Bonds Books

A Bear Called Paddington, written by Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum, is a children's book, and the first in a series of books featuring the Paddington Bear character. This book is a collection of stories about Paddington, an anthropomorphized bear from Darkest Peru, who is well-mannered and well-intentioned, but bumbling and destructive. Indeed, Paddington is one of the archetypes of well-meaning-but-destructive humor characters, along with Amelia Bedelia, Inspector Clouseau, and so forth, and this type of character is one of the cornerstones of children's stories.

Most of the plots and humor going on here arise because none of the characters, least of all the bear, is particularly quick on the uptake. This is the kind of thing that small children will no doubt find delightful, but adults may well be bored or irritated.

RECOMMENDED to small children.

This copy of Paddington is all that the Amazon dealer said. A great book at a nice price. Can't wait to give it to my grandson who loves Paddington!

The book I read was A Bear called Paddington, and it was very good. The author of A bear called Paddington was Michael Bond who has been writing children's books since 1995. A Bear called Paddington is a fantasy story.

A bear called Paddington has 8 stories in the book. First story...Mr. and Mrs. Brown find a bear who had came to America from darkest Prue. The train Stations name was Paddington so they named him Paddington. Paddington has no family so the Browns takes the bear to there house. Second story... Mr. and Mrs. Brown have 2 children, Judy and Jonathon, they really like Paddington. Paddington always has his hat o which actually saves his life. When Paddington was in the bath and forgot how to swim so he poured the water on the floor out of his hat. Third story... Paddington, Mrs. Brown ad Judy go underground somewhere, and o the way there, they lost all there money so as soon as they get there they don't have ay money for tickets. So all 3 of them looked for the money for the tickets. Fourth story Paddington, Judy ad Mrs. Brown go shopping and Paddington have never been on an elevator so he wants to go on one. They got off the elevator and Paddington hates it so much. Fifth story... On day a grocery man tells Paddington how to get paint off stuff. After hearing that, Paddington wanted to try, so he found an old and tried to erase it but it makes an even bigger mess. Sixth story... The whole family went to the theater. Paddington loves it so much that now he wants to be in show business. So he creeps I the actor's dressing room to find the main person, Sir Sealy. Sir Sealy gives Paddington a special part in the play. Seventh story... the whole family go's to the sea and Judy, Paddington and Jonathon enter a sad castle contest and one of them wins. Eighth story... Paddington gets a magic kit for his birthday in the end he vanished 2 thing's and broke one thing.

This book was one of my favorites, it was so good. One bad thing is that it was very easy to understand. I would recommend this book to third or fourth graders.

Paddington is very funny when he does little mistakes. Paddington is a very interesting character that is lovable to everyone. Whenever I'm bored I read it, usually, even though we have already read it. You should mainly buy it for your kids, but you should read it to them because adults like it as much as the kids do. I like all the Paddington books, but my favorite one is the first one. Paddington is a wonderful character and he is my most favorite on earth.
by a 9 year- old (almost)girl from the USA

We LOVE this CD set! I bought it 2 years ago for my daughter to listen to for naps and bedtime, and now at age 5 she's STILL asking for it every night.

I like the fact that both CDs are over an hour long, she likes that there are several stories on each CD to keep her attention. The plots aren't too complicated for her to follow, but they do force her to pay attention and focus on the cd, which is key for naptime. :) Stephen Fry's voice is wonderfully soothing to listen to, and he does a great job of distinguishing between the various characters -- key for books on CD!

As she's gotten older Caroline has begun to appreciate some of the silliness that is Paddington, but the stories are nicely entertaining even without that element. We parents don't mind listening to Paddington in the car when we're on trips. All in all, I say this CD set is well worth this money, it's one that will really grow with you!!

I never received my order. Nor did I receieve any type of response from the seller when I sent inquires.

I really love this book. It has been a great help. My little boy and I can't wait to use it.

