Book Review: Bond on Bond by Sir Roger Moore

Book Review: Bond on Bond by Sir Roger Moore

July 14, 2013- Bond on Bond: Reflections On 50 Years Of James Bond (Lyons Press, 2012) by Sir Roger Moore is everything you would expect from a 220 page, photo filled, coffee-table book written by the actor that starred as the world's most famous Secret Agent for the longest run of the Big Six.  It is entertaining, informative, and rich with nostalgic photos and artwork from the 50 year legacy of the James Bond movie franchise.

Moore tells the story of the transition of James Bond from the fictional character of the Ian Fleming novels to the central character of the longest running film franchise in movie history.  This is all done through Roger Moore's eyes, and in his unique voice.  Moore provides a chronological perspective and a "behind the scenes" look at the how the Eon Productions' team created the winning James Bond formula, and what it has taken to sustain it through 50 years, 23 films, and 6 Bond Actors. 

Bond on Bond includes chapters on the Gadgets, the Villains, the Bond Girls, and even, one on James Bond's style.  It is light hearted, self effacing and filled with personal narratives, opinion, and touching tributes to many of the individual actors and professionals that have passed on from the long history of Bond film making.  Moore provides a wealth of information and trivia in an easy to read, visually pleasing format.

While it is no secret that Roger Moore is not my favorite Bond, I found his perspectives on the series, the character, and the films riveting.  While Moore could have written a book solely devoted to his tenure as Bond, he chose to take on the entire Bond franchise and he manages to provide a work that gives respectful and insightful treatment to the other 5 actors who played the role; although clearly from his personal perspective.  I applaud Moore's deference to Sean Connery, his praise of Daniel Craig, and his unbiased approach to discussing Lazenby, Dalton and Brosnan, as well as his honesty about the limitations of his own approach to the role.  

The book is filled with a wonderful collection of photos from the films and from "behind the scenes".   It also contains full page, colorful photos of the original movie posters from the entire film series, which makes the book worth the cover price, in and of itself.

Bond on Bond is a fun, fact filled, trip through 50 years of Bond film history. Moore is an excellent tour guide and this book is a must for any Bond Fan.