JAMES BOND AND MOONRAKER at 45

Last weekend saw the 45th anniversary of the release of MOONRAKER on June 29, 1979. This is a Bond film I love more and more with every passing year. It was Cubby at the peak of his powers and pure fun. As with The Spy Who Loved Me, an original novelization by screenwriter Christopher Wood and released in hardcover by Jonathan Cape. Below is my Cape copy of James Bond and Moonraker.

The book also saw a paperback release with tie-in movie cover art. Below is the U.S. edition from Jove. I've always thought the way Bond is illustrated here kind of matched the then-current Jove series.

007 beach towel FUSES the book and film Bond

Here's a curiosity that I've had for years. This James Bond beach towel, which dates to the 1980s, is an interesting fusion of the movie and literary James Bond. You'll note the image of Bond is clearly Roger Moore from For Your Eyes Only. Yet the "James Bond" typeface is from the Berkley paperbacks and John Gardner books. The sail boats and young lady in the background are, well, from the '80s.

The "real" JAMES BOND

Yesterday Sir Roger Moore died at age 89. Bond fans have been pouring out their grief and also sharing their memories of the man who made more official James Bond movies than any other actor.

As I posted yesterday, Roger Moore was my James Bond. In fact, the very first image I ever saw of James Bond was this 1974 Signet tie-in edition of Ian Fleming's The Man With The Golden Gun. When I finally saw my first James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever (the ABC television premiere), I remember feeling confused and a little disappointed that the man in the movie was not the sleek, cool guy from this book cover -- the "real" James Bond.

Roger Moore has graced many book covers as the quintessential representation of James Bond. In 1990, a full set of the Ian Fleming novels were released in Turkey, all sporting original Roger Moore artwork. In 1985 a set of four Find Your Fate novels were published with terrific Roger covers. He's also shown up on many of the John Gardner novels.

And of all the tributes and articles about Roger yesterday, this piece by A.O. Scott in the New York Times really resonated with me personally, and very much nailed why I consider Roger Moore my Bond and, yes, maybe even the "best" Bond.

Roger Moore Was the Best Bond Because He Was the Gen X Bond

Farewell ROGER MOORE

You will always be my James Bond.

October 14, 1927 - May 23, 2017

Find Your Fate with James Bond

In 1985, as a tie-in with the 14th James Bond film, A View To A Kill, Ballantine Books published four James Bond "Find Your Fate" adventures. The first three books, Win, Place, or Die by R.L. Stine, Strike It Deadly by Barbara & Scott Siegel, and Programmed For Danger by Jean M. Favors, used characters from the film with expanded locations and situations. The final book, Barracuda Run by Steven Otfinoski, was an original Bond adventure set in Tahiti.

Perhaps the best thing about these books is the fantastic cover art.