As a parent and a teacher, I found this book well-written and fairly easy to use.
My daughter has already lost 7 pounds in one month through portion control, good choices and regular exercise (5 days a week).

There's a lot of good information here. As a teacher of twenty-five years, and as a parent, I've dealt with more than my share of overweight kids, and read everything that comes along on the subject. And although this book is one of the better ones out there, I've been recommending the CD talk "The Fat Kid's Diet: Stop Childhood Obesity In Your Home," available here at Amazon, to the parents who come to me with their concerns. It's brief, sensible, and right to the point.

I read this book to help my daughter who is slightly overweight. I didn't even keep it in my library. If your child has an obesity problem, or if you just have no idea what healthy eating is this book will help you, but to be honest there were many times while reading it that I just had to say "duh!" I was looking for some insight beyond simple common sense. My family doesn't eat fast food three times a week and spend hours watching TV every day. If you have a child that seems to be active and eats a well balanced diet, but still is overweight I would not recommend you looking to this book for an answer.

I've read this book several times since I received the book, and have enjoyed it each time. The whole book is layed out nicely, and there are no rough edges to the story at all. Its an extremely easy read, but it is deep and interested nonetheless. I am definately a fan of Mr. Patrick, and look forward to reading his other works. Highly recommended

An accident,a cover up and a AF officer takes the fall. The presidents brother is killed and the heat is on to place the blame. The news media is out to bury the Air Force Colonel who just happens to be innocent. Thats the way the news media reacts when they get a story from high up sources planted in their ear even if its false. A must read on a long flight- Author-The Day Of The Rose-Larry Hobson

As a woman, and a non-military one as well, I really like how Patrick Davis writes about military life - enough military to keep it on fact, but not so much that you cannot follow the story, knowing little of the words and phrases they use. Far too many authors do this, and for me, it fogs the story. Patrick Davis tells a good tale (we hope) filled with a bit of espionage and a bit of good raw human feelings for those they love and their past loves as well. His descriptions of the Colonel's former wife show intrigue, hate and still the love and admiration of another human being you've shared your life with, allowing the character to feel all of these things with no reciminations. And he keeps you guessing right up to the last sentence of the book. An all around excellent story! I'm now going to look for more from this great author.

This was my first Patrick Davis novel. I was really impressed by his style. This novel was suspenseful and very hard to put down. I am an avid reader (4-6 novels per week) and this one is among my favorites. I look foreward to more of his work.

This book doesn't break new ground. It reads like an old familiar mystery-suspense movie that we've all seen at least once. The good thing is, it would have been one of those movies that had us glued to our chairs. What I'm trying to say here is, this is a good book. I give it 3.5 stars.

The plot spins a nice web of intrigue that pulls the reader in. A lot is going on, but it all ties together nicely in the end. The characters play their roles well, and, for the most part, act in ways you would expect them to. And while I was afraid that the parts of the book dealing with the technical aspects of an airplane crash would bore me to tears, I'm happy to report that I was wrong. The technical details were revealed through dialogue between characters, which made them interesting and palatable. Besides that, the author gave only the details we needed to know, rather than trying to show off any technical knowledge on his part. A good choice. Finally, the story moves along at a pretty fast pace revealing details of the investigation along the way. And just when I thought the book was over, the author threw in a slight twist at the end.

In sum, the book is good and I recommend it.

Very good book on bonds - easy to understand but packed full of information. Would highly recommend this book for someone looking at investing in bonds

If you search Google for "When to Sell a Bond", the only book that comes up is this one, so I bought it. Unfortunately, it really does not describe this at all, only to sell when "Things Go Bad" or "there has been a good run-up"...so I plan to re-sell this book... otherwise if your looking for basic bond concepts and ideas this book is okay.

I would suggest that any reader wishing to learn about bonds in any detail other than the most simplistic, will be utterly disappointed. It was a waste of money, if I may be so blunt.


Malcolm Yellon.

