The following is a list of additional resources to make the James Bond Bible study from my book, Ian Fleming’s Seven Deadlier Sins, more spiritually challenging and rewarding. It lists books and movies that deal with the Bible study’s major themes.
Helpful and downright fascinating books on Fleming and Bond
Nathan Williams/CC-BY-2.0/Wikimedia Commons
I’ve found these books and articles helpful to me in my own exploration of Ian Fleming and James Bond. Click the title of any of the books to link to its Amazon listing for more information or to purchase:
- Amis, Kingsley. The James Bond Dossier. New York: The New American Library, 1965.
- Boyd, Ann S. The Devil with James Bond. Richmond, Virginia: John Knox Press, 1967.
- Johnson, Paul. Sex, Snobbery and Sadism. New Statesman, April 5, 1958. (This is an article reviewing Dr. No)
- Lane, Sheldon ed. For Bond Lovers Only. New York: Dell Publishing, 1965.
- Lycett, Andrew. Ian Fleming: The Man Behind James Bond. Atlanta: Turner Publishing, Inc., 1999.
- Morris, Edmund. DUTCH: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan. New York: Random House, 1999.
- Pearson, John. The Life of Ian Fleming. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company, 1966.
- Wilson, Angus et al., Foreword by Ian Fleming. The Seven Deadly Sins. New York: Wm. Morrow and Company, 1962. (This is the book-length collection of essays on deadly sins that Fleming himself helped to assemble before he died.)
Chapter by chapter through the Bible study
If you’re reading the book or joining a discussion group, here are some chapter-by-chapter suggestions that I’ve found helpful — other books and films that might expand your experience.
CHAPTER 000: Cracking the Code
Cosette from Les Misérables
Emile Bayard (1837-1891)/Wikimedia Commons
This chapter includes the themes of moral ambiguity and the nature of evil.
Books:
Click on the title of any of the books to view their Amazon listing for more information or to purchase.
- Playing for the Ashes, Elizabeth George
- East of Eden, John Steinbeck
- Atonement, Ian McEwan
- Amsterdam, Ian McEwan
- Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
- The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe
Movies:
Click on the film title to view its entry on Wikipedia for more information.
CHAPTER 001, Moral Cowardice
Books:
Click either book title to view their Amazon listing for more information or to purchase.
- The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane
- Lord Jim, Joseph Conrad
Movies:
Click on any film title to view its entry on Wikipedia or the Internet Movie Database for more information.
CHAPTER 002, Hypocrisy
Books:
Click on the title of any of the books to view their Amazon listing for more information or to purchase.
- In the Presence of the Enemy, Elizabeth George
- Glittering Images, Susan Howatch
- Martin Chuzzlewit, Charles Dickens
Movies:
Click on the film title to view its entry on Wikipedia for more information.
An illustration of the final chase in Moby Dick I. W. Taber/Wikimedia Commons
CHAPTER 003, Self-Righteousness
Books:Click on the title of any of the books to view their Amazon listing for more information or to purchase.
- Too Late the Phalarope, Alan Paton
- The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
- Moby Dick, Herman Melville
- Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
- A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
- The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
- A Journey to the End of the Millennium, Abraham Yehoshua
Movies & Plays:
Click on any film or play title to view its entry on Wikipedia for more information.
- The Remains of the Day (also a superb novel)
- A Few Good Men
- Les Miserables, (Stage Musical)
- The Crucible (Stage Play)
CHAPTER 004, Violence: Cruelty and Malice
Books:
Click on the title of any of the books to view their Amazon listing for more information or to purchase.
- Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
- White Oleander, Janet Fitch
- Saturday, Ian McEwan
- Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett
- Vinegar Hill, A. Manette Ansay
Movies:
Click on either film title to view its entry on Wikipedia for more information.
Online:
Click on the link to visit the website.
CHAPTER 005, Avarice
Books:
Click on the title of any of the books to view their Amazon listing for more information or to purchase.
- A Man In Full, Tom Wolfe
- The Partner, John Grisham
- The Fourth Estate, Jeffrey Archer
- Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
- The Clothes They Stood Up In, Alan Bennett
- The Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
CHAPTER 006, Snobbery
Books:
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Click on the title of any of the books to view their Amazon listing for more information or to purchase.
- Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson
- Riders of the Purple Sage, Zane Gray
- The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
- The Sneetches and Other Stories, Dr. Seuss
- Empire Falls, Richard Russo
- The Manticore, Robertson Davies
Movies, TV & Plays:
Click on any film or play title to view its entry on Wikipedia for more information.
- Breaking Away
- South Pacific (Stage Musical)
- Freedom Riders (American Experience, NPR, TV)
CHAPTER 007, Accidie
Books:
- Father Melancholy’s Daughter, Gail Godwin
- The Brothers K, David James Duncan
- Therapy, David Lodge
- The Shack, William Young
Movies:
Please help us expand this list. Contact us and let us know of other relevant resources.