007 The Armoury
thespyboys11
Lindenwold,NJPosts: 1,894MI6 Agent
I wanted to let everyone know about a new book written by our very own “Donk” and published by a friend under ‘Spy Guy Productions.’
Special thanks also go out to Acacia_Avenue for a fabulous layout.
This is an 8 ½ x 11 ½, 157-page VERY high quality square-bound soft cover book printed on museum quality glossy paper stock with a soft-touch cover.
The compilation of reference on the firearms and other weapons was years in the making and features many ‘Never before seen’ photographs.
It is priced at $59.99 plus applicable postage.
Often, in the films, we catch a quick glimpse of some weapon without clearly seeing the details. This book solves that problem due to the high level of detail and information on each of the firearms…which is jaw-dropping!!
As you see in the sample pages, each weapon is isolated on a clean blue background for ease in viewing.
Additionally, the photos are not stock photos of guns…they are the ACTUAL gun props used in the films.
You will not find a more comprehensive guide to the guns used by our favorite ‘Gentleman Spy.”
It will be a welcome addition to your library as well as a fabulous reference guide.
Should you be interested in adding it to your collection, please contact me directly at: thefudds@aol.com as I have a few copies on hand and ready to ship.
Below are some sample pages and a thumbnail showing all the many pages that cover the wide array of weaponry used throughout the Bond films.
Just recently, a sample copy was left at the Ian Fleming estate “Goldeneye” for anyone to look through.
(Click on photos to view larger size)
Here are a few book reviews.....
In my view, this book could not have been done any better. Every single thing, from the design photos and photography, source material, writing to the paper and binding. The only improvement would be hardcover which I understand is/will be available and, no doubt, will be done just as well. I’m sure this was a labor of of love for you, “Mark” and everyone else involved. What you’ve done is to create a high end, world class resource. And, I’m not sure how long it will be in production, but I’m thankful to have gotten a copy. I should probably think about getting another copy since the one I have will soon be dog-eared from use every time I need to look up a weapon (which is often) ---L. Lewis
Having been lucky enough to have seen a preview of this book, I have to say the level of details included regarding the firearms is jaw-dropping! The photographs of the actual weapons used in the film as opposed to stock photos of guns was most welcome. An AMAZING collection that will be the envy of any fan of the films. If I could only have one Bond book in my collection...it would be this one! Kudos and thanks to the team that must have spent years compiling the information. ---T. Kunz
I absolutely love it! This is by far the most comprehensive guide to 007’s arsenal that I have ever seen! I’m a comic-book fan as well, and it reminds me of a run of Punisher Armory comics that ran in the early 90’s that showcased the Punisher’s vast arsenal and equipment. Seriously, outstanding job on this. 5/5 stars. ---Z. Adams
On Saturday, I received my copy of “The 007 Armoury”. I have read about half of the book so far. I am somewhat knowledgeable about firearms and I have been amazed at the information contained in the book. The author, Mark Hazard, relates great stories and connects the actual firearm to its use by particular Bond actors in the movie involved. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the book ---T.Aycock
So I am pretty much done with books from my prop interests as I have so many, and I rarely go through them. Or so I thought. I just received my 007 The Armory book. INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!! Any Bond fan needs this, and no I have no financial interest in this, in fact I love/hate Ed for draining soooo much of my bank account. The book is incredible. More info and pics than you can imagine. Outstanding job to all who were involved with this. Now, please make a book just like this about the gadgets. Thank you for making this. ---T. Dozier
Comments
Great - will send you an email
Seriously, get on this book quick …it will be an invaluable resource 🍸
Looks like a gorgeous book that I want in my library, sound a little expensive, but sound also like a quality book.
Maybe Donk would like to tell us more about it now that there is a dedicated post.
Saw on the Spy Guy FB that at one point it will be available on Amazon too.
VERY high quality book!!!! I have copies available to ship right now!!!
Just email me at: thefudds@aol.com ----Ed
the spyboys Facebook page
I did sent you one mail ;)
The potted history of OO7 The Armoury:
The first time all 4 retail quality volumes have been seen together
Note the recipients!
