Introduction

Matt Welch: I was debating what the best James Bond movie ever might be. He says Casino Royale is his winner because it's a beautifully shot, well acted new style ofJames Bond with extra grit and guts. Welch: The party that we're seeing depicted here at the beginning of the book of Esther plays out in its first chapter. And likewise, like any party, there's a whole bunch of subtext going on here, all kinds of things happening behind the scenes.