Ian Fleming (1908-1964), creator of the world’s best-known secret agent, is the author of fourteen James Bond books. Born in London in 1908 and educated at Eton and Sandhurst, he became the Reuters Moscow correspondent in 1929. In the spring of 1939, Fleming went back to Moscow as a special correspondent for the London Times. In June of that same year, he joined Naval Intelligence and served throughout World War II, finally earning the rank of Commander, RNVSR (Sp.). Much of the James Bond material was drawn directly from Fleming’s experiences as an intelligence officer. Later, Fleming became a consultant on foreign affairs for the London Sunday Times, by which time he had become far better known as the creator of James Bond.
As a confirmed John Le Carre addict, I have tended to relegate Ian Fleming to second place as a spy novelist.
How wrong I was.
OK, Le Carre is the gritty spy realist with George S...
more
As a confirmed John Le Carre addict, I have tended to relegate Ian Fleming to second place as a spy novelist.
How wrong I was.
OK, Le Carre is the gritty spy realist with George Smiley’s hangups and his confused patriotism, but Fleming knows exactly who the enemy is and tells it how it is.
Also his first-hand knowledge of the glamour of gambling and international travel in the fifties and sixties lends his own brand of realism. This book is of its time.
Fleming considered this to be his best book. I agree. Yet it was to be his last James Bond novel - his books had failed to sell in the United States. Then John F Kennedy let slip that he had enjoyed some of his novels, and his fame took off.
He went on to write Dr No, Goldfinger etc, and the rest is history.
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