The quintessential suave hero, Roger Moore has had an extraordinary career spanning seven decades, from early television to the golden age of Hollywood and on to international superstardom. He was unforgettable in The Saint, as Lord Brett Sinclair in The Persuaders and, of course, as James Bond, making seven blockbusting films as arguably the most debonair of the 007s. Now he shares his recollections of playing some of the world’s most famous roles. Packed with stories about his childhood in London and experiences during World War II, along with anecdotes about his encounters with legendary stars, My Word is My Bond provides a fascinating insight into the life and career of a true icon...

Screen legend Sir Roger Moore reads this abridged version of what is, incredibly, his first-ever autobiography, speaking with characteristic wit, charm and candour about his life and career.

Disc 1 of this two-disc release begins with the actor’s childhood, including his evacuation during World War II, before moving on to his burgeoning adolescent interest in members of the opposite sex and his various thwarted attempts to score with them, his first of four marriages and his early steps into the acting profession.

His trademark sense of humour is evident from the very start, as he describes his birth - “Of course, I’m only quoting this from hearsay, I was much too young to recall such a momentous event as my entry to this world” - and the fact that he has no siblings - “I was to be the couple’s only child. You see, they achieved perfection first time round.” His tales of rubbing shoulders with other stars, including Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner (who taught him how to kiss), David Niven, Tony Curtis (alongside whom he starred in The Persuaders), Christopher Lee (who would go on to co-star in The Man with the Golden Gun), Patrick Macnee (who provided support in A View to a Kill) and Michael Caine, are peppered with amusing impersonations. And Moore has no pretensions when it comes to his motivation for becoming an actor - he was always in it for the money!

Details about his work on Ivanhoe, The Saint, The Persuaders and the movies he made in between the Bond films, including Shout at the Devil, The Wild Geese and The Cannonball Run, are scant to non-existent (though there is more information in the printed version of this autobiography). Far more attention is paid to the performer’s role as 007, which is perhaps not surprising given the title of the book. The Bond films take up more than one-quarter of the two-and-a-half-hour running time, occupying the first portion of Disc 2, as the actor goes into considerable detail about the casting and stunt work on these movies, his friendship with producer Albert R “Cubby” Broccoli, the uneven tone of For Your Eyes Only, and his less than harmonious working relationship with Grace Jones during the making of A View to a Kill.

After that, he turns to more serious matters, including his work as an ambassador for UNICEF and his battle against prostate cancer.

Never less than engaging and entertaining, Roger Moore is truly the man with the silver tongue.

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Richard McGinlay