“Bond, James Bond.” Since Sean Connery uttered those immortal words in Dr. No, the world’s most famous secret agent in the history of cinema has been charming and thrilling audiences worldwide. This fearless, peerless and impeccably British character, created in 1953 by Ian Fleming, has starred in twenty-five EON-produced films, played by six different actors over seven decades. And still the franchise continues.

To tell the full story of how it all began, EON Productions opened its archives of photos, designs, and production materials to TASCHEN. The result is this remarkable account of the making of Dr. No, Bond’s first film outing: a beautiful volume that includes a treasure trove of words and pictures, many of which have never been seen before.

Access to EON’s James Bond archives was completely unrestricted, so this book is the most comprehensive account of one of the most iconic films the world has ever seen. Step inside the pages to find the true inside story and outstanding insights into the personalities and processes behind the most successful and longest-running film franchise in cinema history.

You can closely follow the making of the film through a day-by-day account of what took place, which scenes were shot and who made the decisions that shaped the story and characters as it was filmed. Among the 1007 images, you’ll see many rare and previously unpublished stills and on-set shots from photographers such as Bert Cann, Bunny Yaeger and Bradley Smith, as well as memos, documents, posters, and production designs.

And the behind-the-scenes stories paint their own pictures too, told by the people who were there. From producers Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to director Terence Young and production designer Ken Adam, as well as the cast, the crew, writers and stuntmen, these personal narratives invite readers back in time and on to the film set itself.

For any fan, it’s a fantastic insight into how the Bond cinematic world was born – and its comprehensive coverage of the filming experience which will grip you from the first page.

Art Edition (No. 251–500), with the framed ChromaLuxe print Publicity Portrait, 1962 by Bert Cann. Ian Fleming described James Bond as a blunt instrument wielded by a Government Department, which is epitomised in this studio portrait of Sean Connery taken on April 5, 1962.