The Battle for Bond [Paperback]

Robert Sellers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0955767008 | ISBN-13: 978-0955767005 | Edition: 2

In 1963, Ian Fleming, the creator of the 20th century's greatest fictional character was in court, accused of plagiarism. The screen version of James Bond was not Fleming's creation. It was the creation of Jack Whittingham, who was employed by maverick producer Kevin McClory to adapt the character to the big screen. Had this screen character never been developed, James Bond might have been just another minor fictional spy character. The Battle for Bond is a tale of bitter recriminations, betrayal, multi-million dollar lawsuits and even death. It is the fabled story of Kevin McClory's 40 year legal battle over the rights to the screen version of James Bond, which he and Whittingham had created.The first edition of this book was banned by the Ian Fleming Will Trust. But the truth never dies!This second edition features a new foreword by Len Deighton.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...an explosive read, well researched yet controversial, filled to the brim with intrigue, betrayal and legal battles ...entertaining, well paced and enjoyable." -- Synergy Magazine, October 2008. " "The best book about the Bond movies to come along in some time. Truly new insight for the seasoned Bond fan. Absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in the Bond films, the entertainment industry or copyright law." -- Cinemaratty.com

About the Author

Robert Sellers is a well-respected author who has previously written Cult TV - The Golden Age of ITC and also Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: The Inside Story of HandMade Films. He is co-author of Tomahawk's soon to be published biography of James Robertson Justice.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Tomahawk Press; 2 edition (July 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0955767008
• ISBN-13: 978-0955767005
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #235,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Bond Fans, March 5, 2008

By 

L. Cabos (planet earth) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Battle for Bond: The Genesis of Cinema's Greatest Hero (Paperback)

Alot of the history of THUNDERBALL isn't new to me but Sellers writes a really entertaining and fascinating bit of history. I couldn't put it down until I had finished it -- in one seating. Great treasure of previously unseen material (Connery scouting the State of Liberty for the never made WARHEAD, production drawings, rare photos, etc). As it has been pulled off the market because litigation from the Fleming Trust (who could they be? Fleming's been dead since 1964, his wife died years ago and his only son died from a drug overdose in the early 1970's) so it is going to be harder to get. Worth the effort! In this you have -- in incredible detail and thoroughly enthralling -- the story of THUNDERBALL. Frustrated by earlier efforts to get his character to the big screen, he came in to contact with Kevin McClory -- an Irish film maker who had some kind of connection to Mike Todd's AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS. The film maker convinced Fleming to join him in creating a whole new story that would involve Bond in an underwater epic to be filmed in wide screen. In the end it went nowhere and Fleming went to his summer residence Goldeneye to write his Bond novel for 1961 and -- without anyone's permission -- used the story he had devised with McClory and Jack Whittingham and called it THUNDERBALL. In the meantime along comes Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. Originally Richard Maibaum was comissioned to do a screenplay based on TB but McClory's lawsuits forced them to start the series with DR. NO. Not wishing to enrage Fleming, Broccoli & Saltzman did not pursue a joint venture deal on THUNDERBALL until after McClory had exhausted all means of getting his own Bond film off the ground and Ian Fleming was dead. In the deal that was struck, McClory was given the right to remake the film ten years after THUNDERBALL's release -- some wit once said that Broccoli & Saltzman didn't think the series would live that long. In the book you will get a good look at what did happen. Well worth the price of admission. A pity WARHEAD was never realized. It would have been a much better film than NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Marks!, February 15, 2008

By 

A. Nicastro - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Battle for Bond: The Genesis of Cinema's Greatest Hero (Paperback)

There are many of us who do care to know the true story about Thunderball - have a look at the uk reviews! This is a landmark book and contains fresh information on this fascinating subject. Top marks to author Robert Sellers who tells an unbiased factual story about the origins of the Bond movies

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History of the other Bond, August 31, 2009

By 

Chih Hung Lee (Rosemead, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Battle for Bond (Paperback)

Given that the 007 films of the official series from MGM/UA, produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Brocolli (now by the latter's daughter and stepson) have been cultural icons and guaranteed blockbusters since the mid-1960s, it is unsurprising that nearly every James Bond movie book focuses on them, but only scantly covers Irish producer Kevin McClory's attempts to bring Ian Fleming's super spy to the cinema (as well as others' makings of the television program Casino Roayle in 1954 and the 1967 film of the same name).

The Battle for Bond does just the opposite; it details McClory and screenwriter Jack Whittingham's collaboration with Fleming and others to develop the script of what they had hoped would be the first 007 movie, which never materialized, plus McClory's ensuing lawsuit against Fleming, alleging plagarism, after the author had developed a new Bond novel entitled Thunderball, that the Irishman claimed was based too closely on their script, the out of court settlement which gave McClory film and television rights to Thunderball, his agreement with Brocolli and Saltzman that made it the fourth entry of the offical series in 1965, subsequent efforts to produce other 007 movies and television projects (including Warhead, co-written by Sean Connery in the mid-1970s), all unsuccessful, except Never Say Never Again, the 1983 remake of Thunderball. Additionally, the book describes the productions of Thunderball and Never Say Never Again, based on interviews with cast and crew members, as well as some rare photographs, including that of Connery scouting locations for Warhead near the Statute of Liberty.

Whether you are a casual or serious fan of the world's most famous fictional secret agent, The Battle for Bond will be very informative and interesting, as it provides a history of 007 that has hitherto received little coverage. You owe to it yourself to read this book.