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More copies of this ISBN:This title in other formats:The Man Who Saved Britain: A Personal Journey Into the Disturbing World of James Bondby Simon Winder
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Bond. James Bond. The ultimate British hero — suave, stoic, gadget-driven — he was more than anything the necessary invention of a traumatized country whose self-image as a great power had just been shattered by the Second World War. Bond's creator, Ian Fleming, was an upper-class wastrel who had found purpose and excitement in the war, and to whom, like so many others, its end was a terrible disappointment — the elation of survival stifled by the reality of the new British impotence. In 1952 Fleming set out to repair this damage. By inventing the magical, parallel world of secret British greatness and glamour, he fabricated an icon that has endured long past its maker's death.
To grow up in England in the 1970s was to grow up with James Bond, and The Man Who Saved Britain is first of all the story of the author's relationship with the "national religion." Simon Winder lovingly and ruefully re-creates the nadirs and humiliations of fandom while illuminating what Bond's evolution — from books to film, from his roots in the 1940s to his "managed decline" today — says about the conservative movement, sex, the monarchy, food, attitudes toward America, class, and everything in between. The Man Who Saved Britain is an insightful and, above all, entertaining exploration of postwar Britain through the palliative influence of one of its most legendary icons, the larger-than-life Agent 007. Review:"In this glittering gem, Winder (publishing director at Penguin UK) combines cultural history, memoir and a terrifyingly formidable knowledge of James Bond plot lines to produce a hilarious and thoughtful narrative of the fall and rise of Britain from WWII to the present day. For a nation that had owned a quarter of the world but post-1945 was losing its possessions, Ian Fleming's masterful creation, 007, was its savior. Bond — quipping, killing and bedding all the way — put villainous foreigners and their sinister assortment of exotic henchmen back in their rightful place and ensured Britain would retain its top place in the world hierarchy. In reality, of course, the Americans and the Soviets gently ignored the sad little island and went about their Cold War business. But that did not matter, since 007 exemplified the potent fantasy of British superiority in all things. As for the best Bond movie and novel, Winder tilts toward 1963's From Russia with Love, where Fleming's writing reached its peak and director Terence Young coaxed terrific performances out of his actors. Fittingly for Winder, the film's theme is so dated it requires the most explanation for those who don't remember the Cold War." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"In this glittering gem, Winder (publishing director at Penguin UK) combines cultural history, memoir and a terrifyingly formidable knowledge of James Bond plot lines to produce a hilarious and thoughtful narrative of the fall and rise of Britain from WWII to the present day. For a nation that had owned a quarter of the world but post-1945 was losing its possessions, Ian Fleming's masterful creation, 007, was its savior. Bond — quipping, killing and bedding all the way — put villainous foreigners and their sinister assortment of exotic henchmen back in their rightful place and ensured Britain would retain its top place in the world hierarchy. In reality, of course, the Americans and the Soviets gently ignored the sad little island and went about their Cold War business. But that did not matter, since 007 exemplified the potent fantasy of British superiority in all things. As for the best Bond movie and novel, Winder tilts toward 1963's From Russia with Love, where Fleming's writing reached its peak and director Terence Young coaxed terrific performances out of his actors. Fittingly for Winder, the film's theme is so dated it requires the most explanation for those who don't remember the Cold War." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"A blond Bond? Hard to believe. But that's what we are told to expect when the new Bond movie, 'Casino Royale,' opens in theaters later this month. Still harder to believe is the thesis of this new Bond book: that Ian Fleming's oversexed secret agent, armed with his grab bag of gadgets, did more than anyone else to manage the shift of postwar Britain from an imperial state into a European... Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) Review:"In the entertaining and very funny new book The Man Who Saved Britain, Simon Winder...gives us a rollicking tour through Bondland, even as he artfully deconstructs the appeal of Agent 007." Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times Review:"Winder manages to craft a deeply humorous tome from very eclectic subject matter. Ambitious and highly original." Kirkus Reviews Review:"It takes [Winder] nearly 300 pages of self-indulgent rambling and an odd wink-the-eye style of grandiosity....Winder's nearly 300-page book is no butterfly: more of a wheel somewhat dilapidated by the fritillary he has tried to launch with it." Boston Globe Review:"[A] whimsical, highly enjoyable study....Mr. Winder is a witty, effervescent stylist who provokes many out-loud laughs." Dallas Morning News Review:"Although perceptive and entertaining, this work eventually loses focus in an overly enthusiastic effort to blend many components into one whole. Readers with a good grasp of the historical context and the Bond oeuvre at the outset will be better able to appreciate the book's essence." Library Journal Review:"There are some useful insights in The Man Who Saved Britain — the observation that Ken Adam's Bond movie sets are so good that real location scenes such as the Vegas hotels of Diamonds Are Forever look wan by comparison." The Wall Street Journal Synopsis:Ian Fleming fabricated an icon that has endured long past its maker's death. Winder lovingly and ruefully re-creates the nadirs and humiliations of fandom while illuminating what Bond's evolution says about the conservative movement, sex, the monarchy, food, attitudes toward America, class, and everything in between. About the AuthorSimon Winder is the editor of several anthologies, including the highly praised Night Thoughts. He works in publishing in London, where he lives with his family. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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