James Bond: The Secret World of 007

Most women who have waded through the thick, turgid, testosterone-charged goo that coats the pages of Ian Fleming’s Bond books will bear witness to the fact that the safari-suited ponce penned puerile dick fic.

Had 007 relied on the books to immortalize him, he would have gone the way of Raffles, Biggles and Bulldog Drummond, a mere footnote in the history of novels about Club land Heroes.

His continued popularity 50 years on is thanks entirely to the films the books inspired, the actors [six to date] who transformed the somewhat and somewhat ublikeable agent into a sexy and sympathetic action hero, and the wit and quirkiness which the British film industry brought to the second-rate stories.

Through the good auspices of MI6 – especially thanks to the present ‘M’ – case files have been opened to illuminate some of the darker corners of the secret Service, and to celebrate the career of one of the most notorious of the Double-O agents, James Bond.

Of particular interest to techno-nerds is an in-depth and informative examination of ‘the extraordinary vehicles and gadgetry supplied by Q Branch for [Bond’s] use “in the field”’ – belts containing explosives and rappelling devices, watching containing laser beams and buzz saws, rocket-firing cigarettes, pens that double as radio receivers, key rings containing stun gas, not to mention five decades of ‘Bond Cars’.

As M points out in her foreword, ‘it has proved impossible to keep his exploits entirely ‘under wraps’’, therefore MI6 has permitted films to be made of 007’s most spectacular exploits, and the name James Bond is now internationally recognizable.

Apparently all the films ‘were remarkably faithful to the events as they happened’ and although this book is an illustrated biography of the adventures of 007, the portraits and action photographs are taken from the true-to-life films rather than from the secret service archives.

Illustrator Roger Stewart has created wonderful pictures showing everything from martial arts throws to the interiors of secrets lairs and cut-away cross sections of exotic hide-outs as well as meticulously illustrated depictions of gadgets and their inner workings, not forgetting every form of transport from cars to auto gyros.

Everything you ever needed to know about James Bond is in this dossier: favourite gun? A Walther PPK. Preferred shoes? Handmade Oxfords in black or brown. Ties? Plain, and handmade from woven silk.

And the women 007 loved rather than just used? Topping the list must be Tracy – Teresa di Vicenzo – the only woman he married, although Vesper Lynd is a close second, followed by a host of other Bond girls to whom the light-of-love romantic Romeo briefly lost his heart.

Colourful, imaginative with the usual superb graphics and design excellent one expects from DK publications, James Bond is not only a wonderful reference book for 007 fans, its great fun and of general interest to anyone who has seen one of the 22 films. ( )