My Word is My Bond: A Memoir (Hardcover)

~ Sir Roger Moore (Author)
Key Phrases: prop boys, The Saint, Simon Templar, James Bond (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Like his James Bond movies, Roger Moore's autobiography is full of unbelievable scenes, corny dialogue and a lead character who doesn't take himself too seriously...full of humor, in praise of many and offensive to few (New York Post )

Product Description

One of the most recognizable big-screen stars of the past half-century, Sir Roger Moore played the role of James Bond longer than any other actor. Beginning with the classic Live and Let Die, running through Moonraker and A View to a Kill, Moore brought his finely honed wit and wry charm to one of Hollywood's most beloved and long-lasting characters. Still, James Bond was only one in a lifetime of roles stretching back to Hollywood's studio era, and encompassing stardom in theater and television on both sides of the Atlantic. From The Saint to Maverick, Warner Brothers to MGM, Hollywood to London to extreme locations the world over, Roger Moore's story is one of the last of the classic Hollywood lives as yet untold.

Until now. From the dying days of the studio system and the birth of television, to the quips of Noël Coward and David Niven, to the bedroom scenes and outtakes from the Bond movies, Moore has seen and heard it all. Nothing is left out—especially the naughty bits. The "special effects" by which James Bond unzipped a dress with a magnet; the spectacular risks in The Spy Who Loved Me's opening scene; and Moore's preparation for facing down villains (he would imagine they all have halitosis): the stories in My Word is My Bond are priceless.

Throughout his career, Moore hobnobbed with the glamorous and powerful, counting Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Seymour, and Cary Grant among his contemporaries and friends. Included are stories of a foul-mouthed Milton Berle, a surly Richard Burton, and a kindhearted Richard Kiel, infamous as Bond enemy Jaws.

As much as it is Moore's own exceptional story, My Word is My Bond is a treasure trove of Hollywood history.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: It Books (November 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061673889
• ISBN-13: 978-0061673887
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,540 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating, revealing and inspirational true story about the real man behind his James Bond image., November 8, 2008

By	From the publisher (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

If you loved Roger Moore in the 007 films, the Saint and the Persuaders you are going to love this book! What you will discover is the reason that Roger Moore is so likable on the screen and off. You will see what formed his character early on and throughout his life making him the kind, unspoiled and unselfish man that he is.

This book made me recall what an old man once told me about happiness. He said, "There are three things in life that you need to be happy. One is to love. Two is to be loved. And three is having a feeling of accomplishment. Two out of three isn't bad" he said. Well Roger Moore had and has all three. Hi mother and father and relatives loved him very much as he was growing up. The same can be said about his many friends and fellow actors and even wives that he knew throughout his life. His book clearly shows this and how he returned that love to all of them. His accomplishments were so many more than most of us are aware of going back long before the Saint and going on well after Bond. There are so many more credits in his resume than I was aware of.

The book makes it clear though that his proudest accomplishment is the work that he has done raising money for UNICEF as this has made a significant difference in the lives of poor disadvantaged children throughout the world.

A brilliantly written and poignant book. Full of dry wit and wonderful stories. I highly recommend it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sir Roger Moore - the man behind the double entendres of 007., November 19, 2008

By	The Matrix Fan "Video Gamer since 1979." - See all my reviews

(What's this?)

Throughout my life, whenever someone mentions James Bond, I immediately think of Roger Moore. His singular wit and mastery of the double entendre never cease to entertain me to this very day. When I had the chance to read & review "My Word is my Bond", I didn't jump - I leapt at it!

From the beginning, Moore makes it plain that he wouldn't be bringing up recycled scandals or mudslinging anyone...and if he couldn't say anything nice, he'd prefer not to say anything at all "...unless pushed to say a few words by my editor!" No, the book holds true to his promise of telling funny stories and recalling events and friends that have shaped his life.

