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By Christopher Brennan - The Combat Position: Achieving Firefighter Readiness (2011-04-06) [Hardcover]
A biography of a star and an investigation of what can happen to a man when the images he creates take over his life Sean Connery’s creation of secret agent James Bond invigorated Britain and its cinema, allowing a cash-strapped, morale-sapped country in decline to fancy itself still a player on the world stage. But while Bond would make Connery the first actor to command a million dollar–plus fee, the man himself was forever pouring scorn on the fantasies audiences found it increasingly had to separate him from. How can such worship not play havoc with one’s soul—especially a soul as painfully unprepared for the pressures of stardom as Connery’s? Undaunted, Connery went on to prove himself one of the cinema’s most relaxed and assured stars and a guaranteed box-office draw. Moulding and remoulding his image to fit the contours of the age, Connery has gone from Sixties sex symbol to the sagacious figure to which today’s young stars are forever turning. Spirited, argumentative and sardonically celebratory, Christopher Bray’s Sean Connery is the story of an actor learning his craft on the job, and at the end of his career, of a man pressing his stardom into the service of his burgeoning political awareness.
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First published September 1, 2010
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December 5, 2022DNF @ 22 %
When I was about 10, I was the biggest James Bond fan on earth. I hadn't yet read a single of the books, nor seen a single movie, but I was anyway. The diet was the Swedish James Bond comic, still photos, articles and a hyper active imagination.
When I was 12, Bond was the topic of a Swedish TV trivia duel and I was in heaven. Information, music, movie clips... I also knew the answers. ALL answers. My mom looked less and less proud and more and more worried. The answer to the final question separating the contestants was known by the winner, the editor of the Swedish James Bond magazine - and by a 12 year old in a very small town in the middle of Sweden who had yet to see a film.
This was taken care of same year though, when the "Bond Festival" (remember those?) invaded our small cinema, my mom took me and my friend to two of the movies (saying we were 'almost' 15, the minimum age to see a the movies in which the Swedish censors - hardest in the world - did cuts such as removing one out of three punches in a fistfight as to not subject easily influenced Swedes to 'excessive violence'). We saw Goldfinger - and later in the same week The Spy Who Loved Me. Goldfinger was already at this time 19 years old and comparing to the amazing technique and modern production of Spy Who... was almost not letting itself to be done. Much like comparing the lead role actors. I knew at 12 that there is only one James Bond (and I learned later that there's only one Sean Connery).
Oddly, therefore, to note that I never read a biography of Connery. I read about him, sure (and I read the equivalent of the library of congress on James Bond), but I never read a proper biography.
Reading about a fifth of this, I started to become annoyed of the biographer’s infatuation-bordering-on-worship of his subject. A brilliant James Bond, sure, a fascinating man in many ways, agreed, a god among us - that escalated a bit fast! The silliest hangup that Bray imposes on us to no end is that Connery was an absolute giant, a massive human, obviously with his own gravitational field not only due to being absolutely irresistible to anyone or anything alive, but because he was just so huge. He was 188 cm. Interestingly, his 007 successors were obviously also towering giants; Lazenby, Moore, Dalton & Brosnan kept the agent’s head high at 188, 186, 187 and 186 cm…
A couple of chapters in, I started to note some interesting information - nothing remarkably new maybe, but things in addition to the sex appeal and superhuman size of the Scot. Then I started to notice an awful lot of incredibly self-important and pretentious writing that more often than not was quickly dismissed by yours truly as pure bollocks. You don’t read a lot of nonsense into Connery’s articulation, movements, facial expressions, etc. in a scene to someone who seen the films more times than you can use the word “hitherto” in a chapter.
I started to make notes of the worst atrocities. And then I came to my senses, looked at the pictures in the middle and promptly took the book to the charity shop. And the notes? Threw them out, sorry this is all you get.
When I was about 10, I was the biggest James Bond fan on earth. I hadn't yet read a single of the books, nor seen a single movie, but I was anyway. The diet was the Swedish James Bond comic, still photos, articles and a hyper active imagination.
When I was 12, Bond was the topic of a Swedish TV trivia duel and I was in heaven. Information, music, movie clips... I also knew the answers. ALL answers. My mom looked less and less proud and more and more worried. The answer to the final question separating the contestants was known by the winner, the editor of the Swedish James Bond magazine - and by a 12 year old in a very small town in the middle of Sweden who had yet to see a film.
This was taken care of same year though, when the "Bond Festival" (remember those?) invaded our small cinema, my mom took me and my friend to two of the movies (saying we were 'almost' 15, the minimum age to see a the movies in which the Swedish censors - hardest in the world - did cuts such as removing one out of three punches in a fistfight as to not subject easily influenced Swedes to 'excessive violence'). We saw Goldfinger - and later in the same week The Spy Who Loved Me. Goldfinger was already at this time 19 years old and comparing to the amazing technique and modern production of Spy Who... was almost not letting itself to be done. Much like comparing the lead role actors. I knew at 12 that there is only one James Bond (and I learned later that there's only one Sean Connery).
