The Man with the Golden Pun

I've just finished reading 'My Word is My Bond' by Sir Roger Moore.  Some how I don't feel so bad reading celebrity biographies if the writer is over 80!

'My Word is My Bond' is Sir Roger's story of his life, the people he's had the pleasure (and sometimes displeasure) of meeting and his work, on screen as the Saint and James Bond and off screen for UNICEF.  His life so far has been a busy one and he shares stories from his Second World War childhood, his early struggles as a jobbing actor, striking it lucky in TV and the movies and how his fame led to his charity work.

I loved the way this book was written.  It was almost exactly like sitting down by the fire with an elderly relative and just letting them talk away about their life.  I'm almost sad that I didn't listen to the audiobook instead of reading the print version!  It makes the narrative feel like it's For Your Eyes Only, cosy and almost intimate.

Sir Roger is undoubtedly a total charmer and I defy anyone to not get drawn in by him when they read this book, even though it's a little saucy in places.  Somehow he's not ended up with the Moonraker, he still has his feet on the ground and the common touch, which means he knows what the reader wants and gives it to them.  Let's face it, we all love a bit of celebrity gossip, but we don't want cruelty nor bitchiness, so Moore's Live and Let Die attitude does him credit.  He tells stories about the more unpleasant characters he's met, but doesn't name names.

'My Word is My Bond' by Roger Moore
(Michael O'Mara Books Ltd, 2008)

I read this book at a really good time because I've been given a complete set of Bond films and set myself the project of watching them in order from 'Dr No' to 'Skyfall'.  My next one will be 'Octopussy', so I've been able to read Moore's behind the scenes tales while watching the relevant movies.  It was great to see him mention 'The Man Who Haunted Himself', which is a great little film that I was introduced to a few years ago.  It always struck me as a bit strange that the big star of 'A View to a Kill' had been in such an unusual British production, but now I know that was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what he did, so I'll have to seek out some more of his work.  I've never watched 'The Saint', so hopefully I'm in for a treat there.

My only (minor) criticism is that the book ends with a rather clunky A-Z of places Sir Roger and his wife have visited as part of their UNICEF work.  Unfortunately, some of the stories become a bit samey and as such started to lose their impact over time.  Part of me feels that a separate book about this aspect of Moore's life would have allowed him to go into more depth and make it more interesting, but it might've been hard going for the reader.  I think it might have worked better if these stories had been woven into the rest of the book, but understand that the author wanted to leave the reader with a message about the charity and the important work it does.  As I said earlier, he's such a charmer, by the end you'll let him get away with a lot!

Overall, this is not so much The Spy who Loved Me, but The Spy who is Loved, a light, funny, interesting read, good for on the plane as you jet off to your very own exotic Bond film location.

Now to decide what next.  I'm in the mood for a bit of Gothic horror, but whether I'll still be by the time I get to the shelves you never know!