In this new edition of
Licence To Thrill
, James Chapman builds upon the success of his classic work, regarded as the definitive scholarly study of the history of the James Bond film series from the first picture,
Dr No
(1962), to the present. He considers the origins of the films in the spy thrillers of Ian Fleming and examines the production histories of the films in the contexts of the British and international film industries.
This edition includes a new introduction and chapters on
Quantum of Solace
(2008),
Skyfall
(2012),
Spectre
(2015) and
No Time to Die
(2021). Chapman explores how the films have changed over time in response to developments in the wider film culture and society at large. He charts the ever-evolving Bond formula, analysing the films' representations of nationhood, class, and gender in a constantly shifting cinematic and ideological landscape.