108 replies to this topic

[Catching Bullets]

Bond is back!! And so are his fans....

CATCHING BULLETS - MEMOIRS OF A BOND FAN
Splendid Books
Published - September 2012 (UK / US)

From the offbeat vantage point of a movie-mad teenager whose grandfather was chauffeur to legendary 007 producer Cubby Broccoli, CATCHING BULLETS - MEMOIRS OF A BOND FAN is a love-letter to James Bond, Duran Duran title songs and bolting down your tea quick enough to watch Roger Moore falling out of a plane without a parachute.

When Jimmy O'Connell took a job as chauffeur for 007 producers Eon Productions, it would not just be Cubby Broccoli, Roger Moore and Sean Connery he would drive to James Bond. His grandson Mark swiftly hitches a ride on a humorous journey of filmic discovery where Bond movies fire like bespoke bullets at a Reagan-era Catholic childhood marked with divorce, a closet-gay adolescence sound-tracked by John Barry and an adult life as a comedy writer still inspired by that Broccoli movie magic.

“Mark O’Connell is a great new writing talent and we are delighted to be publishing his first book,” says Splendid Books’ Editorial Director Shoba Vazirani. “Catching Bullets is very funny and he brings a genuinely new insight into the Bond film phenomena.

“The book is a fascinating journey, in which Mark reconsiders all the Bond films as they fire into his and everyone’s cinema-going memories.”

This book is published on September 3rd 2012. http://www.splendidb...-of-a-bond-fan/

You can pre-order Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan at the discounted price of £6.99 (RRP £7.99) here.

Join our CATCHING BULLETS' Facebook page....

https://www.facebook...catchingbullets

Follow CATCHING BULLETS' author Mark O'Connell held against his will in a Twitter penthouse by a cross-dressing Blofeld....

https://twitter.com/...#!/Mark0Connell

Edited by Catching Bullets, 18 June 2012 - 11:35 AM.

[Jim]

Looks splendid.

[marktmurphy]

Lovely cover.

[Dustin]

I suspect a fun read there, the 80s were a truly magic time for me.

[Catching Bullets]

Lovely cover.

Thank you. Yes, we are very pleased with how that one turned out.

[Catching Bullets]

I suspect a fun read there, the 80s were a truly magic time for me.

The 1980's and the Bond bullets that emerged from that decade do indeed feature!

[Catching Bullets]

CATCHING BULLETS goes global (sort of)....

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/media/set/?set=a.441353639228324.101551.407779922585696&type=1

Edited by Catching Bullets, 29 June 2012 - 05:49 PM.

[Catching Bullets]

Sherlock star Mark Gatiss writes foreword for Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan


Writer and actor Mark Gatiss, star of the BBC drama Sherlock, has penned the foreword to Splendid Books’ forthcoming title Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan.

“We are absolutely delighted that Mark Gatiss, who is a huge Bond fan, has written a superbly witty and incisive foreword,” says Shoba Vazirani, Editorial Director at Splendid Books.

“Author Mark O’Connell has penned a very funny, interesting and poignant book in Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan and Mark Gatiss’ foreword complements it perfectly.”

In addition former Bond girl Maud Adams, who starred with Roger Moore in the 007 film Octopussy has contributed an afterword to the book. “To have Mark Gatiss and Maud Adams flanking the shoulders of Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan is a true honour,” says Mark O’Connell.

Published by Splendid Books, Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan is from the offbeat vantage point of a gay teenager whose grandfather was chauffeur to legendary 007 producer Cubby Broccoli. It is a love-letter to James Bond, Duran Duran title songs and bolting down your tea quick enough to watch Roger Moore falling out of a plane without a parachute.

Mark Gatiss is one of the co-creators and stars of award-winning Sherlock, a regular contributor on Doctor Who, starred in and co-wrote The League of Gentlemen and is the cape-twirling force behind BBC Four’s A History of Horror and its imminent bloody sequel. Maud Adams starred in cult favourites Rollerball and Tattoo, Arthur Miller’s Playing For Time, as well as 1974’s The Man with the Golden Gun and the title role in 1983’s Octopussy.

Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan will be published on September 3rd 2012 priced £7.99. Copies can be pre-ordered at the pre-publication price of £6.99 here.

Edited by Catching Bullets, 27 July 2012 - 09:00 AM.

[Catching Bullets]

Splendid Books and writer Mark O'Connell are very excited about some eleventh hour news relating to CATCHING BULLETS - MEMOIRS OF A BOND FAN but - alas - will keep it under their metal-brimmed hat for a few more days. Sadly, it is not that Shirley Bassey is doing our title song...

[Dustin]

Splendid poster! The final one? The Aston is so very definitely in character for this...