My name is Bond. Bond Bible. All jokes aside, bonds have been sorely underestimated. So many people forget that bond holders are creditors. So that when a company folds, shareholders lose out, but most often times bond holders get paid out. Ms. Cohen pulls no punches and is solid in her review of the bond world. I even like her inclusion of "Bowie" Bonds, the rock and roll bonds that were founded several years ago.

In all her talk I found her discussion light on leveraged bonds. Bond futures are also a viable means to enter this fixed income investment. I should know I've been doing it for 11 years.

That aside this is a one of kind book that no modern investor can do without.

You've heard the old mantra: Diversify, Diversify, Diversify -- but have you actually heeded that advice? Until I read this book, I had no real concept of what bonds could do for my portfolio. To me, bonds were boring, stale, stagnant, and, well, really couldn't hold a candle to the potential double digit returns stocks and mutual funds could produce. Why would I even bother?

Marilyn Cohen takes you by the hand and walks you through the often convoluted terms (i.e. rate to maturity, convertible bonds, laddering, callability, etc.) and explains them in easy to understand terms with practical examples. Don't let that deter those of you that are experienced bond traders -- there are things in here for you too.

After reading this, I feel a lot more comfortable adding bonds to my portfolio, as well as talking about them with investment professionals. There's a lot of potential out there in the fixed income field if you know what you're looking for. At this point, I know enough to adequately diversify my portfolio.

I've lived in the Rio Grande Valley (Hidalgo County, Texas) for 30 years, most of the time residing about a 20-minute drive to the Mexican border. I had taken three years of Spanish in high school before moving here from Michigan, but like many Northerners, I wasn't bilingual because of a lack of exposure to Spanish and little opportunity to practice it.

When I moved here, I made up my mind I was going to get bilingual. I watched a lot of Mexican TV stations, listened to Spanish language hit songs, watched Spanish language movies. And I interacted with a lot of people who spoke no English at all -- which forced me to speak Spanish.

And in the beginning years, I did most of it with this little gem of a dictionary in my pocket or purse. For a pocket sized dictionary I found it to be quite thorough, and was usually able to find the words I heard and didn't know.

This dictionary is not meant to be the only one for a Spanish language student. But it has a practical, comprehesive vocabulary, and includes a number of other important items about phonics in both languages. Add to that a useful listing of proverbs, expressions and idioms for both languages, and you have a gem of a resource.

I'm bilingual now, and I owe a lot of it to having this fine little book. I highly recommend it.

This is the dictionary we were recommended to buy in College Spanish. I recommend any language learner do a couple of things. First, go read How to Learn Any Language.
Ok, now that you've done that and come back to read this, here's what I recommend for you: get several dictionaries. That way you can check back and forth against the books to see the various translations provided. Then, based on all your target language reading, you can decide which word is the best, most nuanced word to use in your situation.

This dictionary routinely had the most recognized words from my readings and conversations with native speakers. It had the least argument-quotient.
It's clearly laid out and dense with words so any word you need should be in here (remember to check for conjugations, etc.).

This dictionary won't let you down.

This is a great dictionary. I used in in high school for Spanish classes. I still find great reference to it to this day.
Easy to understand, clear and concise. I highly recommend it.

I spent 2 years in Venezuela and my U of Chicago dictionary was like a constant companion. It helped me A LOT.

Sure, it doesn't have everything, but what dictionary does? None of the other S-E E-S dictionaries was comparable.

I recently bought a 4th edition when I discovered my other one was lost. I still don't want to be without "my dictionary."

