Review: ‘James Bond Encyclopedia’
James Bond Encyclopedia
By John Cork and Collin Stutz
334 Pages, DK Publishing, $40
Nobody does it better. DK Publishing continues to put out the best assortment of visual reference books on pop culture and as we near the holidays, they keep pumping out one must have collection after another.
Few literary figures have endured changing eras and tastes likes Ian Fleming’s spy, [[[James Bond]]]. Fleming created the spy in the 1950s and continued his exploits through the dozen novels and nine short stories before his death in 1964. He got to see his creation catch the attention of a world made uncomfortable by the Cold War, giving them a clear cut hero to root for as he traveled the world and dispatched the Red Menace in all its guises.
Bond has endured despite the constant change in performer, indelibly begun by Sean Connery and carried through by George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and currently Daniel Craig. The world has remained transfixed by the globe-trotter spy, equally adept with women and firearms, always looking best in a black tuxedo. The films, themselves, have gone from depicting the counterintelligence threat from Eastern Europe to megalomaniacs, trying to change and reflect the times. Much like Batman, Bond reflects the tastes of the masses. As a result, we went from the taut thrillers like Goldfinger to the buffoonery that was Moonraker to today’s reboot, a harsher, less disciplined Bond for a darker world.
All of that and more are covered in the 332-page [[[James Bond Encyclopedia]]], lovingly assembled by writers John Cork and Collin Stutz. A visual treat thanks to DK’s art department, the oversized tome introduces to all things Bond. The writers wisely broke things down into categories, updating from the 2007 edition to include [[[Quantum of Solace]]]. We have an introductory piece on Fleming, profiles of the six men to play James Bond, and the sections on The Bond Style, The Role of Bond, Bond Villains, Bond Women, Supporting Cast, Vehicles, Weapons & Equipment, and finally, backgrounds on the making of each movie. The book concludes with a comprehensive index that’s quite useful.
The Barry Nelson television version, the Casino Royale satire, and Never Say Never Again are omitted – consider this the canonical Bond reference book. Each entry, where appropriate, compares the film version with its prose origins, and differentiates between the differing interpretations such as M, Q, Moneypenny, and Blofeld. If the character appeared on screen and said something, they were included, making this exhaustive and fun to flip through (I had totally forgotten Minnie Driver was in one of the films, for example).
While Cubby Broccoli, Harry Salzman, Barbara Broccoli, and Michael Wilson get their due for guiding the films through the years, I wish a little more attention had been given to the musicians who helped make each film an event. Visually, a section dedicated to Maurice Binder’s stunning opening credits would have been a treat. Overall, though, this is a book every fan of Bond should have.
The Barry Nelson television version, the Casino Royale satire, and Never Say Never Again are omitted – consider this the canonical Bond reference bookHardly that, since it doesn't discuss the Ian Fleming novels — that is the canon of James Bond. The films are all derivative works. And a reference source that omits things loses value as a reference source, so I'd consider the lack of the TV show, the satire, and NSNA to be a major flaw.
Speaking of "…the buffoonery that was Moonraker…" – not surprisung sinc half or more of Moonraker – the Rio sequence, for instance – is an uncredited remake of a sp spoof made by diLaurentis at Cinecitta, starring Terry-Thomas, Mike Connors, Dorothy Provine and Raf Vallone. (Some scenes – the scene in which Bond and the girl show off their various lethal gadgets, for instance – are virtually shot-for-shot, except that Mike Connors was the CIA agent and Provine was the Brit. And Provine had a Rolls-Royce that was more impressive than any other Roller i've seen in a flim since FAB 1.)
Ah. I forgot to mention that the film i was referring to is "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die", or that, the last time i looked, it was unavailable in any format.
As to omitting the books – this is a book about the populat culture phenomenon – and i would guess that a huge portion of people who could be called "Bond fans" aren't even aware that Paul was in a band before Wings … i mean, that there even were books.And couldn't care less, because they'd never do anything so silly as read a whole book.
It may have been a condition of EON's compliance with the project to omit Bond projects they weren't affiliated with, especially the contentious "Never Say Never Again." It strikes me as the Broccolis just maintaining their tight grip on the franchise.
Actually I find this "updated" book – just like the previous edition – rather boring and lacking any real insight or new information. I went through it and found all the same superficialities..it's just a glorified picture book (pictures which we've already seen a million times).For my money, there are far better James Bond books out there that are way more interesting and informative. This is just another weak rehash of far superior James Bond film books.
I'm going to agree with others that any 'encyclopedia' that confines itself only to films considered canon, doesn't discuss the novels and other items really doesn't live up to the name. Rather it was titled the "Official James Bond Film Companion" or some such would have been more honest. I'm assuming it also doesn't mention the one-shot DC comic?