Shooting 007 and Other Celluloid Adventures

by Alec Mills, Roger Moore (Foreword)

In Shooting 007, beloved cameraman and director of photography Alec Mills, a veteran of seven James Bond movies, tells the inside story of his twenty years of filming cinema’s most famous secret agent. Among many humorous and touching anecdotes, Mills reveals how he became an integral part of the Bond family as a young camera operator on 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, how he bore the brunt of his old friend Roger Moore’s legendary on-set bantering, and how he rose to become the director of photography during Timothy Dalton’s tenure as 007. Mills also looks back on a career that took in Return of the Jedi on film and The Saint on television with wit and affection, and Shooting 007 contains many of his and Eon Productions’ unpublished behind-the-scenes photographs compiled over a lifetime of filmmaking. Featuring many of the film industry’s biggest names, this book will be a must-have for both the James Bond and British film history aficionado.

256 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2014

Reviews

[Barry Hammond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alec Mills started in the film business as a tea boy/clapper boy and worked his way up camera crews to become a focus puller, camera assistant, camera operator, cinematographer, and director. Though the book mainly focuses on his time on the James Bond series there are lots of stories about the film business in general, his travels in foreign locations, and even a couple of ghost stories.

Though he's not a natural writer, it's a generally interesting book with insights into the famous and non-famous alike and an honest effort to reflect on a life spent doing work that few people are privileged to engage in.

The only criticism I have is that when I got to the end and looked at the filmography there were listings for several films he doesn't talk about at all and which I would have been particularly interested in, such as The Eye Of The Devil and Valley Of The Gwangi. Other than these slight sins of omission, it's a worthwhile read. - BH.

[Robert Baldock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's a disarmingly modest personal account of a war-baby who thwarted convention by pursuing a career in film. It's littered with anecdotes & references to stars of the day, including a 20-year link to the 007 film franchise, with special mention of Roger Moore - who also wrote the intro. It's a fascinating insight into the world of film.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent, if not gripping, read as the writer seems to drift through a really interesting life without spilling too many stories that could offend. So interesting snippets but lacked a little focus for me.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the viewfinder

A fascinating and personal account from someone who was
beside, behind, and in front of the camera, in a movie making period long gone, but remembered on film forever.

[Facundo Pignanelli]

DnF so I'm not going to give it a rating.
It is not what I expected so I'm not going to finish it.