Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the humour and insights in Roger Moore’s A Bientot, a collection of entertaining anecdotes, I looked forward to Last Man Standing, but found it disappointing. This plethora of references to the indiscretions of numerous film stars is a superficial look at a host of well known individuals in the world of film, both in America and Europe, who appear to be very self-centred. I am clearly in the minority, but I didn’t bother to finish this book. If you like gossipy titbits, then you may enjoy this, but if you want more depth, you will find this disjointed selection of boring tales focuses too much on stars’ sex lives.

Roger Moore manages to right an biography autobiographically due to his tenure in the business and connections with many influential people within the same. The book is full of British charm and wit as well as many a turn of phrase. It is entertaining for those inclined to the history of international film and back lot gossip. All is wrapped in a charming narrative but overall the book lacks much cohesion or purpose. Moore's other books far exceed this as do his deeds off record so it does tend to feel like an attempt to fulfill a book deal requiring a certain number of books. Fun but tedious given the party conversation style. ( )

I've been in love with Roger Moore since his days as Beau Maverick (there was just a bit of an age difference there, but as a toddler I chose to ignore it). And he's always been my favorite James Bond. This book of anecdotes about his "Tinseltown" adventures is fascinating and fun to read. The chatty, self-deprecating style is very appealing, just as I've always felt Sir Roger would be. What a smashing dinner guest he must be! Now I'm eager to read his earlier memoir (and have a little retrospective viewing of his Bond films, too). Thanks so much to the publisher (through GoodReads' First Reads program) for providing me the opportunity to read this lovely book. ( )

As the subtitle (Tales from Tinseltown) suggests, this book by former James Bond and Simon Templar actor Sir Roger Moore, is a collection of stories and anecdotes from his life and career, as well as some stories that he was told himself, and others which he admits are probably apocryphal.

It’s an enjoyable and easy read, but I definitely doubt the veracity of some of his tales (even those which he does not admit are probably untrue). For example, when talking about Frank Sinatra, he says that when Frank died, Frank’s wife Barbara and daughter Nancy were with him. However, Frank’s other daughter Tina, states quite clearly in her own book, how none of Frank’s children were with him at the time of his death, and how much that upset them. More enjoyable are the stories which Sir Roger was personally involved in, as the details of these are obviously much more likely to be correct.

Obviously given the subject, there are loads of famous Hollywood stars, many of whom are no longer with us, mentioned throughout, and this makes for a gossipy – but never malicious – kind of book. Sir Roger does come across as a genuinely nice man, who doesn’t take himself too seriously, and enjoys high-jinks and practical jokes on set. This is not the book to read if you are looking for his autobiography (and nor does it claim to be), although he does talk about various stages in his career.

I would recommend this book to fans of Sir Roger, or to anyone interested in Hollywood gossip, but I wouldn’t take all of it as completely accurate. ( )

I’m a huge fan of Sir Roger who not only enjoyed a lengthy and successful career in show business but has worked as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF following on from him hanging up his PPK back in the mid 1980s. Its probably fair to say that he has become a popular and well respected national treasure as he ages gracefully.

When I grew up in the 1970s and 80s Moore was a huge star; in between making the Bond movies (which I grew up watching) he also made some excellent actions movies, specially designed to watch with your Dad: Gold, Sea Wolves, North Sea Hijack, Wild Geese and Cannonball Run for example, not to mention TV series such as The Saint and my personal favourite, The Persuaders:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t99QQIXez4M

In his third outing as an author “Tales from Tinseltown” its clear that his off screen life was almost as interesting as what happened to him while on set. The book lives up to its title (sub-title: Last Man Standing; a quote from Frank Sinatra, 'Who's going to be left to turn the light off?', Roger hopes it will be him) as its essentially Rodge relaying decades worth of anecdotes to Gareth Owen. He’s never nasty or malicious when he name checks practically every movie star from the 1950s onwards. The tales are all relayed in a lighthearted manner, along with some candid photographs. These snaps highlight Rodge modelling high fashion over the decades along with him clowning around: my personal favourite is Peter Sellers painting Rogers toenails for some forgotten reason.

The book itself is split into eight chapters:

1) The Fun - and Feisty - Leading Ladies
2) The Pinewood Years
3) Stage-struck
4) On-set Tales
5) The Good Guys (and a Few Rascals)
6) The Rat Pack
7) The Creative Geniuses
8) The Producers

From time to time Sir Roger adds a few thoughts which didn’t make it into his autobiography and the mood dips as he reminisces about friends who have died, gone to “that great cutting room in the sky” as he says but on the whole is an upbeat entertaining giggle from beginning to end. I also like the fact that Roger knows that he’s been lucky for three reasons: the secrets of his success? ... he looked

'like a hero … can remember lines and ... work cheaply'.

Thankfully, Moore is very much still standing and that is something which we should be very grateful indeed; highly recommended. ( )