The Science of James Bond: From Bullets to Bowler Hats to Boat Jumps, the Real Technology Behind 007's Fabulous Films
by Lois H. Gresh, Robert Weinberg
List Price:
Our Price: $1.09
You Save: $14.86 (93%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Lois H. Gresh, Robert WeinbergEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-08-25
ISBN: 0471661953
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Wiley
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780471661955
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Science of James Bond: From Bullets to Bowler Hats to Boat Jumps, the Real Technology Behind 007's Fabulous Films
Book Review: 007 Gets A Reality Check
Summary: 4 Stars
Having been a James Bond fan for sometime now, I was intrigued when I first saw and then bought a copy of The Science Of James Bond. The Bond films are famous for their fantastic gadgets, villains and plots so the idea of someone looking at exactly how plausible they really are is an intriguing notion to say the least. The execution of that idea, as the book shows, is mostly an well written, tongue in cheek reality check for 007.
As you might expect the book is mostly about the science and technology used in the long running film series (or at least its first twenty films from 1962's Doctor No to 2002's Die Another Day). Here the book excels. Writers Lois H. Gresh and Robert Weinberg seem to have done their homework as they present the scientific, technical and even historical reality of a whole multitude of gadgets, villains and plots. The results can be utterly surprising at times such as the reality of the background of A View To A Kill's Max Zorin or exactly how plausible is the Goldeneye EMP weapon from the film of that name. Other examples include the writers also look at two of the urban legends born out of 1964's Goldfinger, how plausible Goldfinger's plot really is and taking many of the plot points of 1967's You Only Live Twice to task (including the Volcano Base itself). All the while the writers manage to stay both technical and readable, especially with their tongue in cheek prose style. The result, on this side of things anyway, is a readable reality check of the James Bond films.
The book does have issues though. While the writers have done their homework on the science and technology, their knowledge of the films themselves seems to be utterly lacking at times. There are numerous goofs such as, for example, listing Bond creator Ian Fleming with writing the film version of A View To A Kill, despite it having been written twenty years after his death, the writers literally missing whole plot points for Goldeneye or listing the novel Fleming was working on at the time of his death as On Her Majesty's Secret Service (when it was really The Man With The Golden Gun). The writers also take several importunity's to plug their previous books in The Science Of series such as into the section on the Little Nellie auto-gyro for example. There's also a whole list of other gadgets including the "bowler hats", "boat jumps" and "the ever-popular rocket firing cigarette" that the book mentions on its cover that aren't covered in any size, shape or form within the book itself. Considering how well written the rest of the book is these things all come as rather disappointing.
Overall The Science Of James Bond an enjoyable and at times even surprising accounting of the reality of quite a few of the gadgets, villains and plots seen in the first twenty James Bond films. Yet the numerous factual errors on the Bond films, the unnecessary plugs of other The Science Of books and the lack of items included on the book's own cover do show that the book has issues though. It may not be perfect or even essential reading for Bond fans but if you're looking to cover the world of 007 a reality check look no further.
More The Science of James Bond: From Bullets to Bowler Hats to Boat Jumps, the Real Technology Behind 007's Fabulous Films reviews:
1
1
Movies Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Movies Books
David Lean: A Biographyby Kevin Brownlow
St Martins Pr; Published: 1997-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $55.00
The New Biographical Dictionary of Film: Fifth Edition, Completely Updated and Expandedby David Thomson
Knopf; Published: 2010-10-26; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $22.46
Price in other shops:
Placing Shadows, Third Edition: Lighting Techniques for Video Productionby Chuck Gloman, Tom LeTourneau
Focal Press; Published: 2005-02-21; Paperback; Book
Best price: $37.04
Price in other shops:
Placing Shadows, Second Edition: Lighting Techniques for Video Productionby Chuck Gloman, Tom LeTourneau
Focal Press; Published: 2000-04-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.89
Price in other shops:
Stars in My Eyesby Don Bachardy
University of Wisconsin Press; Published: 2011-02-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.98
Price in other shops:
Behind the Curtain: Making Music in Mumbai's Film Studiosby Gregory D. Booth
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2008-10-13; Paperback; Book
Best price: $17.71
Price in other shops:
Time Out Film Guide, 6th EditionTime Out; Published: 1998-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.00
Price in other shops:
Natashaby Suzanne Finstad
Random House; Published: 2002-07-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.42
The Writer Got Screwed (but didn't have to): Guide to the Legal and Business Practices of Writing for the Entertainment Industryby Brooke A. Wharton
Harper Perennial; Published: 1997-03-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.12
Price in other shops:
JOHN WAYNE: AMERICANby Randy Roberts, James S. Olson
Free Press; Published: 1995-09-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $64.98
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Ian Fleming and James Bond: The Cultural Politics of 007Indiana University Press; Published: 2005-04-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.50
Price in other shops:
Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films (Cinema and Society)by James Chapman
I. B. Tauris; Published: 2008-03-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
Bond Girls are Forever: The Women of James Bondby Maryam d'Abo, Maryam D'Abo, John Cork
Harry N. Abrams; Published: 2003-11-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.18
Price in other shops:
James Bond: The Secret World of 007by DK Publishing
DK ADULT; Published: 2006-09-25; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $8.95
Price in other shops:
Shaken & Stirred: The Feminism of James Bondby Robert A. Caplen
Xlibris; Published: 2010-10-13; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.61
Price in other shops:
The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Readerby Christoph Lindner
Manchester University Press; Published: 2010-01-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $20.77
Price in other shops:
The Art of Bond: From Storyboard to Screen--the Creative Process Behind the James Bond Phenomenonby Laurent Bouzereau
Harry N. Abrams; Published: 2006-10-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $29.94
Price in other shops:
The Bond Code: The Dark World of Ian Fleming and James Bondby Philip Gardiner
New Page Books; Published: 2008-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.49
Price in other shops:
James Bond: The Secret World of 007by Alastair Dougall
DK ADULT; Published: 2008-10-20; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $9.74
Price in other shops:
James Bond Encyclopediaby DK Publishing
DK Publishing; Published: 2009-10-19; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.71
Price in other shops: