The Avengers: The Inside Story

There have been five James Bonds, but even Ralph Fiennes, star of the Avengers movie admits that there is only one John Steed. When he first donned his iconic bowler hat, actor Patrick Macnee put an eccentric spin on the traditional English gentleman. Witty, urbane, a stickler for etiquette, and able to disarm the most dastardly villain with a casual flick of his tightly furled umbrella, Steed helped London to swing during the heady days of the 1960s.

The Avengers and Me is Macnee's memoir of his time on the cult TV show. Reading the book is like sitting down with the actor over a nice cup of tea as he reminisces about life behind and in front of the cameras. He is particularly gracious in his discussion of the women with whom he shared his adventures: Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg, Linda Thorson, and Joanna Lumley are all lavished with Macnee's signature charm. He only becomes critical when writing about some of the production decisions that, he believes, compromised the original vision of the show, and he seems to think that The New Avengers was not a terribly good idea. Overall, however, The Avengers and Me is as warm and as witty as the man himself. --Simon Leake