S
ome authors spend years on their
first novel. Ian Fleming’s came in
a matter of weeks. In January
1952, the middle-aged British
journalist was enjoying a little
winter’s sun on holiday in the
Caribbean. One morning, after
a swim and his usual breakfast of scram-
bled eggs and coffee, Fleming sat down to
his battered Royal typewriter and ham-
mered out the opening line of Casino
Royale. Barely a month later, he had
finished. James Bond had come to life.
Fleming went on to write a further
13 Bond novels, which have since sold
more than 100 million copies globally.
Big-screen adaptations have generated
more than £5bn at the box office, making
the Bond film franchise one of the most
successful in history.
Bond is a phenomenon. It is rare to
find a fictional character so intricately
woven into one country’s self-image, and
at the same time so hugely popular
around the world. Diehard fans have
ranged from the US president John F
Kennedy to the North Korean despot
Kim Jong-il.
Bond’s extraordinary popularity
is rooted in the world – and the characters- Fleming created: Bond himself, along
with ‘M’, Miss Moneypenny and a rogues’
gallery of villains, including Scaramanga,
Goldfinger and Blofeld. But these charac-
ters were not pulled out of thin air. They
are an amalgam of traits that Fleming
stole from a colourful cast of personalities
he encountered in his own life.
“Everything I write has a precedent in
truth,” Fleming wrote. So who were the
real people behind his most celebrated
literary creations?
The inspiration behind Bond
was much better looking.
Just as Fleming went to Eton, left early,
was fatherless for most of his life, and
during the war achieved the rank of acting
commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer
Reserve, so did Bond. Fleming had a love of
women, fast cars, gambling and martinis –
as long as they were made the right way- and for some people possessed a certain
coldness or reserve; again, characteristics
all ascribed to Bond.
At the same time, Fleming and Bond
were very different. While the author spent
most of the Second World War behind
a desk, his creation was a man of action.
“Bond is not in fact a hero,” Fleming
explained, “but an efficient and not very
attractive blunt instrument in the hands
of government,” and “a meld of various
qualities I noted among secret service
men and commandos in the last war.”
Much of Bond’s rugged adventurousness
can be traced back to Fleming’s wartime
encounters with intrepid soldiers and spies,
including the guerrillas of 30 Assault Unit,
the maverick commando group he had
helped to create and run.
Some of those who may have directly
inspired Bond’s character include Patrick
Dalzel-Job, a fearless member of 30 Assault
Unit; Fleming’s dashing brother Peter, who
took part in covert wartime operations; and
the British spy and expert skier Conrad
O’Brien-ffrench, who befriended Fleming
in Austria before the war.
The soldier, writer and politician Sir
Fitzroy Maclean (one-time member of the
SAS) and Wilfred Dunderdale, the MI6 head
Ian Fleming had a
love of women, fast
cars, gambling and gin
martinis – just like Bond
Fleming was a man of many interests,
including birdwatching. That’s why he
had on his bookshelf at Goldeneye, his
Jamaican retreat, a well-thumbed copy
of Birds of the West Indies (shown below),
a field guide written by the respected
American ornithologist James Bond.
Fleming later acknowledged this
real-life Bond as the source of his cele-
brated protagonist’s name. But he did
not choose it on a whim. Fleming wanted
a name that was straightforward and
trustworthy, and would reveal as little
as possible about his character’s back-
ground. There may have also been an
espionage inside-joke: ‘birdwatcher’ at
the time was slang for spy. Many years
later, the producers of Die Another Day
(2002) made a knowing reference to this:
when Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan,
disguises himself as a birdwatcher, he
buries himself in a copy of the original
James Bond’s guide to West Indian birds.
Name aside, these two Bonds had
almost nothing in common. The physical
appearance of Fleming’s Bond was
largely modelled on his creator. Both
Fleming and Bond had blue eyes, dark
hair and a “cruel mouth”. As the author
admitted, however, his literary creationJames Bond
How a respected birdwatcher became
the spy world’s “ultimate prostitute”PREVIOUS PAGE: ALAMY/SHUTTERSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
S
omeauthorsspendyearsontheir
firstnovel.IanFleming’scamein
a matterofweeks.InJanuary
1952,themiddle-agedBritish
journalistwasenjoyinga little
winter’ssunonholidayinthe
Caribbean.Onemorning,after
a swimandhisusualbreakfastofscram-
bledeggsandcoffee,Flemingsatdownto
hisbatteredRoyaltypewriterandham-
meredouttheopeninglineofCasino
Royale. Barelya monthlater,hehad
finished.JamesBondhadcometolife.
