James Bond remains a massive influence on favored culture, with 22 official films in the series. However , no matter how well-liked he might be as a big screen hero, many people forget - or are even not aware - the Brit agent with a licence to kill started as a literary character.
Ian Fleming came from a privileged background and although sent to Eton, did not shine academically, though he probably did well at athletics. Following his release from officer coaching at Sandhurst, he joined the city for a spell as a broker at which he was poor, till he finally discovered his feet before the war as a hack with Reuters. His first brush with the intelligence services may have come when he visited Moscow in 1933 to cover the trial of 6 workers of Vickers, who went being attempted for espionage.
Ian Fleming came from a privileged background and although sent to Eton, did not shine academically, though he probably did well at athletics. Following his release from officer coaching at Sandhurst, he joined the city for a spell as a broker at which he was poor, till he finally discovered his feet before the war as a hack with Reuters. His first brush with the intelligence services may have come when he visited Moscow in 1933 to cover the trial of 6 workers of Vickers, who went being attempted for espionage.
When war broke out in 1939, Fleming right away joined Naval Intelligence, quickly rising to the rank of Commander, as the right hand man to the Director of Naval Intelligence. It was here that he was concerned in some of the most brazen schemes of the war and met assorted characters that he was later ready to draw upon when writing the James Bond books.
After the war Fleming became the foreign chief for Kemsley Newspapers, which counted the Sunday Times as one of its titles. He also acquired land in Jamaica, where he then built his house, Goldeneye; it was here that he would vacation every winter to flee the cold of London.
It was also here that he started, in 1952, to scribble the first words of Casino Royale. He had wished to write "the spy story to finish all spy stories" and that was published the next year. Annually after that he released a new book, though he infrequently diverged from formula. Following Goldfinger he broadcast For Your Eyes Only , which contained five short stories; The Spy Who Loved Me was written from the viewpoint of the Bond girl; and Octopussy & The Living Daylights, published posthumously, was also short stories.
I first came across Casino Royale when I was just about 8 years old , when I went through my parents book shelf. My pa owned a paperback edition, which I took up to my room and devoured as best I could. I adored the adventure and the way Bond knew what to do in any situation he found himself. Though the literary character is dissimilar from the films and often shows self doubt, he works out how to proceed anyhow,
After the war Fleming became the foreign chief for Kemsley Newspapers, which counted the Sunday Times as one of its titles. He also acquired land in Jamaica, where he then built his house, Goldeneye; it was here that he would vacation every winter to flee the cold of London.
It was also here that he started, in 1952, to scribble the first words of Casino Royale. He had wished to write "the spy story to finish all spy stories" and that was published the next year. Annually after that he released a new book, though he infrequently diverged from formula. Following Goldfinger he broadcast For Your Eyes Only , which contained five short stories; The Spy Who Loved Me was written from the viewpoint of the Bond girl; and Octopussy & The Living Daylights, published posthumously, was also short stories.
I first came across Casino Royale when I was just about 8 years old , when I went through my parents book shelf. My pa owned a paperback edition, which I took up to my room and devoured as best I could. I adored the adventure and the way Bond knew what to do in any situation he found himself. Though the literary character is dissimilar from the films and often shows self doubt, he works out how to proceed anyhow,
It was also here that he started, in 1952, to scribble the first words of Casino Royale. He had wished to write "the spy story to finish all spy stories" and that was published the next year. Annually after that he released a new book, though he infrequently diverged from formula. Following Goldfinger he broadcast For Your Eyes Only , which contained five short stories; The Spy Who Loved Me was written from the viewpoint of the Bond girl; and Octopussy & The Living Daylights, published posthumously, was also short stories.
I first came across Casino Royale when I was just about 8 years old , when I went through my parents book shelf. My pa owned a paperback edition, which I took up to my room and devoured as best I could. I adored the adventure and the way Bond knew what to do in any situation he found himself. Though the literary character is dissimilar from the films and often shows self doubt, he works out how to proceed anyhow, and his comportment at the gambling tables and in fine restaurants seemed unusually complicated.
Over the years I continued reading the books, everytime I could get my hand on one. The library was a good source and shortly I was collecting 2nd hand paperbacks from our local market. The novels show Bond as regularly feeble, especially his use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Nonetheless he rarely employs the sort of sophisticated device that get him out of difficulty in the films and must get by with his own ingenuity.
The books are still worth looking at after more than 50 years since the publication of Casino Royale. And they work to remind us of the times of the cold war, long before the major perceived threat to the western world was terrorism.
About the Author:
I first came across Casino Royale when I was just about 8 years old , when I went through my parents book shelf. My pa owned a paperback edition, which I took up to my room and devoured as best I could. I adored the adventure and the way Bond knew what to do in any situation he found himself. Though the literary character is dissimilar from the films and often shows self doubt, he works out how to proceed anyhow, and his comportment at the gambling tables and in fine restaurants seemed unusually complicated.
Over the years I continued reading the books, everytime I could get my hand on one. The library was a good source and shortly I was collecting 2nd hand paperbacks from our local market. The novels show Bond as regularly feeble, especially his use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Nonetheless he rarely employs the sort of sophisticated device that get him out of difficulty in the films and must get by with his own ingenuity.
The books are still worth looking at after more than 50 years since the publication of Casino Royale. And they work to remind us of the times of the cold war, long before the major perceived threat to the western world was terrorism.
About the Author:
For more in-depth information of the James Bond books by Ian Fleming, as well as the world of James Bond generally see my website - The James Bond Dossier.