Concept artwork for the EON volume
Okay Donk, you're nicked son!
Back in 1984 as a U.K. firearms license holder I became associated with the Bond armourers although I did not know they were the Bond armourers because they operate under “no publicity is good publicity” as do the current Bond armourers The Armoury Department Ltd. In 1989-90 through events hosted by The James Bond International Fan-club at Pinewood Studios I got to meet my real life heroes John Stears, Albert Luxford , Ken Wallis and Syd Cain. The guys responsible for making James Bond look good on screen. A year after 911, pretty much to the day in fact, my actual persona was arrested under the Firearms act while carrying out some restoration work on a major Bond weapon which had been damaged on set, for a major UK auction house. The "incident" was registered with the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau), the result of which meant my actual persona could not access armouries, film studios or hold a UK firearms license which pretty much buggered up plans for working in the industry as an armourer/handler which meant 19 years down the crapper and so a new persona was required and Mark Hazard was born! At this time a number of spiral bound A5 notebooks which I always carried to note down crew anecdotes were transformed into a single manuscript but it wasn't until 2015 that a four page magazine article was penned featuring just one pistol, a 9mm Walther P99, serial number: V1680 which had been used by Pierce Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day. It had also been used by Daniel Craig as Alex West in Lara Croft Tomb Raider. The pistol had also featured heavily in the theatrical trailers for Tomorrow Never Dies and The World id Not Enough as well as being featured on the majority of the international movie posters for Tomorrow Never Dies. With this much exposure I considered V1680 as The Most Famous Gun in the World and this is where the legend was born. Somehow? that 4 page article grew to 100 pages of A4 text and perhaps 100 A4 colour photos of various weapons. The project had been supported by the Managing Directors of the past and present Bond armourers where only they would know who was behind it so Bapty armourers would think it was Crown Tower and they in turn would think it was Bapty? but unfortunately not long after the completion of Skyfall Richard Hooper of Crown Tower Ltd passed away and the new head guy was not forthcoming for SPECTRE weapons access so I thought it was time to approach EON to complete the project. For them to take myself and the project seriously a retail quality volume had to be produced from my 200 or so A4 sheets for their consideration. Enter AJB's very own master forger Acacia_Avenue who pieced the pages into a template or matrix which really did/does look the part. A self brief on the project was no stock images would be used and that meant tracking the screen inventory down but that's another very long story. The first volume in the set of four seen above was submitted to EON but they would not even look at it denying armoury access and classifying the volume as unofficial the legalities of which I won't get into here. Previous to EON, OO7 Magazine had been approached but they had felt that the project was "Not Commercially Viable!" however after EON rejected the retail quality volume the editor of said magazine asked to see what had been produced. He liked what he saw and after I agreed to swallow the production costs 500 copies were printed under the OO7 Magazine banner. As research is or should always be ongoing I continued following leads tracking down more illusive screen weaponry which meant updating the master file originally created for EON thinking that perhaps one day an updated volume could be on the cards? When Sir Roger Moore passed away I approached OO7 Magazine with the idea of a tribute volume. My suggestion was declined so I decided to produce the bloody thing anyway as a tribute to Sir Roger and as a thank you to the armourers and prop guys who had supported the project. At this time through the loan of inventory to the Bond in Motion exhibition I had a more positive relationship (or so I thought) with EON and presented them with a hardcover copy of the Tribute volume which they accepted. A discussion followed where I was told if they endorsed the volume? I would receive Armoury and Archive access for Bond 25 because they liked the idea of an exhibit of both props and weapons with a volume to accompany said exhibition probably at The Royal Armouries in Leeds which had me bouncing off the walls like a Kwasi and a mini-budget!
