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Summary: The definitive book on the Bond films!
Review: "I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves James Bond. There have been many books about the history of the series, but this one is the king. A must-have." -- Raymond Benson
Rating:
Summary: Professional down the line
Review: As a historian/biographer, I like to read the works of writers who have done their homework. Bruce Scivally and John Cork have done a first-rate job with this book. Simply fascinating. A must read.
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Summary: The names Bond, ... "Coffee Table" Bond !!!
Review: As a long time fan of James Bond, yes I have every official novel and movie (*and recently posted a review for "Die Another Day"), I was quite excited by the prospect of this book when I heard about it but have to say it isn't all it's cracked up to be. It is beautifully produced, but then all of Boxtree's publications are, with some never before published photos and a glossy, elaborate format. However it has the sometimes derogatory label "coffee table" book written all over it. Despite what some reviewers have said, shame on them, this is NOT a good review of the James Bond films. In fact it hardly critiques the films at all rather, as the title suggests, it actually examines the context in which the Bond movies were made and looks at some of the behind-the-scenes decisions that effected them. The problem with this is that over the years there have been a number of these kind of reference books and most real fans already know much of this material. Also these two authors seem to have re-invented the myths somewhat, as there are some major differences to their interpretation of certain events compared with other writers. This only serves to "muddy the waters" so to speak, and while controversial and guaranteed to sell books, it is hardly helpful. I can also confirm that there are a number of mistakes in this work that anyone with a good working knowledge of Bond would pick up on, which again leads me to question the validity of some of the text. However as I say, this is definitely a "coffee table" book, designed more to impress your friends with the way it looks rather than its' literary content, and it fills that role admirably. Naturally because of its' size it is a bit expensive, and given the aforementioned problems I would caution readers to think twice before buying it. If you are a "die-hard" Bond fan like myself then I probably would recommend this book solely on the never before seen photographs alone, but for more "general" Bond fans works like "The Incredible World of 007" by Lee Pfeiffer & Philip Lisa or "The Essential Bond" by Lee Pfeiffer & Dave Worrall are far better value for money, and better examinations of the plots, characters, gadgets and merits of the Bond movies.
Rating:
Summary: Nobody Does It Better
Review: At last, a book that does justice to the magnificence of the whole Bond cycle. I've always wanted to understand the context of the amazing world of Bond - the people who made the films, and the times that inspired them - and Cork and Scivally do just that. And this is no unofficial hack job - it's endorsed by the Bond film-makers, so has insights you won't get anywhere else (but also certainly couldn't be criticised as being a company history). The photos are lavish and the treatment sumptuous. There are other good books that take you through the films one at a time; this one takes you through the whole environment in which they were created, btoh celebrating and analysing. It's a great investment for any Bond, film or high-end popular culture fan, and sure to be the last word on Bond history in this kind of format.
Rating:
Summary: The difinitive book on 007
Review: Finally, a highly readable and visually stunning book that looks at James Bond as a cinematic, cultural and historic icon. Entertaining and well researched, the authors and publisher have assembled a book that will appeal to all Bond fans, as well as those that are interested in film, pop culture and great looking coffee table books.
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Summary: The Legacy of James Bond and MUCH more.
Review: First of all, let me begin by saying that I have too many books, movies, tapes, laser discs, etc., about James Bond, dating back to the 1950's. Some good, some not so good. These include autobiographies that seem to tout a personal agenda, books that push the author's point of view, and this book, a gift from my wife. JAMES BOND: THE LEGACY is the best one of all. It does not try to be everything, but it does succeed in giving the reader a thorough background into the writings of Ian Fleming and the production history and methods of Broccoli and Saltzman.As one who has literally "read it all" about Bond, I found this book to be a refreshing read, that made me look forward to every page. While there was some "old" news that had been hashed and rehashed, I was surprised at the "new" information I was not aware of. While it is not inexpensive, it is a quality book that speaks of the conspicious consumption that its name sake employed, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes the Bond movies, or just wants to know the history of action movies in the last half of the 20th century.
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Summary: A CLASSIC ALREADY!!!! BOND LEGACY ROCKS!
Review: How could I have not seen this book until now? It is huge and oh so awesome. As a boy at age 9, I saw You Only Live Twice and was hooked. I have watched each movie become classics and now this book has captured those years all over again. I have not even begun to realize what a classic this book is and so glad I found it this Christmas. The authors know what they are talking about and have included the two "unofficial" movies and rightly so. They are still about BOND. Thank you for this book, it is sure to be a hot seller!
Rating:
Summary: A Gold Mine for Bond Fans
Review: I keep returning to this book and it continues to be a joy every time. I love the Bond films, and have spent a good part of three decades reading about them, so I'm wary of books that simply rehash the plotlines. But "JBTL" has so many nuggets of trivia and information that I always find something to smile about -- not only because the information stirs my Bond nostalgia but also because it cleverly shows how Bond has infiltrated our strange modern world. A sidebar: the production design of this book is great -- the "Ken Adam" of Bond coffee table books.
Rating:
Summary: A Gold Mine for Bond Fans
Review: I keep returning to this book and it continues to be a joy every time. I love the Bond films, and have spent a good part of three decades reading about them, so I'm wary of books that simply rehash the plotlines. But "JBTL" has so many nuggets of trivia and information that I always find something to smile about -- not only because the information stirs my Bond nostalgia but also because it cleverly shows how Bond has infiltrated our strange modern world. A sidebar: the production design of this book is great -- the "Ken Adam" of Bond coffee table books.
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Summary: A real treat for aficionados !
Review: I own several books on the subject ("The Essential Bond", "The Incredible World of 007", "The Bond Encyclopedia", "The James Bond Movie Book", etc) and while they are all very good, this one has to be the best by a long shot. The reasons ?: The excelent quality and size of the photographs; shot by shot analyis of some of the best Bond scenes; excelent material from the new release, "Die another day" and, ultimately, the amazing job done by the writers ! This book could not have been done by anybody without a real love for the subject.
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