4 replies to this topic

[Attempting Re-entry]

Hi there,

I'm wondering if anyone could recommend me their favourite, or in their opinion definitive, book concerning the Bond film series?

I am having such a grand old time rediscovering my childhood favourites via the Ultimate Edition DVD's that I would dearly love to get hold a weighty tome concerning the films' productions. In my head I'm imagining a chronological account of how the films were put together, critical reactions at the time, comments from participants, etc.

Does such a book exist at all...?

I realise that there will be a great deal of information online, but I do enjoy settling down with a good book.

Any recommendations would be very much welcome and most appreciated...

Thanks, David

[Brian Flagg]

Welcome to CBn!

This thread is fairly recent and covers the best books.

[Guy Haines]

Hi there,

I'm wondering if anyone could recommend me their favourite, or in their opinion definitive, book concerning the Bond film series?

I am having such a grand old time rediscovering my childhood favourites via the Ultimate Edition DVD's that I would dearly love to get hold a weighty tome concerning the films' productions. In my head I'm imagining a chronological account of how the films were put together, critical reactions at the time, comments from participants, etc.

Does such a book exist at all...?

I realise that there will be a great deal of information online, but I do enjoy settling down with a good book.

Any recommendations would be very much welcome and most appreciated...

Thanks, David

One of the best, if it is still in print, is "The James Bond Bedside Companion" by Raymond Benson. You may know that Benson went on to pen a number of Bond continuation novels in the late 1990s. It is detailed and very interesting, although the only edition I have read ended with the filming of "The Living Daylights". I have no idea if Benson produced a revised edition covering the later films, perhaps other forum members may know.

If you are interested in the Fleming books, my favourite book about them is still "The James Bond Dossier" by Kingsley Amis. Oddly enough another (very distinguished) author who went to write his own Bond novel, "Colonel Sun" using the alias of Robert Markham. Another good read - and another which may not be in print.

Best of luck on eBay, or other sites, or scouring your local second hand book shops!

[Attempting Re-entry]

Thank you very much, gentlemen; I can't wait to get searching for these.

The Bedside Companion sounds fantastic, but I suspect it may prove difficult to find.

[MarcAngeDraco]

Thank you very much, gentlemen; I can't wait to get searching for these.

The Bedside Companion sounds fantastic, but I suspect it may prove difficult to find.

Copies are always available on ebay.

Would also recommend "The James Bond Films" by Steven J. Rubin. Like the Bedside Companion it is older so it doesn't cover all of the films, but has lots of great 'making of' type info on the ones it does cover.