Books

James Bond: The Legacy: "James Bond: women want him, and men want to be him. It's hard to do justice to such a mythic character, but documentary producers Cork and Scivally manage just that with this volume, a tasty feast for any 007 aficionado. An oversized book with more than 550 illustrations, it's essentially a lengthy love letter to one of the greatest film franchises of all time. The authors occasionally drift into the melodramatic (e.g., "What would a world be like without Bond?" they wonder), but also bring a host of juicy behind-the-scenes tales to the table, including battles with UK censors over the moniker Pussy Galore, one of the most celebrated of all Bond seductresses. Of course, the book touches on Bonds through the ages, from the incomparable Sean Connery to the underrated Roger Moore to today's hunk, Pierce Brosnan. Although much of today's superspy adulation is directed toward Austin Powers, Mike Meyers's campy Bond knock-off, sometimes, only the original will do. This snazzy book adroitly fits the bill."--Publishers Weekly

James Bond Movie Posters: The Official 007 Collection: "On October 5, 1962, a god was born, for that day marked the release of Dr. No starring Sean Connery as super-cool British secret agent James Bond. To commemorate the film's 40th anniversary, Nourmand, co-proprietor of London's Reel Poster Gallery and a film poster consultant for Christie's, has collected the Bond series movie posters (more than 200), including lobby one-sheets, teaser posters for forthcoming releases, and some foreign versions dating from Dr. No to 1999's The World Is Not Enough. Each poster includes a caption detailing its background, a film plot synopsis, and special production notes (if any). There are also additional goodies such as festival posters, a spread of special artwork appearing in Esquire in the 1960s, and profiles of each artist. The style of these posters has changed over time, with the golden Connery and anemic Roger Moore years mostly utilizing paintings, while the short-lived Timothy Dalton era and current Pierce Brosnan ads are photo montages, although almost all feature Bond brandishing a pistol with some shapely babe in the background. Bond fans will love this book. Recommended."--Michael Rogers, Library Journal

James Bond: The Secret World of 007: "From its foreword, written by M16's very own chief, M, James Bond: the Secret World of 007 takes readers on a thrill-packed journey through the life and career of the world's most famous secret agent. Every major mission Bond has ever undertaken in the interests of world security, from Dr. No to The World Is Not Enough, is investigated and explained. Spectacular illustrations and photographs reveal, for the first time, the hidden workings of Bond's incredible vehicles and gadgets, the labyrinthine lairs, and masterplans of villains such as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Elliot Carver, and Auric Goldfinger, and some of 007's most spectacular chases and battles. The book also explores Bond's lovelife, and his relationships with other key members of M16, such as M, Q, and Miss Moneypenny. In addition, a reference section gives details of the world famous movies based upon his amazing assignments. Officially endorsed by Eon Productions, creators of the Bond movies, this in-depth approach to Bond's career will bring 007 to life for fans of all ages."

The Complete James Bond Movie Encyclopedia: "The Complete James Bond Movie Encyclopedia by Rubin offers its readers a cornucopia of trivial knowledge about arguably the world's most famous action hero. From more widely known facts, such as who the first man to play Bond was; to more obscure bits of information, such as the domestic and international grosses of all the Bond films; a true Bond fan is sure to spend hours delving into all the little quirks and idiosyncrasies that make agent 007 such an icon to so many." A reader's recommendation at Amazon.com.

Licence to Thrill: "James Chapman expertly traces the annals of celluloid Bond from its inauguration with 1962's Dr. No through its progression beyond Ian Fleming's spy novels to the action-adventure spectaculars of GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies. He argues that the enormous popularity of the series represents more than just the sum total of the films' box-office receipts and involves questions of film culture in a wider sense. Licence to Thrill chronicles how Bond, a representative of a British Empire that no longer existed in his generation, became a symbol of his nation's might in a Cold War world where Britain was no longer a primary actor."

CD Soundtracks & Compilations

Best of Bond...James Bond: 40th Anniversary Edition: "James Bond themes tend to be just as memorable as their movie counterparts and, to a certain extent, just as time sensitive. While many fans can remember the Monty Norman Orchestra's steamy Dr. No theme or Shirley Bassey's 'Goldfinger', how many of us remember Rita Coolidge's dated 'All Time High' from Octopussy or A-Ha's theme from The Living Daylights? Yes, just as we all have our favorite Bonds, we all have our favorite eras of Bond movie music. But surprisingly, whether they're New Wave, soul, or just Euro-pop inspired, most are still worth hearing. There are some real gems on this compilation: On Her Majesty's Secret Service's 'We Have All the Time in the World' by Louis Armstrong, the Thunderball theme sung by Tom Jones, and the spunky theme to The Man With the Golden Gun by Lulu. Just overlook those sporadic lean years and you have a pretty stiff soundtrack cocktail here. --Jason Verlinde

James Bond - Bond Back in Action: "This ensemble, which specializes in film-score covers, revisits Bond in a roster that spans from Dr. No to Diamonds Are Forever. The focus is mostly on previously unreleased scores and action cues assembled into suites. The style, while grand and reverential, has the lackluster quality often inherent in semiclassical approaches to orchestral pop. The collection does shine occasionally, thanks mostly to the counterpoint of electronic keyboards and guitar touches that include Vic Flick--the man who provided the original surf licks on the familiar 'James Bond Theme.' The highlight is a nicely arranged and crisply engineered main theme to From Russia with Love. The liner notes also provide some useful information about how John Barry's style had evolved with each movie." --Joseph Lanza

The Essential James Bond: While there are many score compilations available, this is my favorite. Released in 1997, the album contains 19 tracks from Dr. No to GoldenEye. The orchestration for the themes are performed exceedingly well by the City of Prague Philharmonic and conducted by Nic Raine. Recorded by Silva Screen Records in HDCD (High Definition Compatable Digital) for assured quality and presented in Dolby Surround for your full enjoyment. For the ultimate fun experience, slap this CD in your car, crank up the volume and speed down an empty freeway or winding road. Of course, your experience will greatly improve with a BMW or any of the Bond speedsters!--Van T. Tran