[SecretAgentFan]

Wow... Ordered!

[Catching Bullets]

Splendid poster! The final one? The Aston is so very definitely in character for this...

Thanks Dustin. No, it's not the final poster / artwork. Just some teaser artwork. And here is some more...

Edited by Catching Bullets, 28 August 2012 - 05:57 PM.

[Loomis]

Really looking forward to this. Have just pre-ordered it on Amazon UK for the very reasonable price of £5.99.

[Dustin]

I hear our Lounge of Solace is going to have a special event lined up for this. Strictly black tie I assume, had to wheedle mine from the hands of my tailor, just in case I need it on short notice...

[Catching Bullets]

Really looking forward to this. Have just pre-ordered it on Amazon UK for the very reasonable price of £5.99.

Ah, thanks Loomis. The interest is much appreciated!

[Dustin]

Oi! It seems you already got a first and very positive review, and from WhatCulture!, no less...

[Jim]

Review imminent. More a celebration than a review, to be perfectly honest.

[Messervy]

Splendid! Positively splendid!

Edited by Messervy, 31 August 2012 - 01:26 PM.

[Dustin]

Now on the main page: Jim's review

[Binyamin]

Jim, with the utmost of personal respect -- I could not make it past the first paragraph of your review. It is run-on sentence after run-on sentence of incomprehensible confusion. Perhaps another round of editing would be useful, along with significantly FEWER rounds of Scotch?

Edited by Binyamin, 02 September 2012 - 06:10 AM.

[Jim]

Nah, that'd be dull.

Call it it uncontrolled enthusiasm. And don't let silly reviews put you off; read the book.

[Binyamin]

I will. And it is nothing personal, I just found the review hard to follow.

(It's also possible that I actually don't know how to read.)

Edited by Binyamin, 02 September 2012 - 06:53 AM.

[Major Tallon]

Jim's reflections, though written whimsically in Jimspeak, are well worth reading. A couple of times in fact. More than just a review of the book, they're a touching, even moving, account of the links between all of us Bond fans, of memories and shared experiences, of discovery, and of wonderfully pleasurable times that for many of us, span large segments of our lives. In a year when I've already invested a substantial amount of coin on following James Bond around the world, I wasn't too sure about acquiring this book. JIm's delightful piece sold me.

[SecretAgentFan]

Can´t wait... but amazon wants me to. Well...

[Dustin]

I already ordered it last July but now I really want to delve into this. Can't be much longer though.

[quantumofsolace]

http://www.cultbox.c...fan-book-review

[Catching Bullets]

With some really encouraging reviews coming in (including the approving words of CBn) CATCHING BULLETS is now on Facebook. Join up. It's the best place for regular updates, artwork, reviews and shared cake recipes.

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/catchingbullets

[Catching Bullets]

James Bond boss Barbara Broccoli pens Prelude for
CATCHING BULLETS - MEMOIRS OF A BOND FAN

Barbara Broccoli, co-producer of the James Bond films, has penned a personal Prelude to Splendid Books’ new title CATCHING BULLETS - MEMOIRS OF A BOND FAN.

Barbara, whose father Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli co-founded the 007 films, has described Mark O’Connell’s book as “a wonderfully funny and touching memoir.”

“To be given Barbara Broccoli’s personal and heartfelt salute to CATCHING BULLETS is a real honour,” says Mark O’Connell. “Barbara’s encouragement and warm praise sees the journey of writing this book come full circle. And like those white circles that launch every 007 movie, her kind Prelude is a fitting way to start this book and honour my Grandfather Jimmy who, in different ways, drove us both to Bond.”

“We are delighted that Barbara Broccoli has lent her support to Mark and Catching Bullets in this way,” says Steve Clark, Publishing Director at Splendid Books. “It’s a real tribute to Mark, who has always sought to present his personal take on the institution that is James Bond – and his Grandfather’s story – with integrity, originality and humour.”

In addition to Barbara Broccoli’s Prelude, CATCHING BULLETS has a Foreword by writer and actor Mark Gatiss and an Afterword by former Bond girl Maud Adams, who starred with Roger Moore in the 007 films OCTOPUSSY and THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.

To order your copy now, visit http://www.splendidbooks.co.uk/

Edited by Catching Bullets, 12 September 2012 - 01:03 PM.

[Dustin]

How cool is that? Terrific! Congrats, Mark, fine work!


EDIT: front page news: http://commanderbond...a-broccoli.html

Edited by Dustin, 12 September 2012 - 01:59 PM.

[SecretAgentFan]

Wow!

Amazon-guys, c´mon, send it out to me NOW!!!!