Oddly, therefore, to note that I never read a biography of Connery. I read about him, sure (and I read the equivalent of the library of congress on James Bond), but I never read a proper biography.
Reading about a fifth of this, I started to become annoyed of the biographer’s infatuation-bordering-on-worship of his subject. A brilliant James Bond, sure, a fascinating man in many ways, agreed, a god among us - that escalated a bit fast! The silliest hangup that Bray imposes on us to no end is that Connery was an absolute giant, a massive human, obviously with his own gravitational field not only due to being absolutely irresistible to anyone or anything alive, but because he was just so huge. He was 188 cm. Interestingly, his 007 successors were obviously also towering giants; Lazenby, Moore, Dalton & Brosnan kept the agent’s head high at 188, 186, 187 and 186 cm…
A couple of chapters in, I started to note some interesting information - nothing remarkably new maybe, but things in addition to the sex appeal and superhuman size of the Scot. Then I started to notice an awful lot of incredibly self-important and pretentious writing that more often than not was quickly dismissed by yours truly as pure bollocks. You don’t read a lot of nonsense into Connery’s articulation, movements, facial expressions, etc. in a scene to someone who seen the films more times than you can use the word “hitherto” in a chapter.
I started to make notes of the worst atrocities. And then I came to my senses, looked at the pictures in the middle and promptly took the book to the charity shop. And the notes? Threw them out, sorry this is all you get.
October 3, 2020
...their most fascinating specimen is embodied by the most potent symbol of masculinity the world has ever known.
Right.
If you want to read a biography about Sean Connery...this is NOT the book. However, if you want to read a book about the FILMS of Sean Connery...then this IS the book.
...as a black-jumpsuited Connery glides through Ken Adam's burnished sets, you could almost be watching Gene Kelly warming up...
Rrrighttt.
Author Christopher Bray uses the book to denigrate filmmakers and stars he does not like, such as: Terrence Young is a "none too subtle second-rater" and Lana Turner's "warped consciousness stood in for the life she could never get a fix on". Okay.
Bray mostly lionizes Connery, with lip-smacking intensity. These were some of the strangest descriptions (do not read this book on an empty stomach):
"languorous as a lion after lunch"
"sheer physical beauty of its star"
"magnificent musculature"
"unison of movement that Fred Astaire might have envied"
"genius for grounding the fantastical"
"sugary glow of his soft brown eyes"
Rrrrrriiiiigggghhhhttt.
I just wanted a bio on Connery. Granted, I always hate the authors who refuse to do the research on film actors' movies, but Bray goes too far to the extreme. I'm sorry, but ROBIN AND MARIAN is not one of the greatest films of all time. THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER cannot possibly be compared to Greta Garbo's QUEEN CHRISTINA. And Mr. Bray, TIME BANDITS was not directed by Terry Jones. Editing, hello?
The few real-life tidbits about Connery put him in a bad light, which is odd given the author's cinematic obsession with his subject. I worked with Connery twice, and he came across as grounded and communicable and professional. The opposite of this book.
I give the book an extra star because Christopher Bray's sentences had me coughing with laughter.
Book Season = Summer (numinous profundity)
Right.
If you want to read a biography about Sean Connery...this is NOT the book. However, if you want to read a book about the FILMS of Sean Connery...then this IS the book.
...as a black-jumpsuited Connery glides through Ken Adam's burnished sets, you could almost be watching Gene Kelly warming up...
Rrrighttt.
Author Christopher Bray uses the book to denigrate filmmakers and stars he does not like, such as: Terrence Young is a "none too subtle second-rater" and Lana Turner's "warped consciousness stood in for the life she could never get a fix on". Okay.
Bray mostly lionizes Connery, with lip-smacking intensity. These were some of the strangest descriptions (do not read this book on an empty stomach):
"languorous as a lion after lunch"
"sheer physical beauty of its star"
"magnificent musculature"
"unison of movement that Fred Astaire might have envied"
"genius for grounding the fantastical"
"sugary glow of his soft brown eyes"
Rrrrrriiiiigggghhhhttt.
I just wanted a bio on Connery. Granted, I always hate the authors who refuse to do the research on film actors' movies, but Bray goes too far to the extreme. I'm sorry, but ROBIN AND MARIAN is not one of the greatest films of all time. THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER cannot possibly be compared to Greta Garbo's QUEEN CHRISTINA. And Mr. Bray, TIME BANDITS was not directed by Terry Jones. Editing, hello?
