David Honigmann

James Bond and the Beatles at war for Britain’s soul

The two post-war British phenomena, one representing Death, the other Love, are contrasted in many other ingenious ways by John Higgs

Sean Connery as James Bond in Dr. No (1962). The agent, a professional killer, represents Death, according to John Higgs, whereas the Beatles represent Love. [Shutterstock] 
issue 17 September 2022

‘Better use your sense,’ advised Bob Dylan: ‘take what you have gathered from coincidence.’ John Higgs is a master of taking what he can gather from coincidence – or, as he would insist, synchronicity. From the filigree of connections and echoes in the KLF (Discordianism through the lens of 1990s pop provocateurs) to the psychogeography of Watling Street to more recent deep dives into William Blake, he confronts the modern Matter of Britain: who wields power, and who resists it?

Love and Let Die starts with another perfect coincidence, namely that it was 60 years ago – to be precise,...

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