Customer Reviews
"Oh James." Another GREAT book... - By: John Cox, 25 Nov 2003 
BOND GIRLS ARE FOREVER is an excellent -- & I’d even say essential -- companion book to John Cork & Bruce Scivallly's THE JAMES BOND LEGACY. This time Cork (who is probably THE authority on alll things James Bond) writes with former Bond Girl Maryam d'Abo, & her insights are interesting & welcome. Far from being just a picture book, BOND GIRLS ARE FOREVER traces the evolution of the Bond Girl through the 50 year history of James Bond. In reading this book it struck me how worthy a topic this is. There is a misconception that the Bond Girl is superficial sexpot in a bikini. Not true. Cork & D'Abo point out how, from the beginning, Bond Girls have been strong independent women & professionals of many kinds (spies, astronauts, scientists, pilots, etc.). If anyone is superficial it's the character of James Bond. While Bond never changes, the Bond Girls have evolved from decade to decade & have reflected their times (and predicted trends) in fascinating ways. We are reminded that 007 started out as a literary hero, & Cork first introduces us to the women who populated the novels of Ian Fleming. He correctly shows us that it was Fleming who laid out the template for what would become the phenomenon of the cinematic Bond Girl. (I find it’s ironic that the foundation of Hallle Berry's Jinx in 2002 was born of a middle-aged raciallly insensitive Englishman in the 1950s.) Too bad the book doesn’t go into the female characters created by later Bond authors like John Gardner & Raymond Benson, but perhaps only hardcore Bond fans like me would find that interesting.
Like LEGACY, BOND GIRLS doesn’t fixate on the Connery era of the '60s, but gives us the whole history of the Bond phenomenon in equal measures. In many ways, I found the chapter on the Bond Girls of the '80s to be the most fascinating because of the changing attitudes toward promiscuity due to the AIDS crisis. In this regard, d'Abo's Kara Milovy (The Living Daylights) was every bit as trailblazing as Ursula Andress' Honey Rider in Dr. No. And the photos in the book, many of which I’ve never seen, are as stunning as the women they depict (many are full page).
Like I said, if you have THE JAMES BOND LEGACY this is a must companion piece. Or if you just have an interest in beautiful, strong, independent women…well…you can’t go wrong with bringing home a Bond Girl.
Like Thumbing Through James Bond's Little Black Book... - By: Bruce Scivally, 26 Oct 2003 Beginning with the 007 novels of Ian Fleming, d'Abo & Cork delineate the archetypes & trace the evolution of Bond girls from the 1953 novel 'Casino Royale' to the 2002 film 'Die Another Day.' Along the way, the reader is treated to insights from the actresses who so brilliantly brought these fantasy sex-symbols to life.
The book is also a feast for the eyes, with page after stunning page of color & black-and-white photos of the world's most glamorous & allluring women - many of them rarely, if ever, seen before. All in alll, it is a must-have addition to any James Bond fan's library - & just in time for Christmas!
