There was a time, many decades ago, when the English could proudly assert that the sun never set on the British Empire. Although the British Empire has long since lost its luster, two of its greatest exports still shine brightly. In his latest book "Love and Let Die: James Bond, the Beatles, and the British Psyche," John Higgs explores the remarkable history, often intertwined, behind the James Bond movie franchise and the Beatles.
And Higgs might just be onto something. As it happens, Bond and the Fab Four can trace their emergence to October 5, 1962 — a Friday — when "Dr. No" premiered and "Love Me Do" was released as the Beatles' inaugural single. With Sean Connery as Bond, Dr. No earned nearly $60 million, launching the series in fine style and leading to the enshrinement of October 5 as "Bond Day." (Global Beatles Day, by the way, is celebrated annually on June 25, the date of the group's famous Our World performance in 1967 of "All You Need Is Love.")
