February 22nd, 2010
We only have to wait until Ian Fleming’s second James Bond novel, “Live And Let Die”, to find 007 scuba diving, when Bond is on the tail Mr Big. Ian Fleming was fascinated by the underwater world and sea life, probably the season it features prominently in two Bond novels.
Fleming had met underwater pioneer Jacque [...]
Essential skills for 00 agents – Scuba Diving
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September 11th, 2009
In Dr No – both the novel and the film – James Bond is met with orders from the armourer to hand over his Beretta .25 semi-automatic. In its place he recommends switching to the Walther PPK, a 7.65 mm semi-automatic pistol “with a delivery like a brick through a plate glass window.”
While Bond would [...]
Guns of James Bond – the Walther PPK
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May 29th, 2009
Following the poor reception of The Spy Who Loved Me, Fleming decided to visit Jamaica in July 1962, where he worked on the short story Octopussy. The story is set in Kitzbuhel and Jamaica, two places close to Fleming’s heart, and centres around a figure suffering the ill effects of a lifetime of smoking and drinking heavily who seems distinctly autobiographical.
Ian Fleming: the final years
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September 18th, 2008
Ian Fleming had received a salary as partner in a stock broking firm throughout the war, but decided to accept the role of Foreign Manager for Kemsley Newspapers at the end of 1945 instead.
Ian Fleming: return to civilian life
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August 1st, 2008
Although Operation Ruthless never came to fruition, Ian Fleming continued to play a central role in Naval Intelligence throughout the remainder of the war, and his travels took him to various places including New York, Quebec, Tangier and Jamaica while undertaking various projects.
One of these was Operation Goldeneye, a plan to ensure that Britain maintained [...]
Ian Fleming: introduction to Jamaica
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June 29th, 2008
Ian Fleming’s frequent contact with a variety of spies stimulated his imagination to propose a variety of ideas to the head of Naval Intelligence. Learn more about his life here.
Ian Fleming: Operation Ruthless
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June 28th, 2008
Ian Fleming threw himself into his work in Room 39 of The Admiralty, working closely with taskmaster Real Admiral John Godfrey.
Ian Fleming: Naval Intelligence
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May 24th, 2008
The third article about the life of Ian Fleming picks up the story at the point when he had become a journalist in 1931 and outline his relatively carefree years before the Second World War, when his biggest concerns seemed to be golf and women.
That Christmas the Flemings were joined by Monique, but Eve did [...]
Ian Fleming: the pre-war years
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May 19th, 2008
This second article of the series continues to look at the life of Ian Fleming following his resignation from officer training at Sandhurst and his education and career before the Second World War.
Following Ian’s humiliating departure from the army, his mother was at a loss with what to do with him next. In the end [...]
Ian Fleming: European education
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May 1st, 2008
This year marks the centenary of the birth of Ian Fleming, a name that is implicitly tied to James Bond. However, as the books were eclipsed long ago by the films, it seems while many are familiar with Fleming’s name, far fewer actually know much about his life or his extraordinary intelligence career during the [...]
Ian Fleming: early life
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