PositiveThe Spectator (UK)John Higgs is a master of taking what he can gather from coincidence – or, as he would insist, synchronicity ... Not only Bond, but Ian Fleming gets a rough ride from Higgs, who takes a lot of semi-aristocratic teasing perhaps too much at face value ... Higgs’s central thesis has an overarching explanatory power and he marshals a wide range of details. The duality may not be quite as sharp as he insists. The Kiss-Kiss is as central to Bond’s glamour as the Bang-Bang. The Beatles were no strangers to occasional cruelty and even violence... And even if the lyrics celebrate love, rock music’s energy often contains a thrill of aggression. But Higgs’s final verdict, on how James Bond will return, is inarguable.
Oliver Craske
PositiveThe Spectator (UK)Indian Sun is a hefty book, but it moves lightly. Craske worked with Shankar on his second autobiography in English, Raga Mala, and this is very much an authorised take, including lengthy quotes from Shankar’s family and friends. But Craske recounts fairly the criticisms of Shankar in his own country, and his sometimes strained relationships with other musicians. He also explores his complicated and extensive love life in detail.
