Roger Moore was the James Bond I grew up with. I didn’t like his character at the time because the grown-ups in my life told me that Sean Connery was much better. “Growing up” changed me, though. Roger Moore has gone from my least favorite Bond to being, well, my second favorite. (My favorite is the fifth Bond, Pierce Brosnan.)  I developed a new understanding and appreciation for Sir Roger’s tenure in the role of 007 after enjoying his memoir My Word is My Bond.

Sir Roger takes us through his days as a contract player in the mid-1950s during the dying days of the studio system, all the way to his current role as an ambassador for UNICEF. There are many stops along the way, including his role as Simon Templar in the television show The Saint during the 1960s and perhaps his best known work as James Bond in the 1970s and 1980s.

Sir Roger is too much of a gentleman to indulge in idle gossip, but the book does have some very funny stories about Sean Connery, Rex Harrison, Hal Roach and others.  It is witty and charming reading.

If you want to view Roger Moore in action as James Bond you may want to check out two of his better known films.

Live and Let Die is Roger Moore’s first performance as James Bond and features Jane Seymour in an early “Bond Girl” performance as Solitaire who is a psychic of many talents.

The Spy Who Loved Me is Roger Moore’s favorite Bond film and features the first of two appearances of the seven foot tall henchman, Jaws, with his trademark steel teeth played by actor Richard Kiel.

David