitherto. I'd love to see another book by Dr Andrew McNess, perhaps on that other overlooked entity Licence to Kill, which I know that Andrew also favours. How about it, Andrew? I'd be first in line to buy it if you ever came to write it!
    Thanks very much for your words, Brian. I seemed to have a bit more free time when I wrote James Bond In Our Sights! I do think Licence to Kill is terrific; for instance, I wrote a short article about the Bond/Sanchez "mirror image" dynamic...and that says a lot about why I like it. (http://jamesbondinoursights.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/article-poignant-touch-of-villainy.html)
    If I went back to writing about Bond, it would likely be in the form of a series of essays. Looking forward to your ongoing essays, Brian...I do believe a little something about that AVTAK is around the corner. Not that I want to give the plot away!

  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,271
    Dragonpol wrote:
    I love this book. I think it deserves a lot more attention than it's got hitherto. I'd love to see another book by Dr Andrew McNess, perhaps on that other overlooked entity Licence to Kill, which I know that Andrew also favours. How about it, Andrew? I'd be first in line to buy it if you ever came to write it!
    Thanks very much for your words, Brian. I seemed to have a bit more free time when I wrote James Bond In Our Sights! I do think Licence to Kill is terrific; for instance, I wrote a short article about the Bond/Sanchez "mirror image" dynamic...and that says a lot about why I like it. (http://jamesbondinoursights.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/article-poignant-touch-of-villainy.html)
    If I went back to writing about Bond, it would likely be in the form of a series of essays. Looking forward to your ongoing essays, Brian...I do believe a little something about that AVTAK is around the corner. Not that I want to give the plot away!

    Thanks, Andrew. That sounds like a great approach - as you know I've enjoyed all of your articles on your blog and left a few comments there. I look forward to what you come up with next and I hope The Bondologist Blog has a few treats in store for yourself and my other readers! New content is on its way soon.
  • I note some excitement has been mounting around Thunderball’s 50th anniversary. Ditto 20 years of GoldenEye.

    But please, time to get the priorities straight (!) ...

    jbios-promotion91.png

    This is an updated edition of the original 2011 release, available from May 2015...

    The James Bond film series is a worldwide box-office phenomenon, with cultural reference points including cars equipped with ejector seats, heroines equipped with suggestive names, and henchmen wielding steel-brimmed hats. The escapist series can nevertheless accommodate more subtle and understated plays with its established formula, and – as author Andrew McNess demonstrates – a sterling example of this can be found in 1985’s A View to a Kill. Through an analysis of the film’s characters, plotline, themes, music, action sequences, and more, James Bond in Our Sights illuminates an underrated classic in James Bond Cinema. A superbly engaging and insightful read, this ‘close look’ at A View to a Kill delivers a refreshing take on the pleasures of escapist cinema.

    ANDREW McNESS lives in Melbourne, Australia, and works for a not-for-profit organisation that supports bereaved families. He has a doctorate in sociology and has published scholarly work in the subject areas of youth bereavement and health promotion. He enjoys combining his writing interests with a lifelong interest in film.

  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    This is a must buy for me! Love the cover by the way!
  • ThomasCrown76ThomasCrown76 Augusta, ks
    Posts: 757
    Lol, way to go on the book.
  • ggl007ggl007 www.archivo007.com Spain, España
    Posts: 2,541
    That looks fantastic!

    I loved this kind of Bond books that focus on one single Bond. I'm sure that Andrew McNess doesn't expect to become a rich man with this work, and that makes it more special.

    It surely is a declaration of love and devotion to a not-well-known-or-judged Bond film.

    Congratulations, @JamesBondinourSights! =D> ^:)^
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    I'm interested! My Internet book store doesn't list it yet (only the 2011 edition).
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited February 2015 Posts: 18,271
    I have the first edition and Andrew's a great guy so I'll be glad to get the Second Edition too! AVTAK fan here. :)


    Please also see his accompanying blog here where there is many an interesting article to read:

    http://jamesbondinoursights.blogspot.com.au/
  • ggl007 wrote: »
    It surely is a declaration of love and devotion to a not-well-known-or-judged Bond film.

    Congratulations, @JamesBondinourSights! =D> ^:)^

    Thanks very much for the congrats, ggl007. The book is certainly a declaration of great admiration for AVTAK - I'm sure there's some love and devotion in there.
    ggl007 wrote: »
    I'm sure that Andrew McNess doesn't expect to become a rich man with this work

    Very true. I mean, while I don’t exactly want to sound defeatist, I certainly don’t expect to become a rich man through this venture. It is definitely a passion project, and I thought/hoped it would make a unique little addition to the Bond literature.
  • This is a must buy for me! Love the cover by the way!
    Lol, way to go on the book.

    Thank you MayDayDiVicenzo and ThomasCrown76. Your enthusiasm, as well as the enthusiasm of other forum members here, make the many drafts / polishes / refinements / hair tearing, etc., very much worth it. Glad you like the cover, too!
  • DarthDimi wrote: »
    I'm interested! My Internet book store doesn't list it yet (only the 2011 edition).
    Great! Based on updates from Xlibris (publisher), I suspect a listing won't appear for about another month.
  • Dragonpol wrote: »
    I have the first edition and Andrew's a great guy so I'll be glad to get the Second Edition too! AVTAK fan here. :)
    Please also see his accompanying blog here where there is many an interesting article to read: http://jamesbondinoursights.blogspot.com.au/

    Heh! Someone might accuse us of being the same person one day. Thank you for the ongoing support, Dragonpol!

