Shaken & Stirred: The Feminism of James Bond *new book*

autobotmirage007autobotmirage007 Posts: 4MI6 Agent
edited November 2010 in James Bond Literature
SHAKEN & STIRRED: THE FEMINISM OF JAMES BOND considers the feminist and women's liberation movement through a Bondian lens as it dissects the Bond Girl character and her cultural significance. From the author's web site:

Although she has been lauded by some as a liberated woman and true feminist archetype, the Bond Girl has virtually escaped critical study—until now. Robert A. Caplen’s SHAKEN & STIRRED: THE FEMINISM OF JAMES BOND analyzes the cinematic Bond Girl and argues that the character initially served as a different archetype: one that reinforced a traditional, feminine ideal that served as a powerful reactionary symbol against the gender equality movement that gained prominence in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s.

The Bond Girl is one of the most recognized and celebrated cultural icons of the last fifty years. First introduced in Ian Fleming’s novels and short stories, producers Albert “Cubby” R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman breathed life into her cinematic manifestation beginning with Dr. No in 1962. Since then, the world has been fascinated by the Bond Girl.

SHAKEN & STIRRED: THE FEMINISM OF JAMES BOND provides a glimpse into “second wave” feminism, the Women’s Liberation Movement, and cultural representations of women during the latter half of the American twentieth century through a Bondian lens. It traces the evolutionary journey of the cinematic Bond Girl and assesses her cultural impact, revealing who she is and what she represents during the first eleven films in the James Bond franchise, a seventeen–year period described as the Golden Era of the Bond Girl, and beyond.

The book contains over 50 licensed images of actors, actresses, scenes, and important people and events related to the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s. It is a cinematic critique, dissecting the manner in which the female characters are portrayed in the films and how they interact with 007, and a cultural history. Both entertaining and thought-provoking, the book is not merely a celebration of 007. In fact, the author is an historian and legal scholar, and is not affiliated with the 007 franchise in any way.

More information can be found here:

www.bondgirlbook.com (publisher site)
www.facebook.com/bondgirlbook (Facebook group)
It's also available on amazon.com in hardcover, paperback, and eBook.


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