Customer Reviews

James Bond: The Secret World of 007

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This amazing book brings to reality the fantasy world of 007. It provides details about everything and anything to do with James Bond as if he were a real secret agent.

There are three main sections:

1. The Bond Dossier - here you will find background information on Bond (the weapons, clothes, women), MI6 and the villains. (As this book is targeted at today's 'kids', it uses images of the actors from the latest film, The World Is Not Enough - Brosnan, Dench, etc. - as the 'real' James Bond and MI6 team.)

2. The Missions - this section dedicates 4 - 6 pages for each of Bond's 'missions' (i.e. the 19 Bond films), describing what the 'mission' is about and who the allies and villains are. There are detailed cross-section illustrations of the villains' headquarters, e.g. Blofeld's volcano, Stromberg's Atlantis and Elliot Carver's Stealth Ship, and also wonderful photos/illustrations of the Bond vehicles and gadgets, e.g. the DB5, Lotus, Little Nellie, etc. These pictures miraculously show how everything falls into place and how everything works (a miracle considering most of these things don't really function or even exist in real life!)

3. The Movies - the book ends with background information on 'movies' that have been made about James Bond, featuring the 5 actors who have portrayed him. The introduction to this section diplomatically concludes: "The real 007 has never disclosed which one (actor) he feels has captured him the best"! (It is only in this last section that we see pictures of Connery, Lazenby, Moore and Dalton.)

This is definitely one of the best books on James Bond. It is well researched and has breath-taking pictures, as per DK's usual high standards. It beautifully and convincingly transforms the fiction of Bond into reality.

I actually have the British version of this book and it has a simple but more official looking cover - just the title of the book on a plain red jacket with an embossed "James Bond". Maybe not as fun looking as the American version but definitely a lot easier to carry around for a thirty-something 'kid' like me!

Add more Bond to your life between movies!

This is the book you have been waiting for! It starts with the Bond films and adds to your pleasure of watching and recalling them in a remarkably effective way.

This book takes an in-depth look at the action, the gadgets, the props, and the lairs of the Bond films . . . spiced up with many of your favorite stills from those movies. You will see illustrations to cut away the surface of the devices, cars, attache cases, and belts to show you how Bond used them in the films. As you know, each film ends with a major attack on the bad guy's lair. These are lovingly drawn and detailed so you can see how the whole sequence took place. You will even get such basics as how to use judo illustrated!

The book begins with a perfunctory foreword by the current M. The next sections feature stills and drawn illustrations from the movies built around the themes of Bond's secret weapons, clothing, the women he loved, other MI6 personnel, Q, spies who worked for other governments, and Blofeld.

Next, you go into several pages on each move in order. These include outlines of the characters in the movies, the lairs of the villains, any special equipment used (every single wonderful car is there!), and the details of the ending attack scenes. In some cases, the opening and intermediate attack scenes are blocked out also. The movies covered include Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World Is Not Enough.

Finally, there is an appendix with all of the key movie credits so you can see who played what roles. This will be great for playing trivia games and amazing people over a glass of vintage claret!

The book will greatly expand your appreciation of the details in the films. It will also make them feel fresher than the way they appear on the television festivals of 17 Days of Bond (or whatever they are called -- Ian Fleming must turn in his grave).

After you have finished enjoying these wonderful pages, I suggest that you think about where it would be valuable and interesting for people in your family to you to tell them the details concerning something about your earlier years. They may find how you "made it to where you are" as fascinating as the Bond fans find this wonderful book about plots and movie-making.

Have a [Thunder] ball!

In a word, wow.

When this showed up today, I was so dazzled by the beautiful photography, brilliant cutaway illustrations and classic DK "callout" design that it took me a few minutes to figure out what was really going on here.

What's going on is simply this: this Bond book is the first of its kind. It exists purely within the fantasy universe created by the films. That is to say, that although it is crammed with pictures of actors, actresses, sets, models and props, none is described as such. Instead, each film is really a "case," actors are villains, actresses Bond's women, props are real weapons, sets are lairs. Picture a (DK) "Eyewitness Travel Guide" to Bond's (real) world and you get the idea. The hundreds of new and newly imagined technical illustrations are such a treat: you picture the film people talking to the book people, and all of them pondering, how WOULD this missile-launching ghetto blaster work?

Although there are many pictures of Sean Connery (and the four other Bonds), his name does not appear ANYWHERE until a brief "movie index" ten pages from the end. This to me is a good thing. Those of us who watch the Bonds do so to live briefly in his slightly surreal universe. "Secret World" lets you do so in more depth and with greater understanding than ever before.

Of particular value are these two brilliant features:

1) Travel/fight scene breakdowns. To me, those dustups on speeding trains and flying blimps all happen in a blur. Who's he punching? What does that buy him? Here, in numbered steps, you can follow the hurtling vehicle's progress and how James stands at each turn.

2) Evil lair cutaways. These help to bridge the huge gaps between those three Bond staples: exotic locales, imaginative model work and sprawling interior sets. In the films, we see these as: Bad process shot of motorboat speeding towards futuristic evil lair (model + location). Cut to wide shot of boat docking at interior dock (obviously a set). These cutaways show you the "real" relation and mitigate the fakeness.

Frankly an incredible book. A must for the Bond person on your list. With this as your "official" guide and the wonderful "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" as your unofficial, you're good to go.