Skip forward to 2020 and the Bond world fell apart when the great Sir Thomas Sean Connery passed away. I contemplated seeing if OO7 Magazine would be interested in producing a Tribute Edition of The Most Famous Gun in the World but with the OO7 The Armoury template now bursting at the seams with many unseen before discoveries and revelations I again decided to take the DIY route with the tireless assistance of my good friend Acacia_Avenue and self publish a small quantity of volumes for the armourers and indeed for EON. On 13th September 2021, I hand delivered the volumes to EON House at 138 Piccadilly, one of which went straight onto Michael G. Wilson's desk and waited patiently for a response which I had hoped would be official 60th Anniversary endorsement. Six months later in March 2022 I was informed that EON felt that it was not the right time for a niche book on firearms because weapons were something they were trying to distance the OO7 brand from as at that time firearms had become very un-pc, even movie guns after actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed a production colleague on set which looked like it had also killed the OO7 The Armoury project but at least they didn't hate it? I informed OO7 Magazine of EON's decision and enquired if they would like OO7 TA completely gratis because at least then it would hopefully be published. Amazingly my offer was declined. Enter an American entrepreneur who had seen the EON volume and who had liked what he had seen and who wanted to publish the volume. Before agreeing to a deal which would effectively give me full control of text and photo content along with cover design which is unheard of for an unknown author I again approached OO7 Magazine with a ready to go printer's file but again my offer was declined. A printing deadline was agreed with the US publisher however as I had also undertaken self editing which is also unheard of for an unknown I found myself constantly tweaking and amending the text and photo content up to and beyond the deadline of the softcover print so there are slight differences between the softcover and hardcover content and the additional feature in the hardcover took two weeks of research to pin together, the rest courtesy of Steven Poole of Spy Guy Productions is now history!
At this time October 2022, the softcover has been printed and advance copies have been received and positive reviews have been posted by those recipients for which I thank them. I recall a feedback left on The Most Famous Gun in the World where the reviewer stated “Mark Hazard is No Leslie Charteris!” No he most certainly is not! Nor was he ever attempting to be!! The hardcover pages have been printed but the boards which will feature a very different design which will mirror the design of the slipcase have not because they are being produced by another printer because I and the publisher will not settle for a "just so product!" When OO7 TA was conceived it was always envisioned by myself to be a slipcased hardcover and was to be an event for its recipient as well as its author. Thankfully Spy Guy Productions share this vision. Taking a copy to Goldeneye in Jamaica where Ian Fleming sat down at his now famous desk and typewriter 70 years ago in 1952 to write “the ultimate spy novel!” Casino Royale is sheer marketing bloody brilliance! Personally I cannot wait to have the slipcased tome in hand! 👍 I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ed Maggiani of TheSpyBoys.com who introduced myself to Mr Poole back in March 2022 after Mr Poole had approached him to ascertain who Mark Hazard & therefore Donk actually is? 🥂
It may sound expensive, but it isn’t…you get what you pay for and this is exceptional quality 🍸
Buy one now before it sells out, after which the price of these will more than likely increase 😳
That's great work, Donk and Acacia_avenue! 🐎
I doubt anyone in my family will buy me that particular book for Christmas, but I aim to get it at some later date. I would also say that wanting to distance the 007 brand from weapons is crazy talk!
Just ordered my copy today, looking forward to its arrival. My sincerest thanks to Donkey, Acacia Avenue and The SpyBoys 11 for producing such an amazing book for us fans to enjoy.
This really has to be a must-have book for all of us! Congratulations to one and all, but especially to Donk and Acacia_Avenue for getting this essential read over the line. I still find it baffling that you've had to jump so many hurdles, especially with EON. You richly deserve for this to be as runaway success. Cheers!
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Looks to be a interesting tome, can't wait.
Her Majesty’s loyal terrier, defender of the so called faith.
Over the years, I’ve seen this book grow from an acorn into the Major Oak it is now. I still have the original rough draft that John/Donk/Mark Hazard gave me over a decade ago, and I’ve watched it grow and grow. This truly is an epic tome he’s created. When he got Rob/Acacia Avenue on board to assist with the images and layout etc it just pulled everything together. Those two have worked their butts off for absolute years to get a concise and finished product to the fans. It’s brilliant that it’s finally here. Well done to you both.
