Customer Reviews

THE SPY WHO THRILLED US: A Guide to the Best of Cinematic James Bond (Limelight)

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

 

 

My pal (who's also a Bond fanatic) recommended I buy this book. And he was right on the money. Author DiLeo slices the thick Bond topic with a refreshingly different serrated knife. And doesn't apologize for his candid and sharp opinions regarding the series -- yet always manages to entertain and enlighten us with his abundant knowledge and love of BOND. Great book! Pick it up!

Di Leo's book, THE SPY WHO THRILLED US, for me, made interesting reading. Sure, there were some debatable items, but anytime I pick-up a book, and an hour later, I'm still thumbing through it, it (the book) has passed my test. I thought that his opinions were not "heavy handed," and quite frankly, I agreed with most of them. And unlike the Bond "Encyclopedias," et. al. publications, this one wasn't so dry that it put me to sleep.

If you're new to the movie series, or just like them, this will be a welcome addition to your bookshelf. It also would make a terrific present.

I loved this book! Author DiLeo is obviously a Bond fanatic like me and his enthusiasm and love for 007 is evident in every word. The book features the top 5 moments in almost 50 different categories ranging from best villains to best gadgets to best stunts and everything else in between. I had a great time comparing my "top 5's" with the author's. This book must be on the shelf of any true Bond fan.

It is basically a book of DiLeo's opinions but the beauty of the book is all the fun you can have with other Bond fans comparing your opinions with his. You might disagree or agree and the discussions go on from there. In some cases I couldn't believe his picks and in others I agreed totally. In any case another Bond fan and I had a great time going through the entire book.Try it you'll like it!

As background: I've seen all the movies at least 4-5 times each, and read all the Ian Fleming books and short stories. That being said...

I thumbed through the book, and it's... OK. I'm surprised no one's put together a book of lists like this before for the 40-year-old franchise, but, much like the lists you see in Entertainment Weekly magazine or on the E! Channel, it's really a set of lists with not much in the way of in-depth, behind-the-scenes stories or newfound information.

Many of the lists are of the "Top 5" variety/ Trivial Pursuit variety; the only, all-film list is the ranking of the films themselves, and even there, it's subjective. Indeed, the critiques of each film are but a few short paragraphs long; one could easily fit each review in the weekend movie summary section of their local paper or -- again -- in the summary section of EW.

Also, unlike the recent books "James Bond: the Legacy" and "The Essential Bond" there's not much sense of context for these films. It may be a "guide' to one fan's choices for the best of Bond, but the organization is so casual, and the layout so cluttered, that it'd be hard to just sit down and read certain sections to point out to someone why they would like a particular film/ character/ plot/ scene/ etc.

Clearly, the author is a fan, and I can respect any fan of anything who can get a book published about the object of his or her devotion and admiration. While this book is worth some casual reading in the book store, I wouldn't recommend it all that much.

This books is a must have for James Bond Fans. Dileo captures the essence of the James Bond films.

This book is terrific fun! It should be enjoyed by serious and casual Bond fans alike. Bond fans are always making lists of their favorite this or that from the series and author DiLeo has a "best of" list for just about every category you can think of. My favorites -- "Why Don't They Just Shoot Him?," and "Helicopter Explosions." Priceless! I don't agree with all of his reviews of the films (I wouldn't rank "Licence to Kill as high as he does), but he does make solid arguments for his choices. All in all, an enjoyable read for any Bond enthusiast. Some great photos as well.

O.K. all you James Bond lovers, here's a treat you won't want to miss. Michael DiLeo's book takes you on a ride that Ian Fleming himself I am sure would have enjoyed. From Connery to Brosnan, the villians, the girls, the cars and gadgets, DiLeo's is masterful in capturing the pulse of the James Bond mystique. You don't have to agree with his choices to enjoy the book you just have to be a fan.

James Bond's popularity began because of a list. President Kennedy put From Russia With Love on his favorite book list and everything took off.

This 225 page book is not at all a guide, just a book of lists, with no insight, no behind the scenes information and, surprising, it is incomplete. It could have been a thirty page flyer.

Ever since Kingsly Amis wrote the James Bond Dossier in the 60's, people have loved to break down the Bond stories into villains, plots, girls, gadgets, etc. In the 1970's John Brosnan brought that formula to "James Bond of the Cinema" and even recently, the "James Bond Legacy" has followed that pattern. In each case, and in the cases of most books, the authors give us insights and ideas that we might not thought about on our own.

Not here. Mr. Di Leo tells us that he will give us no insight, but when it comes to knowing best from worst, he will "set the record straight." But he seems to have no background in film, no special expertise in the subject other than he saw the movies. But not consecutively. Here is where the author begins to lose me. First, he writes that he saw the actors who played Bond consecutively, except for George Lazenby. A list of five is not a long list and if you missed one, it doesn't count. And he saw his first Bond Movie, "Diamonds are Forever" when he was four. He must have been a very smart four to begin to put this all into context.

But worst of all, I am sure this book was written for the fans who saw the movies. Instead of giving lists and explaining his reasons, Mr. Di Leo gives the lists and then summarizes the plot. Just what we need "Monarch" notes for James Bond movies. He considers "The Spy Who Loved Me" better than "Thunderball." So? There is no insight, no compelling theme, there is just his opinion. So I begin to skip over the part of how Bond meets Pussy Galore, I read the book, saw the movie and got the T-shirt.

In giving his best and worst, Mr. Di Leo deliberately omits Never Say Never Again saying only it was a "rogue" production. That a Warner Brothers movie, based on a story, Thunderball with the same authors,, starring Sean Connery, Kim Basinger, Barbara Carrera, and Klaus Maria Brandauer is consider "less" a picture that "A View to A Kill" is more than trivial, it makes this guide incomplete.

We are given lists for everything, Best Bond, Best Picture, Best Bond Girl, Best Bond Villain, best Femme Fatale, best one liners, Best Gadgets. I would have trouble keeping Kim and Barbara off those lists, but they are. Lotte Lenya however is on it. But equally as important, we are given little side bars: How many girls wore bikinis, how many movie feature atomic bonds, etc. These lists are inaccurate because the author omits a movie.

Finally, I think chronology is important, something that Mr. Di Leo does not put in any context. Under best gadgets, Mr. Di Leo omits the briefcase in "From Russia With Love." At the time of its release, that briefcase was a big deal and the forerunner of things to come and the catalyst for one the greatest fight scenes ever in the James Bond series. Under best Bond girls, Mr. Di Leo omits Ursula Andress, who established the model for Bond Girls (especially Halle Berry) yet to come. Mr. Di Leo does not see these events in context. So instead of discussing how the elements he listed impacted the series we go onto the next list.

Finally, under "Best Musical" scores he lists one by Arnold just because he didn't want to list five by John Barry. But if Barry's are the best they should be the winners.

When I make my list of Bond books to buy, this one will not be one it. After all, it's just a "rogue" publication.

This is a truly terrible very childish book. It reads like the worst fanzine (which is not to deride all fanzines, where many are much better written than this amateurish book). All opinions are very subjective with nothing put into any kind of context.