--George Stancliffe

As an engineer living and working in Ecuador, I'd like to say that this is my favorite dictionary. Not only is it a "Pocket Book" (the publisher's name); hence, easy to carry; but it is complete enough to be useful in the real world. It doesn't have every word you might come across or would like to use, but I find it has the majority of words I need. I have a Colombian S-E/E-S paperback dictionary the same size as this but it doesn't have nearly the number of entries. And a big thick standard used here, Ocean, not only misses a number of words but it's layout is difficult for my North American mind to navigate. As an engineer, I like the fact that this dictionary has many technical terms; and as a logical thinker, I like the way they grouped the irregular verbs into categories. For example, the first group spells out the stem-changing variations for the verb "Pensar" (to think). Thus, when one looks up the verb "Recomendar" (to recommend), the superscript "1" appears after the word, directing the reader to Group 1 of the irregular verbs. The only problem I have with this book is that it's a bit out of date, but I see Amazon lists the 5th edition, due out in August of 2002, as a pre-pub item. I have it selected already!

I am one of the few Barry Bonds fans around, so when I decided to find a book on him, I was disappointed to find that there were surprisingly few. Noticing that "Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman" was purported to be in-depth, not just another glossy biography and had good reviews on Amazon.com, I decided to make the purchase. Now, after reading it and piecing a few things together, I must say that I am thoroughly let-down. A few observations:

1) The cover and title are cheesy. I know that the book's author may not have had any say in this, but using "Baseball's Superman" as a title makes it sound like a cover story for Sports Illustrated for Kids.

2) The book is not written well. It is very choppy and author Steven Travers has a tendency to ramble off-topic for pages on end.

3) Not that I'm some avatar of morality, but what's the deal with all the sexual references? [...]

4) There are contradictions sprinkled throughout the book. For instance, on page 36, Travers quotes Bonds as saying: "My father and I were never really close when I was growing up." Then, just five pages later, he quotes Bonds as saying: "My father and I have always been very close." Sure, Bonds is the one contradicting himself, but Travers never points this out, just one example of the multiple occasions where I almost laughed out loud at the book's inconsistencies.

5) How many times are we to hear that Travers played pro ball? Big deal, you struck out 15 guys in a minor league game. There are minor-leaguers who have hit 60 homers, thrown perfect games, etc. and they are nobodies. I do not mean this as a slight, just a point that we do not need to hear incessantly about things such as "Stan Javier played with me" or how you sat in Randy Johnson's recliner, or how an interview subject calls you "Trav." The book is about Barry Bonds, not Steven Travers.

[...]

The bottom line is that Travers squandered a golden opportunity. Rolling the dice early in 2001 that Bonds would break the home run record, getting permission to do a book, and then seeing him acutally do it is akin to hitting the lottery for a sports journalist. Unfortunately, the finished product seems hastily thrown together, poorly edited, and foolishly out-of-bounds in many areas. Too often we hear about sexual hijinks that have nothing to do with Bonds, and we also get Travers's opinions on a multitude of subjects that I don't care to know his thoughts on. The fact that I'd never even heard of this book should have been enough of a red flag, but it wasn't, and therefore I got what I deserved. This book isn't terrible, but it also is not good, and therefore I would not recommend it. Fans of Barry Bonds should just wait until a comprehensive biography comes out on him when his playing days are over.

This one is interesting to read now that we know more about Bonds. It holds up well and is very well written. I loved it!

With the multitude of books written regarding the sport of baseball, Steven Travers writes with a unique insight into not only the sport, but the day to day lives of Bonds and his peers. As a former professional baseball player, Travers touches on the subject matter with a unique insight and perspective. Additionally, Travers attended and graduated from USC during the time Bonds played at Arizona State (Pac-10). As such, Travers is not only a writer, but a fan. Travers not only documents Bond's achievement of becoming baseball's all-time single season homerun champion, but he touches on Bond's trials and tribulations with his peers and the media. Ultimately, the reader soon realizes that Travers was able to do what many has tried and failed at; that is, he was able to garner the respect and support of Bonds in the ability to tell his amazing story to the whole world. As a former Pac-10 pitcher at USC who battled Bonds on many occasions, I found Traver's insight very refreshing and commendable. I found the book a very easy read that kept me entertained throughout.
'

I have lived overseas for many years but was an avid Giants fan in the 60's & 70's. Steven Travers' book on Barry Bonds was a welcome gift. I had read various news articles about the "controversial" Bonds and feel that Travers' book puts things right. I especially enjoyed the insights into the life styles of high powered sports figures. The build-up to Bonds' record setting home run season was handled in an excellent manner. This book is a great read for any baseball fan.

