My Word Is My Bond by Roger Moore: Review

Far from his dashing on-screen image, Roger Moore is a cheery, down-to-earth and surprisingly skilful actor, says Sinclair McKay writing in the Arts Telegraph.

Sir Roger Moore has been a national treasure since the 1970s, the decade with which most people still associate him. His personation of James Bond - the slick quips, the flapping flares and casual sexism - now for many stands as a synecdoche of that decade.
But this consistently self-deprecating actor - in fact, he is a skilled light comedian, as you will find if you watch his Bond or Simon Templar now - has been around for longer than that. Indeed, the first surprising thing about his memoirs is learning exactly how long.

Roger Moore: A man of decorum

Moore is the south-London-born son of a policeman. An otherwise tranquil childhood in Stockwell was interrupted first by the Blitz, then by some strange medical emergencies, such as the time a friend shot him with an air pistol and young Moore remained unaware of the pellet embedded in his knee joint until he could no longer walk; and by occasional outbreaks of surrealism, such as the time his family adopted a monkey that eventually became so unmanageable it had to be given to Chessington Zoo. Moore was an only child; his family was warm, affectionate and close. It's a refreshing change from misery memoirs.

Read the full review at the Arts Telegraph online.

And here is the man himself being interviewed, some years ago, about the James Bond role: