Bond Books Will Battle

Former James Bond actors Roger Moore and Sean Connery “will go head to head with rival books this autumn, after Weidenfeld cajoled Connery into telling his story, and Michael O’Mara won the battle for Moore’s memoirs,” according to The Bookseller. Both Weidenfeld and Michael O’Mara are prominent--and competitive--publishers in the United Kingdom.

Michael O’ Mara himself has said his company is “delirious with anticipation,” for Moore’s book. “What I have read so far bubbles with wit and is peopled by a ‘Who’s Who’ of Hollywood.” HarperCollins U.S. echoed that excitement by reportedly plunking down close to $1 million for the U.S. rights to the 80-year-old Moore’s My Word Is My Bond, due in stores this October.

For his part, Connery had been playing coy with his autobiography. He was previously signed by HarperCollins but, according to The Bookseller, “pulled out in 2005 after reluctance to discuss certain areas of his private life.” Connery has apparently worked through his shyness, and The Bookseller had this to say about his Being a Scot:

Billed as “an intensely personal account”, the book will fuse Connery’s own experiences, including his acting career, with his efforts to track down what Scots have given to the world in art, science and sport. “Sean Connery is not calling it an autobiography but it’s probably the nearest we will get to it,” said Samson. “He’s a legend--one of the absolute, out and out, movie stars.”

Being a Scot will be available August 25, which means that both books will be out in plenty of time for the holiday gift-giving season: the time of year that booksellers agree is by far their most important.

The Bookseller piece is here.