This insightful, well-written book is a must-read for the sports fan interested in a personal, inside view of the multi-faceted personality of the immensely talented Barry Bonds.

Bonds has provided few people with the access and insight he provided Steve Travers, the author. History will prove it to be the definitive work on one of baseball's greatest players.

Frank McCormack

Have read first 10 chapters to repeat basics of bond math, so the book is good in its breadth, what it lacks is section with solutions to end chapter excersices! it would be perfect with those solutions!

Explains basics-intermediate knowledge of bond markets. Eveen goes into basic understainding of fixed income trading strategy, if you want to work on a desk, in research,or are taking a fin-markets course, you will find this useful through your entire career.

This is the benchmark book on bonds and fixed income, it is very comprehensive and very reader-friendly. What I like about it is it covers everything. If I did not have this one book I would need 5 or 6 others instead. It covers bonds,pricing, duration, risk management, swaps, futurers, options, yield curve modelling, fund management, charting, and a whole lot more.As one endorsment says on the back: an encylopedia on bonds written like a thriller! Very good buy.

Anyone with an interest in debt capital markets will still be referring to this book many years after purchasing it.

This is an enclopaedic reference work on bonds and money markets, but written like a thriller. Oustanding work, great value and highly recommended to banker or student.

I purchased this book as part of my research for a review of the James Bond series. This has been an excellent addition to my research. John Griswald has done all the heavy lifting. The exhaustive chronology is complete and accurate. I found the pictures of Bond and villains especially interesting. These drawings were commissined by the author from his own ideas of the characters and did not come through central casting.
The amount of detail and trivia, like the exact card play in the bridge game and baccarat is fascinating.
The book does not really add to literary review, but the book summaries are helpful. They do not give away the plot.
Overall a great book for the casual and serious Bond fan and reviewer.
NJN

Other reviewers have commented on the layout and look of this volume, suggesting that it is unprofessional or unattractive. As someone who has authored niche market books on both Bond and Hitchcock, let me just say that it's a miracle such books are published at all. If they contain valuable information, as this one does, that's great for fans and more serious exegetes. If they happen to look great, too, well, that's a bonus. Mr. Griswold's book sits on my desk for immediate and accurate information about the Fleming Bond adventures. He has meticulously researched the novels and their arcana (and, boy, could Fleming heap on the arcana) and I couldn't begin to imagine how many hours he spent doing that. (Well, actually, I probably could.) If you are interested in digging deeper into Fleming's world, if you like trivia, if, you, like me, wish people would say, as Fleming did, "Casino ROYal" (not "royAL"), then you will like Mr. Griswold and his work. If you want a more superficial, "been there, done that" picture book, then, yes, look elsewhere. All in all, a worthwhile project. Well done, John.

When I received this book in the mail I almost sent it back, because once I looked inside, I was shocked at the overall low quality of the presentation. While the content is good (though poorly organized, as one other reviewer noted), everything about the book, from the quality of the paper to the typeface looks like someone printed it on a home computer, purchased some fancy covers (the most professional part of the whole book), and wrapped them up and offered them for sale. Equally laughable - and clearly the most amateurish thing about the book - are that the author illustrated the section on each novel by drawing his own renditions of someone or something from the novel. And he's no professional artist, let me tell you. I kept the book though because it had some good information, but had I looked at it before I spent my $30, I would not have purchased it.

