THE WORLD ACCORDING TO BOND

From high atop the Meteora monasteries to the bustling markets of Tangier, traverse the globe with 007 himself in Assouline's latest title, James Bond Destinations

- Julianna Cabili

These destinations are not just backgrounds, or even backgrounds that simply inform characters,” says 007 producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. “In our movies, they are characters.” 

Suave and debonair, with a lethal charm and a licence to kill, James Bond has enchanted spy-enthusiasts since his inception in Ian Fleming’s novels and his first cinematic appearance in 1962’s Dr No. Since then, the international globetrotter has set the standard on the espionage genre. These adventures have been a hallmark of his character, where sleuthing and travel converge to create an unparalleled cinematic experience.

In Assouline’s newest publication, James Bond Destinations, crime novelist and bonafide Bond aficionado Daniel Pembrey takes readers to more than 20 iconic international locations featured in EON Productions’ long-running series of films. Each chapter contains remarkable behind-the-scenes shots and rarely-before-seen photographs, detailed with exotic locales and complete with insider insights.

In the early to mid-Sixties, international travel was comparatively rare, so people turned to various forms of entertainment, such as the movies, in order to sate their wanderlust. When Bond first graced the silver screen, cinema-goers were spellbound. The secret agent’s highspeed, intrepid odysseys established the classical film series as the ultimate travel guide, beholding audiences to far-off settings one could only dream about.