The Many Lives of James Bond: How the Creators of 007 Have Decoded the Superspy

by Mark Edlitz

Lots of people love James Bond. But how many have actually been Bond? The Many Lives of James Bond offers the largest ever collection of original interviews with actors who have played Bond in different media, as well as in-depth interviews with many of the diverse artists who have contributed their talents to the making of James Bond movies, television shows, novels, radio dramas, comic books, and video games. These wide-ranging interviews provide a behind-the-scenes look at the artists' goals, the challenges they faced, and how they met them. This book is also the first to examine the Bond character through the eyes of the artists who interpret him. As the author talked with these creative people, a through-line emerged. It involves a series of related fundamental questions about Bond that artists must reckon with when interpreting Bond. Who is James Bond and what, if anything, beyond successfully completing a mission does he really want? What drives him? Why did he become an agent? What is the nature of his inner-life? Would he be capable of a satisfying life away from high-octane adventure and danger? These questions challenge and inspire the creators to pull back the curtain on a deliberately opaque figure in an attempt to explore and analyze Bond's interior life and thought processes, and how the Bond actors have interpreted the role.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

312 pages, Hardcover

Published November 4, 2019

About the author

Mark Edlitz's is the author of HOW TO BE A SUPERHERO, a book about superheroes and the actors who play them.

His writings have appeared in The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex, Moviefone, Sirius/XM Radio's Slice of SciFi and Empire magazine online.

Mark wrote and directed the award-winning independent film The Eden Myth.

He also directed and produced Jedi Junkies, a film about extreme Star Wars fans.

Mark's second book THE MANY LIVES OF JAMES BOND will launch in October.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another year & here is yet another book on the world of secret agent James Bond. Having read so many books on 007 over the last 45 years I was going to give this one a miss. After all, what else is there to say about Bond ? However, after some very positive reviews on Goodreads I thought I'd give it a go after all.
The opening chapter certainly didn't disappoint with its insightful interviews with Goldeneye & Casino Royale director Martin Campbell & his take on introducing new 007s Brosnan & Craig to the world.
Author Mark Edlitz is a huge Bond fan and as a result asks some excellent questions throughout the book. In return he gets some great answers from a huge amount of people involved with bringing Bond to life on the big & small screen, on radio, in books & comics & in computer games.
The Many Lives of James Bond contains a wealth of new information from many previously unexplored sources. Highly recommended for any fan of 007, especially ones like myself who think that they know it all.....& then find new information on almost every page. What a delight.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the next 007 movie and Daniel Craigs last outing as James Bond this book is being published just before the advertisements start informing everybody about the new movie. During reading this novel I saw a new Heineken advertisement where Craig turns down a Wodka Martini and picks a 0% alcohol beer because he is working. Which shows the brand of humor bij his 007 rather under-cooled and certainly different from the previous actors style.

I have been a life long 007 fan I discovered the books at the same time I discovered the Saint novels and had read the Fleming novels before I by accident went to a scifi movie called "Moonraker" and discovered that the book as written by Fleming had very little to do with the movie with the same name. That said in this pre-videotape era I discovered the double features in my local cinema with Sean Connery, George Lazenby and Roger Moore playing the same role. With a certain Timelord in mind I was not really bothered with the various actors.

I have been a James Bond fan for most of my life and until Die another Day watched every 007 movie on the first evening, by then I had kids and my agenda was somewhat different. The last Brosnan outing was delayed in the Netherlands for a few months due to A Harry Potter movie and the Dutch cinema's wanted to get both blockbusters but not in the same time, so all Belgian cinema's who released the movie in December got a large influx of Dutch paying customers.

Anyhow this book is comprised of insights on the phenomenon James Bond 007 by people who worked for the franchise or had to do with the character. If you think you know everything about 007 consider yourself in for a threat as the writer has put in some great stuff I never knew. The movies Casino Royale 1967 & Never say never again are also featured in this book including the radio versions of 007 and the penciller of the comics.

A varied basket of goodies that will certainly appeal to fans of the franchise. And the artwork of Pat Carbajal is mostly quite decent and covers a lack of licensed pictures which EON undoubtedly did not permit. They should not have worried about this labour of love by this particular writer.

Easy to read and easy to enjoy, glad somebody pointed out the book to me, he was right this book is worth your time if you enjoy the adventures of a certain 007.

[Jack Lugo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is essential reading for James Bond fans. I finished reading this a long while ago and wrote a review for James Bond Radio but neglected to post my review here as well.

