Book info

• Title The Bluffer's Guide to Bond
• Author Mark Mason
• Year 2006
• Genre Non-fiction

Never again confuse SMERSH with SPECTRE, Oddjob with Onatopp, or Plenty O’Toole with Pussy Galore. A quick read of The Bluffer’s Guide to Bond and you will be able to pronounce confidently on the finer points of the books, the films, and the character of the deadly assassin himself.

Thoughts

I read this because I have a vague long-term goal to watch all the Bond films in order, and thought this could be a bit of a quick-start guide. It does fulfil that role, although it is also a bit snobbish in repeating the fact that the books are better than the films. I also want to read the books too, so that was not necessarily a bad thing.

There are spoilers ahoy, which isn’t a problem because I’ve already forgotten most of them, and it’s a quick, conversational read. I wasn’t that bothered about actually being able to bluff my way through a Bond conversation, but if any of the facts have sunk in then you never know, it could be useful.

Rating: 3 / 5