For those of you on the fence and that have Graham Ryes magazine version that was released a few years ago, then don’t hold back. This is another beast entirely. Packed full of brand new information, a more concise record of the actual guns used on screen, and with a full replacement of images to fully show these weapons and props clearly in a higher detail. It’s amazing that just two people could pull this off when it normally takes a decent sized team.
Seriously folks, I’m a massive James Bond gun collector and enthusiastic, that’s my niche. And this is a bible for me that can never, ever, be topped. Cheers John and Rob.
[edit] it should be available on AmazonUK this week. It’s already available on Amazon.com
Mine is on its way and I can't wait to receive it. I have the Graham Rye edition which is outstanding. It's hard to imagine how it could be bettered, but I have no doubt that it has been. I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival.
I'd like to offer a massive thanks to everyone involved. From Donk sharing his expertise and experience, to Acacia for his work, and SpyGuys for running with it. I owe you all a debt of gratitude.
SpyGuys Limited are the publishers. Not SpyBoys.
Thank you, Asp. Too much shaking and not enough stirring, clearly.
You're right, Jonathan.....Spy Guy Productions vs TheSpyBoys.com.......Too many spies but Two Spy Brothers that share the same dream and work together to produce the best we can. --Ed
the spyboys Facebook page
Going throught the BondFanEvents Jamaica tour photos this week. Sold out with a full tour bus! Luckily, Steven Poole of Spy Guy Productions personally handled security at the Sans Souci resort in Ocho Rios:
We passionately shared the amazing, astonishing new Armoury edition, and the need for justice:
Our BondFanEvents group hopes the guns will be found, the circle completed:
I received 007 The Armoury yesterday and although I haven't had a proper look through yet, it is outstanding and even better than I had expected or even hoped. The images and photos and layout are gorgeous, and the quality of the paper and the binding is outstanding. This is a must-have for everyone interested in Bond and is unquestionably the definitive work of the topic of Bond firearms. I highly recommend it.
I received my copy from Amazon over the weekend. The contents look great. The front cover is a bit scratched and worn, obviously from the printing process. It also feels a bit rough.
I lack the superlatives to say how valuable a volume this is. Enjoy, everyone!
A review (thank you Mark) has just been received at SPY GUY PRODUCTIONS which for myself as a researcher and author means my job is done. To receive a compliment such as this likening OO7 The Armoury to Charles Helfenstein's incredible The Making of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, well it simply does not get any better than that:
The book is spectacular! The detail, research and photos are out of this world.
I put the research on the same level as Charles Helfenstein's The Making of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
The book's paper quality is excellent and the photos are sharp and clear.
Thank you for spending so much of the time putting this monograph together, it is very much appreciated by we James Bond fans!
A definite 10 out of 10!
With Kind Regards,
Mark
Got mine yesterday...a brief look tells me this will be an incredible addition. I noticed the "non de plume" on the back cover and got a bit of a giggle from that, but I look forward to examining it in full detail. Congrats to all involved for creating such a stellar piece of work.
Ordered on Tuesday, the book has arrived in Japan just 48 hours later. It looks magnificent. This weekend is certainly going to be a Licence to Thrill. Great cover shot of Sean from the Goldfinger promo shoot. Weird thing is he's wearing his wedding ring! That's gotta be a first for Bond!
What a fascinating story that shows that persistence and determination can lead to success! I ordered mine directly from Ed "SpyBoys" and am still waiting for it to clear customs. Can't wait to get it in my hands.
I looked at Amazon and there were 5 available and I bought one. Later that day all sold out.
I have 3 left id anyone is interested, contact me. --Ed
the spyboys Facebook page
Just a quick note to confirm that Amazon is indeed sold out but another run is being printed and will be available shortly.
Anyone can contact me directly at: thefudds@aol.com to reserve one as I should have copies delivered directly to me.
--Ed
the spyboys Facebook page
SPY GUY Productions, The Donkey and Acacia_Avenue are sell-outs! 😉👍️
Congratulations Donk 🥂
Just got notified by Amazon that my copy undeliverable as damaged . So will try again 1 Dec