Book Review: James Bond Encyclopedia
This is a review of James Bond Encyclopedia (published October 15, 2007). This book is a great resource for fans of the 007 films. It is well organized, comprehensive, and up to date.
Overview (from the publisher)
Created in full collaboration with Eon Productions, producers of the Bond movies, this illustrated celebration of the world’s most famous super-spy examines every aspect of 007’s world, with information on his history, style, and tastes, along with A-Z guides to his adversaries, allies, gadgets, cars, and, of course, the ever-glamorous Bond girls. AUTHOR BIO: John Cork and Colin Stutz authorities on every aspect of the James Bond story, wrote the acclaimed book on the James Bond phenomenon, James Bond: The Legacy, have produced, written and directed 30 special feature documentaries for MGM’s DVD releases of James Bond films, and contributed to The Ultimate James Bond: An Interactive Dossier CD-Rom for MGM Interactive.
Book Facts (from the publisher)
# Hardcover: 320 pages
# Publisher: DK ADULT (October 15, 2007)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 075663167X
# ISBN-13: 978-0756631673
# Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.9 x 1.2 inches
# Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
Written Content (8/10)
As an encyclopedia, this book does an excellent job covering the 007 canon.
Getting past the forward material, it is organized in the following categories: “The Role of Bond”, “Bond Villains”, “Bond Women”, “Supporting Cast”, “Vehicles”, “Weapons & Equipment”, “The Movies”. Fairly straight forward and it really covers the foundational elements of the films.
Each entry includes notes of what film applies, status, characteristics, “played by” (for characters) or “used by” (for vehicles and weapons/equipment), as well as definitions/descriptions.
There are also two page spreads for each film, including credits, an image of the one sheet poster, and background information on the production. There are also sidebars on key people behind the films.
Visual Collateral (8/10)
The book, though an “encyclopedia”, is about equal parts written and visual content, with each entry typically having one or more accompanying images. Though the films covered span 45 years, there is a consistency and quality to the images in the book that serve it well.
There are some great images and those alone create a great “coffee table book”-style tome that is fun to flip through.
Presentation/Quality (8/10)
The book itself is of a standard hardcover with dustcover design. It is over 300 pages, and relying on the encyclopedia format, it flows very well.
The overall design is very pleasing and there is enough to please any Bond fan. The index is fairly comprehensive and finding specific content is easy enough.
Overall Value (7/10)
The retail price is $40, which is a bit high, even though it is a hardcover and full color. It can be had via Amazon.com for around $26, as well as at other discount retailers as well. If you are a fan of the films, it is definitely worth picking up. There is a lot of content for the money, and, as a prop collector and hobbyist, it serves as a great quick reference and has good coverage of the various weapons and gadgets seen in the films.
Conclusion and Overall Rating (8/10)
For me, this is a must buy book. There is a wealth of information, all up to date through to the last outing (Casino Royale, my personal favorite). I am an information junkie, so I really enjoy the encyclopedia format (maybe more than most would).
Jason De Bord