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The James Bond Files ~ Dr. Kathryn Harkup
 In January 2023, on his radio program Flashback, which aired online over the internet radio station KSAV, Wesley Britton kicked off a “James Bond Avalanche” to celebrate the 70 years of Agent 007. Featured were several authors, actors, behind-the-scenes folks, and fans of the world of James Bond. The series began on Monday, January 9, 2023, with an interview with Dr. Kathryn Harkup, author of Superspy Science: Science, Death and Tech in the World of James Bond (2022). Can you kill a girl by covering her in gold paint? Can you really live in a volcano? Kathryn had lots of entertaining and surprising answers to these and so many more questions! Also on the program was Simon Firth, author of a series of books on Bond film locations, including On the Tracks of 007: Filming James Bond in the Bahamas (2022). The interview is available as a podcast on Wesley Britton’s podcast Remember When. To listen, click the link below. Wes chats with two bond experts, Kathryn Harkup and Simon Firth About Superspy Science ~  Ian Fleming’s series of novels based on the adventures of the secret service agent James Bond have thrilled and delighted readers since Casino Royale was published in 1953. And when the film of Dr. No was released in 1962, Bond quickly became one of the world’s favorite secret agents. The world of 007 is known for its guns, gadgets, and grandiose schemes to take over the world. In Superspy Science, Dr. Kathryn Harkup explores how science and technology intersect with the world of Bond – the arms, technologies, tactics, and downfalls of his various foes, from the practicalities of building a volcano-based lair, to whether being covered in gold paint really will kill you, and – if your plan is to take over the world – whether it is better to use bacteria, bombs, or poison. Film by film, Superspy Science explores many of the tropes that we have come to love and expect from a Bond adventure. Could our favorite Bond villains actually achieve world domination? Were the huge variety of weapons and technology in Bond’s arsenal ever actually developed? And would 007 actually escape all those close shaves with his life intact? From the plots to the gadgets to the ludicrous ways that Bond’s life is threatened, this book takes a look at the scientific world of Bond – James Bond. About Kathryn Harkup ~ Dr. KATHRYN HARKUP writes and gives regular public talks on the disgusting and dangerous side of science. Her first book was the international best-seller A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, which was shortlisted for a Mystery Readers International Macavity Award and a BMA Book Award. She has also written Making the Monster: The Science of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Death by Shakespeare: Snakebites, Stabbings and Broken Hearts. Links ~ Visit Dr. Harkup’s website – Dr. Kathryn Harkup Read an excerpt of Superspy Science: Science, Death and Tech in the World of James Bond. |