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| Bond Book Reviews |
| Review: Being A Scot ( 2008 ) |
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| Author: Sean Connery & Murray Grigor Published by: Weidenfeld & Nicolson |
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If you were expecting an autobiography of our first James Bond actor Sir Sean Connery then this 312 page glossy book priced at £20 isn't it. Instead this book is the actor's "personal quest .. to seek answers to some perplexing questions" about his beloved Scotland and its history. This book starts off after a foreword from the actor reflecting about his life in his "Fountainbridge home in the smoky industrial end of Edinburgh" and his early morning milk round with his horse Tich. Over 15 chapters different Scottish related topics are looked at with the odd photo from Connery's past added. The subjects covered include Scotch Myths and Realities & Brochs, Baronial And Beyond. As the inside cover states the book "is a vivid and highly personal portrait of Scotland and its achievements" and so yes Sean does relect on his film career depending on the chosen subject/topic. There are many personal photos of the young actor and later ones dispersed among the text & historic photos. If you picked the book up without looking at the cover it could be mistaken for a history book not a book about this famous Scot. The reason as always I got the book was to know more of his Bond days ( there's a double page b&w photo of his moon chase in DAF ) but alas this is hardly covered as proved by the end index which has only 10 page references for our film hero. He looks at different sporting heroes in tennis ( Andy Murray ), motor racing ( Jim Clark/Jackie Stewart ) and of course his love of golf with dialogue & photos from Goldfinger and later with his celebrity chums. His early football days are covered with an amusing celebrity souvenir programme photo of young Sean in a Showbiz XI including tv star/host Des O'Connor. So much of the historical research for the book must go to his friend & co-author with Connery adding his memories during their "many discussions". I must admit that it's a coffee table book to peruse the odd occasion if interested in Scotland but not for easy reference to his life & career. So if a fan you may be disappointed but worth a library borrow. |
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Just the BOND BOOK ...FACT 1: On 07/12/06 a first edition copy of Casino Royale was sold for £ 6,240 ( a drop in price see 3 ) at a London auction.FACT 2: On 13/12/01 an Edinburgh charity shop received a windfall of more than £ 5,000 after the London auction of a 1954 first edition of a James Bond book. The rare copy of Live And Let Die had been handed in anonymously to the Imperial Cancer Research Fund shop with a number of other books in a plastic bag. "It was just lying with a pile of books and we go through them all to check for anything special," said volunteer John Fyfe, who spotted that it may be worth than the shop's normal top price of £30. It was sold to an anonymous buyer for £ 5,287 at Sotheby's. FACT 3: On 09/03/01 a first edition copy of Casino Royale was sold for £ 11,400 at a Swindon auction. FACT 4: On 25/11/99 a complete set of first edition Ian Fleming James Bond books with their original dust jackets were sold for a record £ 13,800 at a London auction. |
007 B S: top of page * front page * |