The Many Lives of James Bond by Mark Edlitz offers up a number of Bondian gems to entice and surprise even the most avid of Bond fans. Whether you’re a hardcore or casual Bond fan, you will learn something about the franchise that you may not have known before. As someone who considers himself quite well-versed in Bond franchise history, I was truly impressed with the book’s invitation to dig deeper into the franchise via conversations with actors and creators who have shaped and molded the James Bond franchise and iconography. Central to this book is Edlitz’s idea that each person charged with bringing Bond to life (whether that person is an actor, voice actor, director, writer, songwriter, stunt performer, etc) must first define who Bond is in order to deliver their contribution to each respective presentation of Bond. As Bond fans we have cherished the franchise and its many iterations for decades. We all have a clear definition of who James Bond is in our collective consciousness, but various actors and creators also have had to define who Bond is to them in order to present us with the iconic character over the decades.

Different individuals have worked on Bond ultimately molding and shaping the character based on how they perceive him. Most people tend to identify the main characterizations of Bond with the Bond actors who have portrayed him in the cinematic series produced by Eon. Edlitz reminds us that while the actors in the film series are of course very important, so are the screenwriters, directors, stunt performers, costume designers, and even the songwriters because each of those roles contributes a great deal to the franchise’s presentation of Bond throughout the cinematic series. In addition to this, there are performers and creators who have been charged with presenting Bond through radio dramas, audiobooks, continuation novels, poster illustrations, comic strips, graphic novels, a children’s cartoon, video games, and even voice actors who dub the Bond films for foreign language markets.

Edlitz’s conversations with various Bond creators and contributors get to the heart of how each of them define Bond. He talks with directors Martin Campbell and John Glen about how they each chose to portray Bond in their films. Campbell discusses his approach to directing Pierce Brosnan in GoldenEye in comparison with his turn directing Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. John Glen discusses the driving factors behind the portrayal of Bond in his films having directed both Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton. Edlitz was also fortunate enough to talk with Sir Roger prior to his death in 2017 as well as with Tom Mankiewicz prior to his death in 2010.

In addition to revelations about the cinematic franchise, Edlitz also uncovers a number of different things about Bond presentations even the most passionate Bond fans might not be entirely familiar with. Most impressive of these comes about in his conversation with Ros Holness, the daughter of Bob Holness who performed as James Bond in a 1958 radio dramatization of Moonraker for the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The performance was live and unrecorded so very little is known about it, but Ros Holness uncovered a few previously unknown details about her father’s turn as James Bond that are newly revealed in Edlitz’s book.

At the heart of this book is the discovery of what each actor and artist charged with presenting Bond deemed important to bring to the role. In addition to the conversations I’ve mentioned, Editz also talks to a notable array of Bond alumni including: George Lazenby, Bruce Feirstein, Roger Spotiswood, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais (screenwriters for Never Say Never Again), Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Horowitz, Kai Martin (Daniel Craig’s stunt double), illustrator Robert McGinnis, Glen A. Schofield (who directed Sean Connery during his voiceover work for the From Russia with Love video game), and many more. No matter how familiar you may be with the Bond franchise and its history, there is plenty in this book to dive into. I highly recommend The Many Lives of James Bond by Mark Editz as a welcome and worthy addition to my ever expanding bookcase of notable James Bond books.

[Matthew Kresal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since 1953, Ian Fleming's James Bond has been thrilling audiences across different media. What started as a series of novels and short fiction has spawned one of cinema's enduring franchises along with numerous comics, video games, and audio dramas presenting the adventures of 007. While attention often focuses on the actors who've portrayed Bond, a sizable group of creators has each played a role in bringing those tales to life. Mark Edlitz's 2019 book The Many Lives of James Bond collects interviews with those who've played a role in bringing Bond to life across the decades.

Divided into five parts, Edlitz takes a multi-faceted approach to use these interviews to explore Bond's appeal and history. Opening with Bond on Film, he interviews multi-Bond film directors Martin Campbell and John Glen, discussing their approaches to Bond in different decades. Their interviews ranged from Campbell's introducing two 007s to the world, Glen's working with Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton, or how he might have approached directing Pierce Brosnan if fate hadn't taken him out of the role of 007 in 1986. There are interviews with screenwriters, including Tom Mankiewicz before his 2010 passing and uncredited Never Say Never Again writers Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais, who offer up their perspectives on that "rogue" Bond outing. Finally, the section concludes with a look at Bond songs, with lyricists Leslie Bricusse and Don Black offering their experiences and thoughts on what makes a good Bond song.

Edlitz soon moves from screen to page. Bond in Print features Anthony Horowitz discussing his pastiche novel Trigger Mortis, with the challenges of writing in the Fleming style and accepting responses for writing a Bond book. On the comic and graphic novel side of the equation are interviews with Graham McLusky, son of longtime 007 newspaper comic illustrator John, and 1980s-90s comic book writer and artist Mike Grell. McLusky discusses his father's work from the 1960s to the 1980s, while Grell discusses adapting the film Licence to Kill for the medium and his acclaimed but delayed original Bond comic Permission to Die. Together, they offer insights into writing and illustrating Bond, riding the often fine line between the literary and cinematic incarnations of the character with notes from both the Fleming estate and Eon Productions.

