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Think you know everything about James Bond and The Beatles?

I thought I did, until I read this book. Love and Let Die (2023, Pegasus Books) by John Higgs fills in a few gaps in my knowledge of both subjects. I hadn’t really thought of 007 and The Beatles of having so much in common, and so ingrained in the British resolve.

The Beatles and James Bond each arrived on the same day in 1962. “Love Me Do” and Dr. No. If you are thinking The Beatles broke up in 1970, you’d be correct, but each continued as a solo artist. And, if you haven’t heard, The Beatles will be releasing a new, and final song, “Now and Then,” on November 2, 2023. That will be an upcoming blog.

“Bond films and Beatles records arrived at a pivotal time. At stake was how the British would come to define themselves. Britain’s sense of identity was then being torn up by profound global change, something which had happened several times before.”

Although Daniel Craig has retired as James Bond, 007 will be back with a new actor in the role. The most successful film character will continue.

Higgs structures his book mainly by looking at individual years starting with 1962, following important events relating to the band and the films. Higgs begins the book tracing the lives of the individual Beatles and the background of the Bond character and author Ian Fleming.

“The Britain of 1962 was a country starting to emerge from human trauma and financial devastation of the Second World. The old Britain of crippling class hierarchies and global empire on its way out, although this was perhaps more apparent to younger generation than to their parents and grandparents.”

The Beatles and Bond share in common than one might think. They both grew out of post-World War II Great Britain, when the “greatness” was in decline. Bond was an invention of Fleming, roaming the post-war world for plots not only against the Empire, but the world. A member of the British Secret Service taking on criminal organizations with an assist from the Americans! That’s a twist.

The Beatles came from working class roots. Besides secret agent, GB was exporting rock and roll to the world. The British Invasion in 1964 was a big deal, not only the Beatles, but many other bands landed on America’s shores. Ed Sullivan was up to his eyeballs in English musicians and singers.

Love and Let Die is a fun read, especially if you grew up during that period. I’m fairly knowledgeable of both the Beatles and James Bond, but some Higgs’ stories were new to me.