The few real-life tidbits about Connery put him in a bad light, which is odd given the author's cinematic obsession with his subject. I worked with Connery twice, and he came across as grounded and communicable and professional. The opposite of this book.
I give the book an extra star because Christopher Bray's sentences had me coughing with laughter.
Book Season = Summer (numinous profundity)
January 27, 2017
The author's obsession with "missed chances", the missed moments when Connery, playing the role of a father, didn't attempt to press himself on his daughters in whichever movies were being discussed is, quite frankly, confusing and disgusting. Particularly disturbing considering how half-way decent the book and writing seemed to be until those obsessions overwhelmed and ruined the biography.
February 2, 2023
Eventhough I truly LOVE Connery, Sean Connery and grew up watching him as THE best Bond ever (thanks to my parents who just ADORED him) this pseudo biography was a big disappointment. Granted, he was a private person and many who knew him refused to be interviewed, it still read like reviews of all his films and not much else. The only new thing I learned was how he hated incompetence as I do. Can't believe the author writes for so many magazines and newspapers. 2.5 stars
March 29, 2014
I found this book extremely dull, because the author is more interested in talking about himself than talking about Sean Connery. I would give this no stars if I could.
April 5, 2018
if there was any such thing as an anti-biography this would have been it.no matter what the film or who the person was ranging from Sean Connery,woody Allen Steven Spielberg and even Roger Moore come in for some serious criticism.the names seem to only to be mentioned in one sentence only to be knocked down in the next.dont get me wrong there is nothing worse then an crawling tribute biography,but on the other hand this author has very little to say that is positive.reading between the lines the author suggests that the wrong agent money men and film choices was down to the fault of Mr Connery.maybe so but you also have to balance the good with the bad.with this in mind its no wonder the subject does not get involved with any books being written about him.
August 12, 2016
This is more a book about Connery's filmography than a book about his life. If you are looking for a biography, this is not your book. Bray, like most "film critics", hates the movies Connery fans love and love the ones most fans don't care for. I learned a lot about Bray's opinions of Connery's performances, but little about Connery himself.
July 31, 2012
Not very informative. Has good stuff about the Bond movies, but otherwise it's just a movie by movie gripe list with a few tidbits.
April 16, 2013
Worst book I haven't finished in years. Interesting subject but this guys style of writing in the pits. Don't bother.
April 2, 2021
I did not enjoy Bray's style of writing. I wanted it to be more entertaining and less matter of fact.
February 17, 2023
This book is about Connery, yes, but the author would really love to be a theater critic…. It would have been a better book without all of his subjective comments.
November 17, 2011
Sean Connery is my favorite actor and yet this is the first bio of his that I've read. I've held off since he's very much alive but since he hasn't made a movie since 2003 and is 80, I figured why wait? What's astounding is how thorough this book is about his life and work in just under 300 pages. It's not filled with too much gossip, which was a worry going in. I have a love/hate relationship with getting the real dirt on people I admire. Bray is real hard on a lot of Connery's work, even The Offence which he considers his best performance. Plus, he's real down on Bond not just for how it limited Connery's early career but movies in general (then and now). But I can't hold Bray's opinions against him regardless of how wrong he is much of the time. If you're a fan of Connery then this book is essential reading and provides enough insight but doesn't spoil all the mystery and fun of the man.
April 11, 2020
To be honest it was not bad, originally I gave it three stars, but I have looked everywhere for biographies of Sean Connery and really it’s hard to find anything very detailed. Sean is a very guarded actor and rightly so. He had done a biography but it was more about Scotland and it’s history than him. So this gives some interesting insights on Sean. But a lot of the book is a film cretic of Sean in the films. However saying that the author seems to have wanted to be like Sean as much as I did when I was younger (and lol maybe even so now). Worth a read if you know nothing about the actor
January 27, 2012
This author's intentions are good; but he uses so many parenthesis; and he uses so many complex words; only to tell the life story of a human being (as remarkable as it is); that in the end I gave up the reading process altogether. However; I was able to learn a lot of things I didn't about this very interesting man. I admire his work and his life; and hope that all of us can have a life full of good opportunities to work and choices of places to live :-)
March 9, 2013
By now you know I read a lot of biographies. I love Sean Connery and this was a good one. It was a bit of a "hero-worship" but still seemed fairly truthful. Lots of photos from various times of his life.
January 21, 2011
Hard to know how accurate this is but you get the impression that Bray doesn't like Connery too much.
I like Connery's acting but struggled to finish this.
I like Connery's acting but struggled to finish this.
September 1, 2011
007!!!
August 6, 2016
553 - 2016
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Buku ini membuatku menonton ulang film Dr. No untuk melihat adegan perkenalan James Bond kepada audience untuk pertama kalinya. Georgeous, elegant, and dangerous...
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews