Bond, Queer Bond

As the world feverishly looks for the next 007, this warm, witty and illuminating chronicle shines a glittering spotlight on the counterpulse history of James Bond. The exciting story of the queer talents, beats and personalities that have fantastically shaped the James Bond phenomenon in all its forms. Blending historical insight with new observations, interviews, understanding and exploration, Bond scholar Mark O'Connell deftly examines the fascinating gay forces behind the openly straight 007. At a time when fierce debate rages about identity politics versus cultural visibility, what if the world of Bond and its diverse myriad of creators, artists and influences were already a fierce bastion of queer? Bond, Queer Bond is not just the fascinating story about how LGBTQ creativity, temperaments, battles, and voices stretched into Bond from the gay map pins of San Francisco, London, New York, Paris, and beyond. It is also a rich chronicle of rainbow artistry, fortitude and visibility featuring Commander Bond alongside some of the most iconic names and pivotal beats of all LGBTQ history. It is a distinctive, energetic, and original compendium about identity in pop culture, the difference between gay history and queer expression, and how the deceptively diverse Bond world has always operated alongside both. In Bond, Queer Bond what might begin as a thoughtful new dive into an adjacent world of 007 fast becomes a rich, colourful, compelling, and fun manifesto about the vital and varied queer DNA of a cultural icon. AUTHOR: Mark O'Connell is a writer, author and pop culture commentator. His books Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan and Watching Skies: Star Wars, Spielberg and Us earned critical acclaim, prize shortlisting, and both mainstream and LGBTQ media recognition. He is a frequent voice across all BBC platforms and channels, Sky, The Times and major global news and cultural outlets. More recently he was consultant producer on the acclaimed Bond documentary, The Other Fellow (2023). 20 colour, 40 b/w illustrations