Now that the motion picture CASINO ROYALE with Daniel Craig as James Bond has been released and has been applauded as possibly the best Bond film to date, attention has finally returned to James Bond's creator and his literary body of work devoted to his hero. Ian Fleming's creation, James Bond, has virtually been replicated and re-interpreted in every medium from comics, motion pictures, action figures, cartoons, video games and the like. The only one true James Bond is that created in the writings of Ian Fleming. James Bond is a creation from the mind of Ian Fleming. Author John Griswold's "Ian Fleming's James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies for Ian Fleming's Bond Stories" is an in depth study of those writings and an objective look into the mind that created them. Author John Griswold's research is meticulously exhaustive, absolutely objective and thoroughly engrossing in every sense. Griswold's research of Fleming's writings and his objective use of that research to draw rationally based conclusions are reverently commendable. Author Griswold has no room for innuendo or speculation in his book. Ian Fleming created James Bond and the world he inhabited and it is a world based on a great deal of fact as indicated by author Griswold supported by his research. John Griswold's work is indeed an essential in-tandem book to keep within arm's reach when reading Fleming. You will undoubtedly see the value of this book the first time you refer to it and you will assuredly return many times to it.

Did you ever read a book and, when the author off-handedly throws in an expression or a reference to something obscure, wonder if it is a bit of fact or fiction? What does that foreign phrase translate to? What would be that monetary amount be at today's rates? Was there really a full moon on that day?
Well, Ian Fleming was well-known for being the master of detail when he wrote the 21 adventures of James Bond; and John Griswold has written what must be considered the absolute companion for the literary world of Secret Agent 007.
Mr. Griswold seems to have explored every possible detail of FlemingBond and has produced a table book that is both academic for the hardcore fan and, yet, entertaining for the novice that just wonders what all the fuss was, and still is, about Mr. Fleming's writings that made him one of the most famous authors of the 20th century (and, with the release of the latest motion picure heavily based on the first novel, a merit that now stems into the 21st century).
With researched detail that would rival Mr. Fleming, author John Griswold shows us that there is much more fact than fiction in the incredible world of James Bond. Full of surprises, the book is a labour of love that should be both informative and fun for anyone.
Nobody has done it better!

Anyone who's heard of this book should probably read it, because chances are you have had a brush with gaming at some point. I could get nit-picky about some of the writing, but that would be an injustice to what I love about this book. It's written specifically in the 1e AD&D world, so Dispell Magic is called by it's in-game name as are other spells, creatures, and the like. There are even mentions of class/race restrictions. This might sound pretty dorky (and perhaps it is), but it reads like a well-written account of an actual game. I loved the book for that. It's also obviously in the Forgotten Realms, so anyone familiar with the setting will recognize place names as well as various characters in the story.

I don't want to belittle the story with all my goings on about the style in which it was written. It was engaging, and I was constantly curious about what would unfold next. The characters revealed their true selves as the pages flipped by, always presenting some surprise or confirmation of suspicion. In the age of everything-should-be-a-trilogy it felt a bit rushed in parts, but that's FINE. I treasure it as D&D-specific fantasy pulp. I don't -need- some extended saga, though if subsequent books were written, I'd read them immediately.

5 Gnomes

Reasonable DnD tie-in.


While being a gamer at the time, wasn't that keen on the idea of reading DnD books. Gave this one a try I think because a friend had it, and Grubb's name.

It was ok, with a mystery set-up and some standard DnD type characters with some decent variety.

If you really like DnD books in general, I am sure you would rate this higher as it certainly isn't bad.

I read this book about 10 years ago and recently had to scan a chapter or two for infos about the Forgotten realms to make some preparation for an upcoming AD&D game. I first planned just to re-read some parts of it but finally got trapped in it and I swallowed the whole book once again ! A true TSR classic.

While I enjoyed the Finder's Stone Trilogy very much, Azure Bonds did not immeadiately grab my enthusiasm. But after a couple of chapters I was hooked. Novak and Grubb are a great team.

If you like fantasy stories, check this one out. At the very least you won't be disappointed you read the book.

