The incredible World of Spy-fi: Wild and Crazy Spy Gadgets, Props, and Artifacts from TV and the Movies [Paperback]

Danny Biederman (Author), Robert Wallace (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 14, 2004

In page after page of colorful imagery, The Incredible World of Spy-Fi captures four decades of espionage eye candy from our favorite fictional spies. From Maxwell Smart's Shoe Phone to James Bond's Walther PPK to Austin Powers' eyeglasses and classic spy gear from Alias, Mission: Impossible, The Wild Wild West, and more, this visual gallery reveals to the public for the very first time the world's largest collection of spy props and artifacts. Danny Biederman, creator of the Spy-Fi Archives, has spent the better part of his life tracking down over 4,000 rare pieces. So thorough is his collection that the CIA visited the Archives and invited Biederman to display a portion from his massive treasury at CIA headquarters. Here, Biederman profiles over 200 of his coolest, most captivating gadgets, offering enough juicy trivia and insider stories to make any spy proud.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Even people who aren’t big spy movie fans know that James Bond gets to play with some great gadgets. The same goes for the casts of Mission: Impossible, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and I Spy. Biederman has been immersed in the spy world, at least as Hollywood depicts it, from the time of his youth in the 1960s, when he was introduced to a world of "spies, gadgets, adventure, and beautiful women—everything that a ten-year-old boy could possibly want." Since then he has collected over 4,000 props from various sets, amassing such an impressive trove that in 2000 the CIA asked him to exhibit it at its headquarters. This book tells the story of each TV series and movie through Biederman’s props, which range from the coat hook used in U.N.C.L.E. to open a secret passageway, to the gold sofa that adorned James West’s private railroad car in The Wild Wild West. Biederman, a screenwriter who works as an expert consultant to spy film producers, obviously knows the episodes of each series inside out, and his love for the genre is evident in his exuberant anecdotes (his search for his "holy grail," the cigarette-pack transmitter from U.N.C.L.E., is particularly dramatic). Fortunately, he isn’t so obsessed that he can’t take a joke about his passion: he also enjoys, and has memorabilia from, spy spoofs like Get Smart and Austin Powers. Few readers are likely to be as enamored of the Hollywood spy world as the author, but those who have some interest in it will enjoy perusing this celebration of all things espionage. 200 color images.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Even people who aren t big spy movie fans know that James Bond gets to play with some great gadgets. The same goes for the casts of Mission: Impossible, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and I Spy. Biederman has been immersed in the spy world, at least as Hollywood depicts it, from the time of his youth in the 1960s, when he was introduced to a world of "spies, gadgets, adventure, and beautiful women-everything that a ten-year-old boy could possibly want." Since then he has collected over 4,000 props from various sets, amassing such an impressive trove that in 2000 the CIA asked him to exhibit it at its headquarters. This book tells the story of each TV series and movie through Biederman s props, which range from the coat hook used in U.N.C.L.E. to open a secret passageway, to the gold sofa that adorned James West s private railroad car in The Wild Wild West. Biederman, a screenwriter who works as an expert consultant to spy film producers, obviously knows the episodes of each series inside out, and his love for the genre is evident in his exuberant anecdotes (his search for his "holy grail," the cigarette-pack transmitter from U.N.C.L.E., is particularly dramatic). Fortunately, he isn t so obsessed that he can t take a joke about his passion: he also enjoys, and has memorabilia from, spy spoofs like Get Smart and Austin Powers. Few readers are likely to be as enamored of the Hollywood spy world as the author, but those who have some interest in it will enjoy perusing this celebration of all things espionage. -Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081184224X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811842242
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #954,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Spy-FI" Fan-tastic, November 1, 2004

By 

Ronald M. Tissier "Richard Fisher (section 2)" (Tyler, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The incredible World of Spy-fi: Wild and Crazy Spy Gadgets, Props, and Artifacts from TV and the Movies (Paperback)

I finished "Spy-Fi" just last night and this book is truely for any film buff and if your a fan of 60's T.V. and the great spy shows of that time this is a must for your collection.Danny Biederman hits the target and brings home some inside info with behind the scene photo's and much more. If your a "arm chair counterspy" it's a must buy! Get one for yourself and one for a friend, From 007 to U.N.C.L.E. and The Wild Wild West it's all here. Thanks, Richard

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredible book!, October 25, 2004

By 

Lisa loves Amazon "Lisa" (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The incredible World of Spy-fi: Wild and Crazy Spy Gadgets, Props, and Artifacts from TV and the Movies (Paperback)

If you watch television or go to the movies you should own this book! I was walking through the book store and the colors on the cover caught my attention. Then, I saw Maxwell Smart's shoe phone. This author has the most amazing collection of great stuff from old tv shows to new movies like Austin Powers glasses. The stories throughout the book are great too because you get to hear the behind-the-scenes truths. I bought one for my dad, my brother, and myself. Thanks to the author for this great treasure of nostalgia and cool stuff!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CAN'T PUT IT DOWN, AND I'M A GIRL!, December 25, 2004

By 

Amy Wallace (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The incredible World of Spy-fi: Wild and Crazy Spy Gadgets, Props, and Artifacts from TV and the Movies (Paperback)

Christmas present, birthday present, valentine's present, no-special-occasion present: this book makes me HAPPY! I can't imagine anyone not falling in love with it. It brought back floods of ecstatic memories -- and of course, I had to read it while drinking a shaken/not/stirred martini! BRAVO! MORE BOOKS from Mr. Biederman's archives -- and WOW, can he write! Wry, witty, charming, impeccably researched -- 10 STARS!