This is one of the best oversized books or just flat out any book on James Bond I have ever seen. This is a color extravaganza on the world of 007. This is a well thought out and well-researched book. Nobody just sat down at a typewriter and simply wrote this book. It is constructed and written something akin from the perspective of a motion picture production designer. Every aspect of this book is consistent to the overall image that the name James Bond conjures up. What is really unique about this book is how official photographs and pictures were combined with images specifically designed and drawn for this publication. What especially impressed me upon first thumbing through the pages of this book was how the sets from each Bond film were reconstructed in 3 dimensional diagrams by artists showing how the action and the characters moved about on the screen thanks to cinematography, special effects and editing. This alone is an invaluable analysis of the look of these films and the illusion they produce to create the world of James Bond. Dorling Kindersley once again has published an impressive book with their distinct look and flair for quality. As a James Bond fan this book is above and beyond anything I had ever expected.

Spoiler Warning: Enemy Agents Will be Shot on Sight on possession of this `classified' information.

Okay, now that the sponsored section is over, we can get to the meat. James Bond is an incredibly successful franchise. Since 1958, and Flemings' first novel, Casino Royale, Bond has been on book stands, and in theatres. Surprisingly, Fleming also penned Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang too, aimed at a slightly different audience. I wonder if Q and the good professor are related? They both so like gadget.

Opening the pages of this book is like digging into the classified Bond mission dossier. Daniel Craig greets you with a thoughtful glance. "Get to know me if you dare. Trust no one." He seems to say. You turn the page with a hint of wonder, and Pierce Brosnan, explains what lies behind his license to kill. Formerly a commander in the British Navy, Bond is perfect for MI6, and a double nought spy. What is the Bond look anyway? Page 13 is the guide. Fashion is only part of his artillery.
The book explores the full range of love interests, supporting cast members, film adventures, supporting villains, and details from "Quantum of Solace." Loaded with pictures, outstanding 3 d illustrations, and enough information to keep any Bond-ophile satisfied.

Available at your local book store, watch Quantum in the theatres first.

Tim Lasiuta

This is great, a book that finally explains all the little things you mite miss when you watch Bond. I really like the fact that at the begining The flims and James Bond himself are treated as being real, for me it adds to the enjoyment of picking it up every time.

I was very impressed by the sheer quality of this book. The pictures and illustrations are very high quality. There are many new photos that I never have seen before in other books on James Bond. It details a lot of good information that other similar books just do not touch on. What I like most is that there are photos and or illustrations on almost all the gadgetry featured in the films. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

I was given this book as a Christmas Gift, and really looked forward to reading this, as I've been a follower of Bond for may years.

1st Surprise, while it looks like a historical review, there seemed to be a lack of coverage of Sean Connery. In fact, it looks like they went out of their way not to show him. I always regarded Sean Connery as the Original Bond, so why is Pierce so overly presented?

2nd Surprise, written by Alastair Dougall, yet he managed to miss completely one of the movies, Never say Never Again in 1983?

So you have to wonder if the Author, "A highly experienced writer and Editor" can miss something as fundamental as one of the James Bond Movies, what does this say for the integrity and quality of what's presented? Perhaps Alastair should stick to children's books were perhaps accuracy is not so important. Hey, may be I'm being unfair, as that's perhaps the role of the consulting editor, Dave Worrall, whom after all, wrote the authorized Guide to the World of 007? So he missed it too, doesn't say much for his level of expertise.

Hey, I think that the illustrator Roger Stewart did a great job, and its great to see some of the stills from "some" of the Bond movies. (would like to have seen the rocket bike though)

Sometimes I guess, the publishers just want to put a book out there to make money, this looks like one of those. I guess this is one publisher to remove from the future purchase book list!

Bottom line, I gave it a 3 for the illustrations, so if you like pictures - its a good book.

Perhaps that's why its called the Secret world to 007, the Secret is they missed some of his movies!

It's a very cool book for the James Bond junkie. Although even casual fans will get a kick out of it. For this who can't get enough out of the international lifestyle, I also recommend Geneva Nights, Clint Borgens autobiography. The Secret World of 007 is great for those wanting the good tidbits on Bond. It's well worth the money.

Not to often do you come across a James Bond book that is filled with exciting detail of the films and visually arresting pictures. This book gives that to Bond fans and more! All will agree that the fantastic photos, the gadgetry, the girls, villains, and Mr. Bond himself have never looked better. The creme de la creme of this book is stunning way the pictures are put together to give the viewer a view of where the actors moved in many scenes, such as the funhouse in The Man With the Golden Gun or the entire design of ships like the Disco Volante or the Stealth Ship.

The book begins with a prologue from M explaining the book. Also included is the way that Mr. Bond dresses and gets around. We learn about many of his lady friends such as Domino Derval, Tracy di Vincenzo and Anya Amasova. There are also the femme fatales, such as Mayday and Helga Brandt. The World of spies is also present giving us information on many operatives like Felix Leiter, Quarrel, General Gogol and many others. Finally we learn of SPECTRE and it's head -Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Then we are off to the stunning Film Dossier. The film Dossier gives you the lowdown on all 007 films from Dr. No to The World is Not Enough. For each film basically see the characters and main aspects like the vehicles, or daring chases. Car chases and gun fights are examined in fantastic detail. This book will tell all about Bond and show you every thing about his missions. The end of the book gives it's own version of the cast and crew of each film. You will see all the gadgets of the Aston Martin DB5, the structure of Piz Gloria, the majestic freefall in Moonraker, the tanker chase in Licence to Kill, how the Stealth Ship worked and hundreds more...

A magnificent book that is filled with great information and wonderful photos of Mr. Bond, James Bond!