Licence to Thrill (Hardcover)

by James Chapman (Author) "The James Bond films are genre films of a unique and special kind..." (more)
Key Phrases: imperialist spy thriller, patriotic code, generic lineage, James Bond, Diamonds Are Forever, Ian Fleming (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
For a theoretical study it is surprisingly entertaining. Chapman demonstrates that there is more to the 007 franchise than just girls, guns and globe trotting. He views each film as an exercise in camp. -- Mark Sanderson, Evening Standard

There are two kinds of academic texts: the kind that contains photographs of Ursula Andress wearing a bikini, and the kind that do not. Licence to Thrill falls, fortunately, into the first category. -- Giles Coren, The Times London

Thoughtful, intelligent, ludicrous and a bit snobby. Bit like Bond, really. -- Stephen O'Brien, SFX Magazine

Review

"There are two kinds of academic texts: the kind that contains photographs of Ursula Andress wearing a bikini, and the kind that do not. Licence to Thrill falls, fortunately, into the first category." -- Giles Coren, The Times (London)

"Thoughtful, intelligent, ludicrous and a bit snobby. Bit like Bond, really." -- Stephen O'Brien, SFX magazine

"For a theoretical study it is surprisingly entertaining. Chapman demonstrates that there is more to the 007 franchise than just girls, guns and globe trotting. He views each film as an exercise in camp." -- Mark Sanderson, Evening Standard

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (May 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231120486
• ISBN-13: 978-0231120487
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #863,884 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best of its Kind, April 12, 2000

By	J. Ewaniuk (los angeles, ca United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The trouble with being a fan of something (and I mean a real fan - short for fanatic) is that we read everything on our subject and often know when the author is faking it, or if he knows his stuff. This Chapman guy knows his stuff, and I agree with most of what he says. I have a few quibbles here and there, but generally it is a good read. Being a fan of the series is, however, a prerequisite for understanding what he is saying, and I really like the way he often compares the Bond novels with their film counterparts. Stay away from the Steven Jay Rubin books, and get this (now if we could only get British author John Brosnan to update and edit his James Bond In The Cinema Book...)

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for Bond fans & popular culture students., July 4, 2000

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Licence to Thrill is a cultural review of the James Bond movies and provides an excellent survey of the changing Bond image in movies; from its start with the 1962 Dr. No to its progression beyond Fleming's spy novels to classic films. Bond became a symbol of a Cold War world where Britain was no longer the ruler: this examines how movies reflect and affect social change through images of politics and culture.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Licence to Thrill, August 24, 2008

By	Mario Boucher "Super Mario" (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films (Cinema and Society) (Paperback)

Interesting review of the Bond movies beginning, as it should, with Ian Fleming and his novels. Overall the book does a good job of looking at different reasons how each 007 movie reflects the time it was released. Misses a few points here and there but a solid effort by the author to capture the fascination with Bond, James Bond.