When Jimmy O’Connell took a job as chauffeur for 007 producers Eon Productions, it would not just be Cubby Broccoli, Roger Moore and Sean Connery he would drive to James Bond – his grandson Mark swiftly hitched a metaphorical ride too.
In Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan, Mark O’Connell takes us on a humorous journey of filmic discovery where Bond films fire like bullets at a Thatcher era childhood, closeted adolescence and adult life as a comedy writer still inspired by that Broccoli movie magic.
Catching Bullets is a unique and sharply-observed love-letter to James Bond, Duran Duran title songs and bolting down your tea quick enough to watch Roger Moore falling out of a plane without a parachute.
“Catching Bullets is a wonderfully funny and touching memoir” – Barbara Broccoli, co-Producer of the James Bond films
"a completely unique...perspective on the franchise"
"...a wholly original take on a subject that has been written about so many times with most authors covering the same topics over and over again. O’Connell’s book offers a totally fresh take and is a really enjoyable read, not just for Bond fans but for anyone looking for a nostalgic romp through the pop culture of the last fifty years" - Whatculture.com
"extraordinary", "seismic", "a magnificent, soulful, touching and immensely pleasurable book...a defining Bond work" - Commanderbond.net
"Well-written, thoughtful and intelligent, Mark’s book, with a foreword by long-time fan Mark Gatiss and an afterword by Maud Adams herself, is likely to jog memories as well as provoke passionate debate. Perfect bedside reading and just the right book to remind us all why we fell in love with Bond, James Bond, in the first place" - Starburst
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