Books in Cinema and society series

"Licence to Thrill" follows Bond from the 1962 'Dr No', through all the subsequent Bond films, exploring them within the culture and politics of the times, as well as within film culture itself. When James Chapman's rip-roaring journey through the annals of celluloid Bond first appeared in 2000, the London "Evening Standard" said, 'Chapman demonstrates that there is more to the 007 franchise than just girls, guns and globe trotting', and Stephen O'Brien, writing in "SFX" magazine called the book 'thoughtful, intelligent, ludicrous and a bit snobby. Bit like Bond, really.' "Licence to Thrill" went on to establish itself as one of the best books on Bond, and one that has made readers think in new ways about 007. For this new edition, Chapman has now brought the story right up to the present, with a revised Introduction, a new Chapter One and, most importantly, full coverage of Brosnan as Bond in "The World is Not Enough" and "Die Another Day", as well as, of course, a brand new chapter on "Casino Royale" and Daniel Craig's new-look Bond.

Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky, Hitler and Goebbels all regarded cinema as their most important weapon for mass political propaganda. This revised and expanded edition of "Film Propaganda" examines the ways in which cinema was used for political purposes by two of the most highly politicised societies in twentieth-century European history. "Film Propaganda" is still to date the only book in English to compare these two cinemas and examine both in depth. Richard Taylor demonstrates how cinema was brought under political control in each country and goes on to explore the themes and stereotypes projected by the feature films that were produced. In so doing, he highlights the means used by the authorities to condition and control the filmgoer as individual spectator and as member of a mass audience. This process is examined in greater depth in a series of detailed analyses of films selected for their particular political significance, including "October", "Alexander Nevsky", "Triumph of the Will", "The Wandering Jew" and, new to this edition, the 1949 Stalin cult film, "The Fall of Berlin".Also new to this edition are appendices with details of films viewed by Hitler and Goebbels, which were captured by the Red Army from Berlin 's ruins in 1945 and were considered by Stalin for release during the film famine years after the war.