MI6 reviews John Cork and Bruce Scivally's "James Bond: The Legacy"...

"James Bond The Legacy" Review
15th June 2004

Authors: John Cork & Bruce Scivally
Published: 20th September 2002
MI6 Rating:

Synopsis
When "Dr. No" was released in 1962, it had an immediate and lasting impact on film audiences. The character of Bond became an icon of masculine cool and an international idol who would ride the cultural zeitgeist for the next 40 years. This title chronicles the evolution of the Bond movies and examines what it is about Bond that changed cinema for ever. Decade by decade from the 1960s on, the book looks at Bond in history and history in Bond. With films that are set "two minutes into the future", they have both echoed and presaged technological developments as well as key moments in the Cold War and its aftermath. The voice of James Bond and his creators is heard through extensive interviews and the book includes commentary from famous fans and film critics from around the world. With over 550 images from the 007 archives and exclusive private collections, this book celebrates all that is Bond.

Official Blurb
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 Ian Fleming’s incredible creation - James Bond.

 


Above: "The Legacy" cover artwork.

Timeline
2002

September 20 - 1st edition Boxtree hardback (UK)
October 1- 1st edition Harry N Abrams hardback (USA)

Order Online
UK - MI6 Price: £24.50
USA - MI6 Price: $33.97


Trivia
John Cork & Bruce Scivally were both born and bred in Alabama. They first met each other at the school of Cinema-Television, in Southern California.

Chapter Listing

  1. The Birth of Bond
  2. The Phenomenon Begins
  3. Spymania
  4. Spy Versus Spy
  5. Calculated Risks
  6. James Bond Saves The World
  7. Nobody Does It Better
  8. All Time High
  9. Flirting With Danger
  10. Shaken Not Stirred
  11. Return Of A Classic
  12. Two Minutes Into The Future
 

Excerpt
“Before Terence Young signed on to direct Dr. No and long before Richard Maibaum typed the first Bond script, the producers were looking hard for an actor to play 007. In fact, even before Broccoli and Saltzman had their deal in place with United Artists, the search for James Bond hit the press”

Quote
“My earliest memory related to James Bond is that, when I was about six years old, my mother bought me an Oddjob hand puppet. At the time, I had no knowledge of James Bond, but I thought the puppet, with its little plastic hat - mine had a bright green one - was pretty cool.” - Bruce Scivally, www.bondlegacy.com

“Writing this book, I came to the conclusion that our modern world is James Bond’s world. We just live here. We use spy cameras to watch our babysitters, have GPS systems in our cars, and no man ever puts on a tuxedo without thinking about 007.” - John Cork, www.bondlegacy.com

Review

Introducing John Cork, Bruce Scivally and Ian Fleming
From the directors of thirty MGM documentaries comes a mammoth book. James Bond: The Legacy covers everything Bond, right from the birth of Ian Fleming to the latest outing, Die Another Day.

Starting from the life of Ian Fleming and the ‘birth of Bond’ with his novels, the authors revisit the world of 007 and bring a colorful commentary to the production of the Bond films. From the first chapter you will be amazed by Fleming’s own spy and war experiences that prompted him to write the James Bond novels, as well as his fascination with ‘The Cambridge Spies’.

James Bond: The Legacy shows how Fleming’s first few novels started a trend for spy thrillers and action comic strips. The authors go on to tell the story of Albert R. Broccoli and how he discovered 007.

Bond To The Big Screen
Cork & Scivally give an in-depth description of 007’s road to stardom and the big screen via Sean Connery, as well as the huge success for the first James Bond feature film, Dr. No. The Legacy regards the partnership of Broccoli and Saltzman with other members of the Bond team in a heroic light. But not all the credit has been handed to the producers on a plate. The book talks in-depth about Dr. No director, Terence Young and his significant contribution to the success of 007. From here on the book charts the highs and lows, the triumphs and defeats of the producers and their skilled team of artists. Through the departure of Harry Saltzman from the Bond scene, this well written flowing history does not a beat.

More Wows Than Before
The book is brought together with at least 500 stunning photographs, a huge number of quotes and an original insight into the history of James Bond. The Legacy is huge in every respect and sometimes even overwhelming. This ‘golden’ book is an amazing read. It makes a great coffee table book, but is almost too rich to navigate cover to cover. Sadly it does not hold any surprises in the way of new insights into the Bond novels or films, but what it sometimes lacks in originality it more than makes it for in style.

Images courtesy Amazon Associates.