My Word Is My Bond: A Memoir by Sir Roger Moore
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Book Reviews of My Word Is My Bond: A Memoir
Book Review: I devoured this book.
Summary: 4 Stars
I devoured this book as soon as I bought it. Roger Moore is my favorite Bond. I have the complete Saint series on DVD and I really enjoy his work. I enjoyed reading this book and especially reading how he got started in acting and his remberances about being on the set. I was sorry to hear that his experience of the Van Damme film, one of his later roles, was not a good one. He was obviously very unhappy about working on that film and was uncharacteristically harsh in his comments on Van Damme himself. The best parts of the book is when he relates his early years and his work on his films. I learned quite a lot about Moore in this book and it is a worth while read for any fan. He corrected some errors that were reported about himover the years by the media and he told about his rather large involvement in charitable works. His later talk concerning his humanitarian efforts kind of bogs down a bit, but it is obviously very important to him and is a much more important contribution to society than is his acting work. I liked this book and recommend it to fans of Roger Moore and people who are interested in acting.Book Review: One hundred words on an enjoyable, colorful memoir
Summary: 4 Stars
Roger Moore's show business memoir, "My Word Is My Bond", is a decent reading experience, not spectacularly entertaining but never less than pleasantly engaging. If all you're interested in is James Bond, however, you'll be disappointed, as the Bond years cover somewhere between a quarter and a third of the book's total page count. But the Bond anecdotes aren't the only compelling elements here. Sir Roger's tales of his TV years, theatre work, many other movies, private life, and philanthropic work (in particular, his admirable dedication to UNICEF), also do a good enough job in keeping one turning the pages.Book Review: A Saint and an Appreciative Bond
Summary: 3 Stars
Reason for Reading: Roger Moore is the Bond I grew up with, the one I went to the movies to see as a teenager.
Comments: Right from the introduction Mr. Moore states that he will not be 'dirt-dishing' nor telling 'tittle tattle'; he wants to write a fun book filled with memories the way he saw them and the wonderful people he met in his life but he promises that does not mean it will be a 'fluffy book' either. Roger Moore lives up to this statement giving the reader a very enjoyable look inside his life without trashing anyone. He does mention a couple of names that he simply hates with a straightforward reason why, he tells stories leaving the irritating one unnamed and he mentions names and follows the "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all rule" frequently. But Roger Moore is a charming fellow, very easy going, loves a prank or two, and can take a joke on himself as well so his book is filled with people he adored and those who adored him back.
Moore spends a good part of the book on his early life in England; his childhood, days in the army, acting on stage, becoming an actor in British movies. This was all very interesting and it's hard to believe that Roger Moore is really that old to have been in WWII! Even when acting in Britain the famous names start knocking about such as David Niven (a lifetime friend) and Michael Caine. Then he comes to America and makes a name for himself on the small screen starring in Maverick (replacing James Garner as his British cousin), then his famous Simon Templar as The Saint and finally The Persuaders with Tony Curtis. Not until we are closing in on page 200 does Roger Moore get to James Bond and the book has been so interesting up to this point that Bond is not the vital part of the book. Even if you started to read the because of the Bond connection. I won't go into any more details but from their Moore continues on with Bond, his wives, his other movies and work, ending finally with his long association with UNICEF.
Moore comes across just as I had expected him too. He keeps his debonair, suave, gentlemanly air about him but he also has his tongue firmly planted in cheek at the same time. Even as a child he behaved this way, he calls himself on it frequently saying "ever the poseur". He tells some wonderful memories and anecdotes as he's been with all the greats throughout his career: Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Noel Coward, Stewart Granger, Richard Burton and countless others.
The only thing I didn't enjoy about the book was the last few chapters which mostly focused pretty heavily on his UNICEF activities that it began to feel like an infomercial. I will state I don't support UNICEF for conscience reasons but I did enjoy hearing of the travel and good work he accomplished. But then it just seriously devolved into three chapters about UNICEF with Roger as the emcee. Otherwise, I had a very enjoyable read and certainly learned a lot more about the man who I previously only knew as The Saint and James Bond.