James Bond - The legacy

Description

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.