James Bond FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Everyone's Favorite Superspy

by Tom DeMichael

Overview

(FAQ). A favorite of film followers for 50 years, James Bond is the hero loved by everyone: Men want to be just like him, women just want to be with him. Moviegoers around the world have spent more than $5 billion to watch his adventures across the last five decades. What's not to enjoy about such a glorious multitude of gadgets, gals, grand locations, and grandiose schemes hatched by master villains and megalomaniacs? Now, James Bond FAQ is a book that takes on the iconic cinema franchise that's lasted for so many years. Sometimes serious as SPECTRE, sometimes quirkier than Q, but always informative, this FAQ takes the reader behind-the-scenes, as well as in front of the silver screen. Everyone's included: Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, and Craig; little-known facts about TV's first shot at 007, the same Bond story that was made into two different films; whatever happened to those wonderful cars and gizmos that thrilled everyone; plus much more. It's a book for the casual, as well as hardcore, James Bond fan. James Bond FAQ is filled with biographies, synopses, production stories, and images and illustrations seldom seen in print, leaving little else to be said about the world's favorite secret agent. This book includes a foreword by Eunice Gayson.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781557838568
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	12/01/2012
Series:	FAQ
Pages:	402
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Tom Demichael (Arlington Heights, IL) holds a degree in U.S. history and has published numerous books and magazine articles in subjects as diverse as American film, collectible toys, American firefighting, and television's greatest game shows. A devout student of cinema, he has followed the screen exploits of James Bond since the age of ten.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction: Dr. Know (a Lot) xiii

1 The Word Is Not Enough: James Bond in the Books of Ian Fleming 1

2 Live and Let's Spy: The Men Playing James Bond 7

3 From Russia (and Elsewhere) with Love (Not!): The Vilest of Bond Villains 22

4 The Spy Who Loved Us: The Girls of James Bond 81

5 The Man with the Golden Guns (and Other Boy Toys): The Gadgets of James Bond 145

6 Thunderpals: Bond's Best Buds 200

7 Toonmaker: The Music of James Bond 222

8 The Living Highlights: The Films of James Bond 247

9 Tomorrow Never ... Heard of These: The "Unofficial" James Bond Projects 330

10 Licence to Thrill: All the Little Folks Who Make This Possible 341

Selected Bibliography 371

Index 377

Editorial Reviews

Here DeMichael (Armchair Reader: The Amazing Book of History) chronicles every incarnation of Bond, every villain, every girl, every gun, car, and gadget. If it’s been in a Bond movie, you’ll find it in this book! More encyclopedia than FAQ, this title is a compilation of all things Bond from Dr. No to Skyfall. Honoring the 50th anniversary of “everyone’s favorite superspy,” DeMichael assesses characters, actor portrayals, plots, music, and gizmos. Essential for the enthusiast, this title offers detailed information on all the Bond films. And while DeMichael does discuss Ian Fleming’s character development of Bond in a few short pages, it is truly the film franchise that fuels this text. Additional information on Bond spoofs and rumored projects from 1954 to the present are included.

Verdict A complete and appealing volume of information. Bond aficionados, movie buffs, and trivia junkies will enjoy this title and refer to it often. Recommended for enthusiasts.—Rochelle LeMaster, Medina Cty. Dist. Lib., OH
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