Customer Reviews

The Bond Files: The Definitive Unofficial Guide to Ian Fleming's James Bond

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This really is the best coverage of all the Bond adventures. It has every movie, spoof, comic, TV show, even the James Bond Jr. cartoons. This is the perfect way to brush up on facts. And since the authors don't work for Gildrose, they don't always have to be nice about Bond. Where else can you find everything from the plot of an obscure short story to critism of Sean Connory's wardrobe from Never Say Never Again. Truely this is the James Bond Bible.

Although it's a purely text-only paperback, an totally unauthorised, this fantastic reference work scores highly on account of the fact that it doesn't just cover the films - it has everything from the novels (and not just the Ian Fleming ones) to the comic strips that were published in the Daily Express, to the 'James Bond Junior' cartoon series, to 'Casino Royale', both television play and film. It even has a small chapter on the cultural impact of Bond, and the various Bondalikes, from light spoof such as 'The Man from UNCLE' to more serious works from Len Deighton and John Le Carre. It's a shame that this wasn't made bigger, really - although it could easily have become unworkably huge, there isn't much to explain exactly why Bond has appealed to us for almost half a century, and how he has changed to fit the times.

As far as the book goes (and that's pretty far), it's perfect - wisely, the authors don't try to 'rate' any of the Bondibles, although they do go so far as to suggest that some of the later John Gardner novels are less impressive than his earlier ones. The attempt to keep up with the constantly-shifting Bond biography is amusing, too - Fleming's Bond was born between the World Wars, and would now be enjoying retirement, something which seems unlikely to happen to 'our' Bond any time soon.

This was a quick pick at an airport one day and I was amazed at all the goodies inside. If you've ever wanted to know every language that Bond ever spoke, what gadget or gizmo he used in which movie, or all the aliases he's ever used, this is the book for you. "The Bond Files" is a great book with all kinds of facts, trivia, and information for each story, comic, and movie. The authors even review the opening title sequences and have a nice synopsis of each movie. They don't miss much with this book.

Andy Lane's "The Babylon File" is one of the best guides I've read about an ongoing media series. That, and being a die-hard 007 fan, drew me to his new book (co-written by P. Simpson). It did not dissapoint me.

The book reviews every novel, every movie and all other incarnations of 007 in any kind of media. Even comics and role-playing games are included. I thought that mentions of the "James Bond, Jr." animated series and other forgettable Bonds were sometimes too extensive and maybe a little more detail could have been paid instead on the novels (good thing all of the post-Fleming ones are there).

The movie section was very good. It did tell a lot for the beginner but it wasn't too repetitive for the "true fan". After all, the movies are the most known outlet for 007 and the one most written about.

Even if not as satisfying as the B-5 guide, "The Bond Files" does give you a ground zero introductiuon to all the ways that fiction's greates spy has been presented, even if some of them are only worth mentioning from a 007 buff's point of view.

I enjoyed it even if it could have been a little more shaken on the novels and a little less strirred on the animated pics and others.

One of the best books to have on James Bond.

Just what makes him tick? Read and find out!

Authors Lane and Simpson have written a remarkable book with more detail about the world of James Bond than any other reference guide to date! The fact that it is not authorized makes the details even more interesting with its' "tell it like it is" attitude! As a Bond fan, I've read all of the "official" comments and ratings. Now I can read some of the other more trueful details and comments! Mr. Lane's other work, "The Babylon File" is another great book written in the same format and very well done. Far better than the "official" book! Easy to read and accurate in every detail- a must for any James Bond fan!

As a huge fan of James Bond in all his various incarnations, I was interested to find a copy of this book the other day in a sale and purchased a copy. My doubts about its' value however began almost immediately, after all how serious can you take a claim that a book is the definitive account of a subject when the authors start by rubbishing their competitors. For the record there are a number of excellent "glossy" style books with flash pictures that are just as good, if not better reference books than this one. Also the number of different accounts of the James Bond phenomenon make it impossible for anyone to claim their version of events is right and everyone else is wrong. Top that off with the fact that the authors here give new meaning to the word "nitpicking", but ironically while they mention some totally pointless trivia connected with various stories and movies, they actually managed to miss a number of other more important details. At the end of the day this is a comprehensive, though at times patronising, account of the world's greatest secret agent. But don't be fooled, there are better books around if you want, and don't be surprised if "M" puts out a 'terminate with extreme prejudice' order on these two authors !!!