By Paul Simpson

Race Point Publishing, out now

Race Point Publishing’s excellent pocket guide to the many aspects of 007 gets a 2020 upgrade in readiness for Bond 25 – No Time to Die.

The thing is, Paul Simpson knows more about James Bond than you do. That’s not an wild or ill-informed boast, you just need to read his many books and articles about the subject to appreciate that he’s the man for the job if you want a concise, no-nonsense handbook on the world of Bond. First published in 2015 to tie-in with the release of Spectre (was it really that long ago?), the content has been polished, fixed and expanded.

In a landscape of multiple Bond guides, this volume’s USP is focusing on the different interpretations and characteristics of each Bond. And so we get separate chapters on the official James Bonds, from Connery to Craig, looking at the actors and the choices they made in their portrayals. Thankfully, the book also acknowledges the wider non-EON Bond, discussing non-canon movies like the comedy Casino Royale and Thunderball redux Never Say Never Again.

A lot is packed into the 200 pages, with synopses of each of Fleming’s novels, as well as the spin-offs, novelisations and follow-ups. And no Bond book would be complete without sections on the cars, villains, music, girls and gadgets – all present and accounted for, as well as a look at the comic strips and audio plays.

Mention must also go to the generous selection of stills, lobby cards, publicity shots, movie premiere images, book covers and movie posters that illustrate the book, many of which I’d never seen before.

As you’d anticipate for a book published weeks ahead of its release, the information about No Time To Die is limited, but there’s a good roundup of the news that was available at the time they went to press. Dan Romer is still credited as composer for No Time to Die, but that switched to Hans Zimmer late in the day, and presumably past the final print deadline.

Verdict: I guarantee that on multiple occasions you’ll say ‘I never knew that’ as you journey through this accessible and enthusiastic journey through all things Bond. 9/10

Nick Joy

 

(Full disclosure: Paul Simpson is managing editor of this website, but I had complete control in the publication of this review)

Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk