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The Man Who Saved Britain
The Man Who Saved Britain
hardback
Published:
2 June, 2006
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Description
As victory over Japan was declared in 1945, Britain was a relieved but also a profoundly traumatized country. It was a very peculiar trauma, created by having won the war while in many ways losing it. The war had ruined Britain's image of itself as a great power. It had only prevailed through the assistance of the two greatest nations on earth; and it now found itself bankrupt, dependent and - despite the efforts of the new Labour reform government - with no discernable future. This feeling prevailed for decades and it still seeps into national life today.
The Man Who Saved Britain explores this trauma through a figure who can now be seen as the quintessential British figure of the time, the great necessary invention who provided a palliative of sorts to many millions of people: James Bond. Ian Fleming was an upper-class wastrel who found purpose and excitement in the War, working on spying operations, finding a legitimate glamour and heroism for himself unguessed at before hostilities broke out. For him as so many others, the elation over British survival was more than stifled by the reality of the new British impotence. By writing Casino Royale and inventing the magical, parallel world of secret British greatness, Fleming fabricated a durable icon - one who for millions of bored former servicemen holding down dreary jobs or for members of the ruling class, lashed almost daily by the humiliation of internaional events throughout the 1950s, made life more bearable.
Written with humour, wit and a great deal of personal insight and affection, Simon Winder illuminates and makes sense of the oddities and contrasts which emerged in Britain as a result of the war.
More Details
| Type | Book |
|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9780330439541 |
| ISBN10 | 0330439545 |
| Number Of Pages | 304 |
| Item Weight | 439 g |
| Product Dimensions | 144 x 30 x 216 mm |
| Publisher / Reseller | Picador |
| Format | hardback |
| Edition | Main Market |
Media Reviews
Simon Winder gives us a rollicking tour through Bondland, [and] expertly captures the knowing blend of nostalgia, sophistication, and plain absurdity that made the Bond books (and later the movies) such a hit in the 1950s and '60s. . . . Entertaining and very funny. --Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
Happily, this brilliantly obsessive exegesis on the meaning and influence of the 007 character--part sociological study, part geek memoir--also has a sense of humor about its subject. . . . Indeed, Bond hasn't provided this much entertainment in decades. -- Entertainment Weekly (grade: A)
Sly, funny, occasionally sad, a wild mix of cultural history, film criticism, and memoir. --Rich Cohen, author of Sweet and Low
The nimble and witty Simon Winder sifts through Ian Fleming's formulaic 007 books with excellent and often hilarious explanations. . . . [An] enchanting book--social history at its best. -- The Palm Beach Post
Winder has an easy journalistic tone, a surprisingly objective take on his own obsession, and an encyclopedic knowledge of all things Bond- and Ian Fleming-related. . . . Witty and intelligent. -- Financial Times (U.K.)
Almost ridiculously enjoyable. -- New Statesman (U.K.)
Author's Bio
Simon Winder is the author of the highly praised The Man Who Saved Britain and the Sunday Times top-ten bestseller Germania. He works in publishing and lives in Wandsworth Town.