From there, the book moves into some of its most intriguing territories. Being Bond features 80 or so pages worth of interviews with actors who've played the role of Bond on screen, on stage, in radio drama, in video games, and more. There are interviews with the late Sir Roger Moore and George Lazenby, though given how numerous interviews with both men are, theirs are fun reads rather than insightful. Beyond those perhaps obvious Bonds, there's a myriad of other 007s with whom Edlitz has discussions. There are the children of Hoagy Carmichael (who Fleming said was a close match for his ideal of Bond) and Bob Holness, who played Bond in a 1958 radio drama adaptation of Moonraker for South African radio, with the interview bringing out new details about that seemingly lost production. BBC Radio 007 Michael Jayston discusses the 1990 adaptation of Fleming's novel You Only Live Twice, Simon Vance on the process of recording audiobooks of the Bond novels, plus a host of Bond's video game voices on approaching either imitating a screen 007 or putting their own spin on the character. There's dancing (!) James Bond in the form of Joseph Malone from the 1982 Oscars, Dietmar Wunder being the German voice of Daniel Craig's Bond, and Craig's stunt double Kai Martin doing Bond stunts. From the well-known to the obscure or overlooked, each of these interviews offers insights into taking on the world's most famous secret agent, even if no one is necessarily aware they've done so.

The final parts of the book look at the designing Bond and the evolving role of "Bond women." The designing portion features interviews with poster artists from the film franchise, including Never Say Never Again's Rudy Obrero exploring how he created art for a Bond film without any of the Eon iconographies. Craig-era costume designer Jany Temine discusses dressing a more down-to-Earth Bond, exploring some of the choices made for Skyfall and Spectre. Glen Schofield offers a behind the scene look at creating a Bond video game, having worked on EA's 2005 From Russia With Love game that saw him working with Sean Connery, who recorded dialogue in what turned out to be his final Bond performance. Last but not least, interviews with Lana Wood (who played Plenty O'Toole in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever) and academic Lisa Funnell explore the role and legacy of women in the Bond canon. While an academic interview might seem an odd note to end the book with, it's a solid enough choice as Edlitz knows which questions to ask to get the most insight.

From screen to page, costumes and audio dramas to video games, The Many Lives of James Bond is an insightful addition to any Bond fans library. How could it not be with the wealth of Bonds between it covers, let along those who've helped bring his adventures to life? After all, nobody does it better.

[James Tidd · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading all of the Fleming novels, and a couple of books on Bond, I saw this one at my local library and decided to give this a go. I was not disappointed.

In Part 1, interviews are conducted with those who were involved with the movies behind the scenes, such as the director John Glen, writer Tom Mankiewicz and the songwriter Don Black.

In Part 2, Edlitz interviews those who have been involved with Bond in Print, such as Anthony Horowitz who has wrote several novels, John McLusky who did the comic strip and Mike Grell who did the graphic novels.

In Part 3, Edlitz interviews those who have played Bond, featuring the usual actors and including others such as Bob Holness, David Niven, Corey Burton and Dietmar Wunder (the German Bond).

In Part 4, interviews are conducted with those who designed 007, such as the illustrator Rudy Obrero, Jany Temime who was in charge of Bond's looks and Glen Schofield who recorded Connery's voice in the From Russia with love game.

Part 5 deals with Bond Women with interviews with Lana Wood who made a brief appearance in Diamonds are Forever, and Lisa Funnel the essayist who envisioned and edited For His Eyes Only: The Women of James Bond.

I thought the book could have been a bit longer with interviews with some of the actors/actresses who played villains. I think one from each of the eras such as Luciana Paluzzi (Fiona Volpe in Thunderball), Christopher Walken (Max Zorin in A View to a Kill), Benicio del Toro (Dario in Licence to Kill), Jonathan Pryce (Elliot Carver in Tomorrow never dies) and Mads Mikkelsen (Le Chiffre in Casino Royale 2006) with quotes from previous interviews with Telly Savalas (Blofeld in On Her Majesty's Secret Service). Even if they were quotes taken from interviews, as the author does in the appendix, then that would have sufficed.

Otherwise a good book.

[Yvis Cannavale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

Covered so many different avenues. Talking with authors the Bond books, composers, the people involved with James Bond Jr. Very fun and very insightful.

[Nick Cutinello · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history of Bond and the actors who played him.

[Evan Frew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty cool collection of interviews and perspectives but I don’t really see myself revisiting it if I were to buy it

[Mat C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm currently in the middle of one of my bi-yearly "Get obsessed with all things James Bond" phases. This dates back to when I was a little kid.

This book has a neat concept. Mark Edlitz interviews writers and participants in the films, continuation novels, video games, newspaper strips, and more to learn about how they approached the character. I had no idea there was a syndicated newspaper strip adaptation of all the novels before the movies came out. Of course I had to order those as soon as I found out.

My favorite chapter was the one about Sean Connery doing voiceover for the From Russia With Love videogame.