“Bond vs Bond” – Race Point Publishing, 2015

Finally!  Our Christmas present to friend Dick (aka Tricky) is on its way north to him!  It has been a long wait since we ordered it back in early December.

The entire saga began when we were up on Bainbridge Island visiting The Tricks (as he is also known) for a few days.  “Spectre,” the new Daniel Craig Bond film, was in the local theater and we decided to go.  We are all 007 fans and we were pumped.  But, when we got there, the theater was closed.  I don’t remember why – a power problem or something.  Totally bummed out, we went home and watched an old movie that not one of us now remembers.  We just know that it wasn’t “Spectre.”

“Diamonds Are Forever” – the movie, 1971

Back in Oysterville, Nyel ordered the just released book Bond vs. Bond: The Many Faces of 007 by Paul Simpson to send to Tricky for Christmas.  Backordered.  In January, still backordered.  Same story in February whereupon Nyel ordered a copy for himself, as well.  Last week, the two books arrived and after a cursory glance, I can only say that it’s a good thing Nyel ordered himself one, too.  Otherwise, Tricky would have an even longer wait at the end of which would have been the arrival of a used book.

It’s one of those what’s-not-to-like books.  Right out of the box, or more correctly right beyond the cover, is this:  “The target of my books lay somewhere between the solar plexus and the upper thigh.” – Ian Fleming, 1962.  As I say, what’s not to like?

After a pithy Introduction that makes you question whether or not you really know Bond after all, Simpson opens with Chapter 001 – “The Life of Ian Fleming,” continues with Chapter 002 – “The Literary Bond: Ian Fleming’s 007” and proceeds with descriptions book by book and then movie by movie and star by star.

Ian Fleming – Admiring cover of “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” 1963

Tucked in among the pages are “The Gadgets,” “The Cars,” “The Bond Girls,” “The Villains,” and the “Moneypenny Diaries.”  And everywhere are stunning, often full-color, sometimes full-page photographs.  Oh!  Did I say it’s a coffee-table sort of book?  But unlike most of that genre, it invites reading from cover to cover rather than simply browsing now and then.

Nyel and I did see “Spectre” when we were in California at Christmas but, the last we heard, Dick had not yet had the plesadsure.  I suspect that James vs. James will whet his appetite for more than just the latest of the movies.  It did mine and our Netflix queue is readjusting as we speak.