It was a relief to see that Moore didn't jump right away into Bond stories...no, he talked quite a bit about his beginnings - childhood illnesses, a fledgling worker in the Publicity Picture Productions, enrolling in the Association of Cinema Technicians (which helped immensely when he decided to direct years later), wartime relocations, and the birth of his acting career as an extra at Denham Studios. We get to experience the joys and pitfalls of his early Hollywood jobs, his marriages, and the success of his two tv shows, The Saint and The Persuaders.

The saga of James Bond doesn't come around until chapter nine, but it's well worth the wait. There's no shortage of humorous stories, both on and off the set. I can't reveal all of them, but there is one exchange with a special effects technician that never ceases to make me laugh:

"Now Rog, there'll be a few explosions..."
"It always unnerves me when the man who says this type of thing holds up his hand to reveal two missing fingers."

Comedic gold!

Moore had interactions with celebrities such as Christopher Lee, Michael Caine, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, and several others...but his most important was with Audrey Hepburn; as she began his involvement with UNICEF. The latter half of the book describes his journey to several countries with a genuine desire to help impoverished and disadvantaged children all over the world.

Roger Moore started each chapter with some type of in-joke that couldn't be deduced until it was completed. It made each section a treasure hunt that kept me wanting to read more. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Roger Moore's life before and after the Walther PPK.

He promised to provide an entertaining book...
...and his word truly is his bond.

Highly recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Needs More Bond and Quite a bit of Editing, November 14, 2008

By	Graboidz (Westminster, Maryland) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

(What's this?)

When you mention James Bond to most anyone, the first image that pops into most minds is that of Sean Connery (maybe Pierce Brosnan for the latest generation). As a child of the 80's I always considered Roger Moore "my" James Bond. I always felt Moore's contribution as Britain's super spy was undervalued, and I was looking forward to reading his memoir which I assumed would feature some great behind the scenes stories and experiences of his days as Bond.
Unfortunately, Moore fairly glosses over each of his bond films, maybe dedicating a page or two on each film. Very little behind the scenes info is passed along, and I felt that he did nothing to address what it was like to step into an established character and make it his own. I really wanted to hear what it was like for Moore to inherit the franchise, but it's so briefly discussed that little or no interesting information on his Bond films is to be found here.
Going beyond Bond, I did like the early part of the novel where Moore told of growing up in London during World War 2. Again, I wish he had gone into more detail about life during that time period. I cannot imagine being a child sent away from family and home at such a young age in order to avoid the Nazi Blitz, or watching a genuine dogfight occur overhead while swimming on a summer afternoon.
Moore does go into great detail about his work with UNICEF, and while I commend his voluntary service with that fantastic organization, it does make for a fairly boring section of the book. "My Word is my Bond" suddenly becomes a travelogue of third world countries.
And maybe it's just me, but as an American fan, I was sometimes stumped at the use of British Slang or phrases. One I'm still puzzling over leads off Chapter 11:
"Oh, the Heaven of dripping-on-toast."
I'm sure that has to do with eating (a good portion of the book deals with food, wine, restraunts and eating), but not sure what a "dripping-on-toast" is?
Or this one from Chapter 3:
"Such generosity I thought. Yes, and it came at a price - my first week's thirty bob!"
Not really sure what a "bob" is, but I'm guessing money of some amount?
Moore also likes to talk about all of the people he's worked with, friends and family, famous and not. This is fine, I can appreciate that to a degree, but when he talks about someone in chapter 2, then references them again in a familiar way in chapter 12, it's easy for the reader to get confused. Moore introduces so many people in his memoir it's tough to keep them all straight as to who does what, where and why.
It may sound as though I thoroughly hated this book, but I didn't. With a little editing this could be a very enjoyable book. Maybe include an entire chapted on each Bond film as opposed to just a mention or so, and this could be a great memoir. As it stands now, it's just a bunch of references to various illness, multiple people, various foods, and a detailed advert for UNICEF.