  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    A View to a Kill certainly has its support around here, which I'm happy to see.

    My appreciation thread-
    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/7619/a-view-to-a-kill-appreciation-thread-anybody-else-want-to-drop-out/p4
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,271
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    I have the first edition and Andrew's a great guy so I'll be glad to get the Second Edition too! AVTAK fan here. :)
    Please also see his accompanying blog here where there is many an interesting article to read: http://jamesbondinoursights.blogspot.com.au/

    Heh! Someone might accuse us of being the same person one day. Thank you for the ongoing support, Dragonpol!

    My pleasure as always, Andrew. I really need to write that blog review of your book! :)
  • ggl007ggl007 www.archivo007.com Spain, España
    Posts: 2,541
    How much will cost?
  • ggl007 wrote: »
    How much will cost?

    Ah, good question. The original 2011 124-page paperback edition had a recommended retail price of US$29.99, which I strongly suspect the 2015 edition will also have (even though it will be 30-35 pages longer).

    As a “print on demand” title it’s certainly a bit pricier than what a “regular” publisher could retail a book at. In the 2011 book’s first year of release, Amazon would discount the book to about $13.50, so I’d recommend keeping an eye an Amazon for this reason.

    My “politics” would say order the book through an independent book retailer; on the other hand, I acknowledge that the price of the book would probably rise quite dramatically if you did so.

    Another option is a Kindle download, which typically has ranged between $8-10…although the kindle download is typically released 2 months after the paperback (at least that’s the case with Xlibris).

    Cheers!


  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    I hope this thread stays alive for another one or two months because otherwise I'm going to forget about the book - yeah, I forget a lot of things ;-) - and I don't want to!

    I order all my books from http://www.bookdepository.com.
  • ggl007ggl007 www.archivo007.com Spain, España
    Posts: 2,541
    ggl007 wrote: »
    How much will cost?

    Ah, good question. The original 2011 124-page paperback edition had a recommended retail price of US$29.99, which I strongly suspect the 2015 edition will also have (even though it will be 30-35 pages longer).

    As a “print on demand” title it’s certainly a bit pricier than what a “regular” publisher could retail a book at. In the 2011 book’s first year of release, Amazon would discount the book to about $13.50, so I’d recommend keeping an eye an Amazon for this reason.

    My “politics” would say order the book through an independent book retailer; on the other hand, I acknowledge that the price of the book would probably rise quite dramatically if you did so.

    Another option is a Kindle download, which typically has ranged between $8-10…although the kindle download is typically released 2 months after the paperback (at least that’s the case with Xlibris).

    Cheers!

    Thanks! No Kindle, I´m a bibliophile so I want paper ;)
  • A View to a Kill certainly has its support around here, which I'm happy to see.

    My appreciation thread-
    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/7619/a-view-to-a-kill-appreciation-thread-anybody-else-want-to-drop-out/p4

    That's great, thank you. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I have to say I enjoyed the thread!

    The funny thing is, I can recognise the factors in AVTAK that are often classed as "flaws" - older Bond, Zorin too odd, May Day too subdued (and then "turns good"), Stacey not a "toughie", overall tone is a bit more subdued than many Bonds, less action than many Bonds, horse racing shenanigans are not entirely related to main plot, etc. - and yet I believe those same factors, working off each other, add up to a film that plays superbly! And it is a film full of great details.

  • edited February 2015 Posts: 32
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I hope this thread stays alive for another one or two months because otherwise I'm going to forget about the book - yeah, I forget a lot of things ;-) - and I don't want to!

    I order all my books from http://www.bookdepository.com.

    Hopefully someone will write something nice about it in a couple of months. Or something horrid. Whatever jogs the memory!
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    Yeah, bad or nice, Bond fans tend to buy Bond related books. :) Feel free to drop us a PM here. ;-)
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,271
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I hope this thread stays alive for another one or two months because otherwise I'm going to forget about the book - yeah, I forget a lot of things ;-) - and I don't want to!

    I order all my books from http://www.bookdepository.com.

    While I'm a contributing member here, the word of this book will stay alive as will this specific thread. It's too good a book to be forgotten - I must give it a reread and write a TBB review. :)
  • ggl007ggl007 www.archivo007.com Spain, España
    Posts: 2,541
    I've got it!!

    Thanks a lot, Andrew. It looks as great as I expected ;)
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    Got mine too! :D
  • Posts: 16,163
    I've been on an A View To A Kill appreciation fix lately. I'll definitely have to get this book. It looks great.
  • CatchingBulletsCatchingBullets facebook.com/catchingbullets
    Posts: 292
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    I've been on an A View To A Kill appreciation fix lately. I'll definitely have to get this book. It looks great.

    Glad to hear it! Time is being good on folk's appreciation of this guilty Bond film pleasure.

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