I've read quite a few novels set in the various Dungeons and Dragons campaign settings, and even now I shudder to think of how horribly some of them missed the mark. From the horrendously bad writing of "Greatheart", to the completely out of place and very non-D&D style of "Master of Chains", TSR and Wizards of the Coast have pumped out some of the most thoroughly unreadable novels ever. There was a time, however, when writers were able to both capture the essence of a pulse-pounding session of Dungeons and Dragons and write a good book. In this instance, that time was 1988, when Kate Novak and Jeff Grub authored the highly entertaining "Azure Bonds".

As most D&D adventure invariably do, the story starts in a tavern, that place where all adventurers eventually end up to unload their hard earned gold and down some much needed ale. The main character, Alias, awakens after a night of drunken revelry to discover a magical blue tattoo has been branded on her arm and a good portion of the past year has been erased from her memory. The majority of the novel is centered on Alias' attempts to discover what the tattoo is, and why her memory is gone, along with all the trouble she manages to get herself in along the way. Grubb and Novak do a superb job of weaving all the best parts of D&D into the storyline. The sense of mystery felt while the characters work to discover the major players of the story and their motivations, the adventure of tromping through a dungeon or going toe-to-toe with a group of brigands, the camaraderie and banter experienced between the individual members of the group, all are masterfully blended into this fantasy tale.

The characters presented are all interesting and never become too stereotypical or boring. The lizardman named Dragonbait is a silent enigma, seemingly a simple and harmless creature, until danger presents itself and he springs into action. Dragonbait harbors a secret calling that those familiar with D&D will probably guess early on. Akabar, a wizard hailing from far south of the Sword Coast, is an interesting addition to the party in that he actually isn't a battle mage brimming with fireball and meteor spells, or even an adventurer by trade. One of the best characters is the halfing who calls herself Olive Ruskettle. Unlike in most games based novels, the halfling of the group isn't a pint sized Jar-Jar Binks. While she certainly does add some comic relief, it is never over done, and she isn't a stupid character. True to her roguish trade, she looks out for herself first, the size and weight of her money pouch second, and nothing else third.

The antagonists of the story are equally as interesting as the heroes, but unfortunately as there are five of them, and the book is only 380 pages long, not nearly enough time is devoted to developing them or showing the reader their motivations and abilities. Perhaps if Azure Bonds had been split into two novels this could have been avoided. My only other real complaint about the book is its treatment of Elminster, the sage of Shadowdale. Most Forgotten Realms novels present Elminster and his scribe Lhaeo as a couple of court jesters or buffoons. I suppose that after millennia of existence, and housing enough magical knowledge within himself be of near godlike power, he might go a little barmy, but honestly I've always pictured Elminster as a wizened old wizard who would have a very high level of maturity and work his will in the Realms through influence, suggestion, and when necessary, his servants or secret agents.

Azure Bonds is a D&D novel done the way it's meant to be. Whether you're new to Forgotten Realms novels or have already waded through all the trash in search of those hidden gems, this book is something you should definitely pick up.

this book is fantastic. in a very beautiful and big format, it's complete with all the bondgirls in a great description. very good if you are a bond fan or at least a woman lover!

Overall the book is ok, however for a coffee table sized book (It's rather tall, which makes it awkward to store in a bookcase - well mine anyway) there's not enough photos, and a bit too much text. Almost all of the photos I'd seen before, so while most people new to the Bond world might be impressed, there's not enough unique content to make the book a must have. Actually come to think of it most of the text does seem like filler, too generic to be interesting. A book this size shouldn't be a novel, it should be mostly photos. With only one or two photos per actress there definitely needs to be a lot more photos.

If you are a James Bond lover...you will ENJOY this book!!! Great book!!!

great pictures and an in depth look at each girl and her relationship to the movie

Perhaps my expectations were too high, but when I had read other reviews I hoped for the best. This is not the best. So, what one is the best? It is the one yet to be published. yet I will admitt that this one is the best out there that I have seen. A book on Bond women should have a lot more pictures, and more inside stories would help as well; yes, more photos, that would do the trick.