John Higgs

The Beatles, James Bond, and the British Psyche

Love and Let Die

Striking examination of Englishness, class values and masculinity through the comparison of The Beatles and James Bond. Higgs has a very clear view that (certainly during the 60s) the Beatles and Bond held conflicting outlooks. He goes on to show how - through assimilation into “Establishment” culture - the message of the Beatles has become accepted as part of mainstream culture and how Bond’s out-of-date view of the world has undergone a transformation to adapt to changing values. Higgs writes with a great deal of knowledge and love about the Beatles (especially when assessing each Beatle’s life) and presents a thoughtful interpretation of recent Bond movies as a “death and resurrection” archetype.  Sometimes Higgs explains the obvious but otherwise an excellent book.

Love and Let Die The Beatles, James Bond, and the British Psyche

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