Ebook: James Bond - The legacy

When Dr. No premiered in 1962, the film introduced
moviegoers to a new kind of cinematic hero—suave,
handsome, immaculately attired, ruthless and deadly.
Secret agent 007, the creation of an Eton-educated,
former British Naval Intelligence officer, was an
immediate sensation. The Kremlin blasted his politics.
The Vatican condemned his morals. And eager
audiences could not get enough. For a generation raised
on the homogenized heroes and sexuality of the 1950s,
James Bond represented a new mold, a new type of
entertainment for a rapidly changing era. Few could
foresee that Bond would become an international idol
whose appeal would endure into the new millennium.
«James Bond: The Legacy» chronicles the incredible evolution
of the Bond phenomenon, from the literary birth in 1952,
to the spymania of the 60s, the political minefields
of the 70s, 80s, and beyond, to the latest 007 adventure
of the legacy years, «Die Another Day».
This is the world according to 007, a
bonded history of modern times revealing the global
influence of the most famous secret agent ever created.
Bond has actually shaped history, changing the way
we watch movies, think about spies, and define global
politics. The book reveals how Bond has given us
contexts for the social upheavals of our times, from the
Cold War to the sexual revolution. He has given us an
iconography of elegance, a template for mastering
technology, a modern myth by which we define our
enemies. From street riots in the 1960s to the toppling
of governments, James Bond has played a remarkably
consistent role. Through the years, James Bond has been
imitated, celebrated, and castigated, but never before
has the character's influence on popular culture—and
vice versa—been investigated as insightfully and
entertainingly.
This is the story of how writers, filmmakers, and most
notably a small cadre of producers changed popular
culture by breaking all the rules. Bond was the
quintessential British hero as the sun was setting on the
British Empire. He wore tuxedos as the world changed
into blue jeans and t-shirts. He drank martinis as the rest
of us sipped diet colas and double lattes. Yet Bond has
not only survived, he has prospered. His cinematic legacy
has produced such disparate offspring as the Indiana
Jones and Austin Powers films, and his influence can
be felt in fashion, music, architecture, and even in the
top-secret bowels of the CIA and MI6.
Produced with
unprecedented access to the archives of the filmmakers
behind the 007 movies, and illustrated with over 500
photographs, design sketches, and storyboards, this
truly sumptuous book provides the definitive history of
the James Bond phenomenon.
«James Bond: The Legacy» brings the reader into the world
of 007 like no book before, written and designed to be
appreciated by the casual fan as well as the discerning
critic, and to be enjoyed by all who love the dangerous
and delectable adventures of Jan Fleming's incredible
creation—James Bond.