BOOK REVIEW:
Welcome to the secret world of James Bond.
Who
was the only woman that James Bond ever got married with?
How many times did James Bond outwitted his arch enemy Blofeld’s
evil schemes? And who is the genius behind James Bond’s
wide range of fanciful gadgets that saved the Double-O-Seven
agent’s life more than a couple of time?
These
are just a few subjects that were touch on in this book about
the secret world of James Bond. This book covers every 21
James Bond’s missions with a few pages dedicated to
the man himself, the loves of his life, his allies and his
power hungry enemies.
Want
to recap the unforgettable skydive duel between Jaws and James
Bond? You can find the breakdown of the breathtaking action
sequence and many others in this Secret World of 007. Ever
wonder the structure of the Stealth ship in Tomorrow Never
Dies, this book will present an intriguing look into the cross
section of the ship and many other villains’ lair and
weaponry.
If
you ever wonder what modification was made to James Bond’s
ride, don’t fret as they are all in here too. Among
the handful of cars’ specification that’s mention
in this book, there’s the memorable Wet Nellie, James’
Lotus Esprit that transformed into an armed submarine in The
Spy Who Loved Me and the BMW Z8 equipped with missile system
in The World Is Not Enough.
And
of course, this book didn’t forget to mention the desirable
ladies that appeared in each James Bond missions. From the
infamous Jill Masterson who died after being painted gold
in Goldfinger to ladies with unforgettable names like Octopussy,
Plenty O’Toole and Christmas Jones, their exploits with
the suave agents are all accounted in juicy details here.
Last
but not least, this new edition also contains features on
Die Another Day and Casino Royale, two of the most recent
James Bond movies. While the book revealed all the ending
and secret(s) of each mission, Casino Royale which just hit
the cinemas only receive 2 pages mention which reveal nothing
more than the players and the basic set up of this latest
James Bond mission. There’s nothing to worry about coming
across any spoiler information here about Casino Royale.
If I were to nit pick, the 2 pages on James Bond are too few
to get to know James Bond intimately. Even his choice of drinks,
the “shaken not stirred” Martini was sorely missing
a mention in this “dossier”. This book might not
please the hardcore fans but it’s definitely a great
jumping board for new or casual fans.
CHOICE XCERPT:
“Countless women have fallen for Bond, irresistibly
drawn to his self-confidence, his sense of style, his sardonic
humour, and the aura of danger that surrounds him. Yet none
is allowed to get too close. For the world of international
espionage James Bond inhabits is one in which death may strike
at any moment, where no one is truly innocent, where everyone
has a secret agenda.”
VERDICT:
Although
not exactly “The” encyclopedia about James Bond
on the shelves, this book is a quick and easy way to recap
all James Bond’s mission. All the highlights of the
movies / mission are presented in an entertaining and illustrative
manner which will appeals to the most casual fans.
XTRAS:
The Movies: Still playing up the angle that the secretive
James Bond does truly exist in our world, the book continues
with the pretense that the James Bond movies were remarkable
transition of what had happened to the real secret agent,
presenting a novel method in crediting the cast and production
team behind each movie.
Review
by Richard "Bond" Lim Jr
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