Flemingwentontowritea further
13 Bondnovels,whichhavesincesold
morethan 100 millioncopiesglobally.
Big-screenadaptationshavegenerated
morethan£5bnattheboxoffice,making
theBondfilmfranchiseoneofthemost
successfulinhistory.
Bondis a phenomenon.It is rareto
finda fictionalcharactersointricately
wovenintoonecountry’sself-image,and
atthesametimesohugelypopular
aroundtheworld.Diehardfanshave
rangedfromtheUSpresidentJohnF
KennedytotheNorthKoreandespot
KimJong-il.
Bond’sextraordinarypopularity
is rooted in the world – and the characters
- Fleming created: Bond himself, along
with ‘M’, Miss Moneypenny and a rogues’
gallery of villains, including Scaramanga,
Goldfinger and Blofeld. But these charac-
ters were not pulled out of thin air. They
are an amalgam of traits that Fleming
stole from a colourful cast of personalities
he encountered in his own life.
“Everything I write has a precedent in
truth,” Fleming wrote. So who were the
real people behind his most celebrated
literary creations?
The inspiration behind Bond
was much better looking.
Just as Flemingwent to Eton, left early,
was fatherlessfor most of his life, and
duringthe war achievedthe rank of acting
commanderin the Royal Naval Volunteer
Reserve,so did Bond. Fleminghad a love of
women,fast cars, gamblingand martinis–
as long as they were made the right way- and for some peoplepossesseda certain
coldnessor reserve;again, characteristics
all ascribedto Bond.
At the same time, Flemingand Bond
were very different.While the authorspent
most of the SecondWorld War behind
a desk, his creationwas a man of action.
“Bondis not in fact a hero,” Fleming
explained,“but an efficientand not very
attractiveblunt instrumentin the hands
of government,”and “a meld of various
qualitiesI noted amongsecret service
men and commandosin the last war.”
Much of Bond’sruggedadventurousness
can be tracedback to Fleming’swartime
encounterswith intrepidsoldiersand spies,
includingthe guerrillasof 30 AssaultUnit,
the maverickcommandogroup he had
helpedto create and run.
Some of those who may have directly
inspiredBond’scharacterincludePatrick
Dalzel-Job,a fearlessmemberof 30 Assault
Unit; Fleming’sdashingbrotherPeter, who
took part in covertwartimeoperations;and
the Britishspy and expertskier Conrad
O’Brien-ffrench,who befriendedFleming
in Austriabeforethe war.
The soldier,writer and politicianSir
FitzroyMaclean(one-timememberof the
SAS) and WilfredDunderdale,the MI6 head
IanFleminghad a
loveof women, fast
cars,gambling and gin
martinis–just like Bond
Flemingwas a man of many interests,
includingbirdwatching.That’s why he
had on his bookshelfat Goldeneye,his
Jamaicanretreat,a well-thumbedcopy
ofBirdsof theWestIndies(shownbelow),
a field guide writtenby the respected
AmericanornithologistJamesBond.
Fleminglater acknowledgedthis
real-lifeBond as the sourceof his cele-
bratedprotagonist’sname. But he did
not chooseit on a whim. Flemingwanted
a name that was straightforwardand
trustworthy,and would reveal as little
as possibleabout his character’sback-
ground.There may have also been an
espionageinside-joke:‘birdwatcher’at
the time was slang for spy. Many years
later, the producersofDieAnotherDay
(2002) made a knowingreferenceto this:
when Bond, playedby Pierce Brosnan,
disguiseshimselfas a birdwatcher,he
buries himselfin a copy of the original
JamesBond’sguide to West Indian birds.
Name aside, these two Bondshad
almostnothingin common.The physical
appearanceof Fleming’sBond was
largelymodelledon his creator.Both
Flemingand Bond had blue eyes, dark
hair and a “cruel mouth”.As the author
admitted,however,his literarycreationJames Bond
How a respected birdwatcher became
the spy world’s “ultimate prostitute”PREVIOUS PAGE: ALAMY/SHUTTERSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES