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The Diamond Smugglers
Shipped from the UK in recyclable card packaging.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
144 people are currently reading
725 people want to read
About the author
Ian Fleming
746 books3,357 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ian Lancaster Fleming was an English writer, best known for his postwar James Bond series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his father was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley from 1910 until his death on the Western Front in 1917. Educated at Eton, Sandhurst, and, briefly, the universities of Munich and Geneva, Fleming moved through several jobs before he started writing.
While working for Britain's Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War, Fleming was involved in planning Operation Goldeneye and in the planning and oversight of two intelligence units: 30 Assault Unit and T-Force. He drew from his wartime service and his career as a journalist for much of the background, detail, and depth of his James Bond novels.
Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952, at age 44. It was a success, and three print runs were commissioned to meet the demand. Eleven Bond novels and two collections of short stories followed between 1953 and 1966. The novels centre around James Bond, an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. Bond is also known by his code number, 007, and was a commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two works of non-fiction. In 2008, The Times ranked Fleming 14th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
Fleming was married to Ann Fleming. She had divorced her husband, the 2nd Viscount Rothermere, because of her affair with the author. Fleming and Ann had a son, Caspar. Fleming was a heavy smoker and drinker for most of his life and succumbed to heart disease in 1964 at the age of 56. Two of his James Bond books were published posthumously; other writers have since produced Bond novels. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-seven times, portrayed by six actors in the official film series.
Ian Lancaster Fleming was an English writer, best known for his postwar James Bond series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his father was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley from 1910 until his death on the Western Front in 1917. Educated at Eton, Sandhurst, and, briefly, the universities of Munich and Geneva, Fleming moved through several jobs before he started writing.
While working for Britain's Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War, Fleming was involved in planning Operation Goldeneye and in the planning and oversight of two intelligence units: 30 Assault Unit and T-Force. He drew from his wartime service and his career as a journalist for much of the background, detail, and depth of his James Bond novels.
Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952, at age 44. It was a success, and three print runs were commissioned to meet the demand. Eleven Bond novels and two collections of short stories followed between 1953 and 1966. The novels centre around James Bond, an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. Bond is also known by his code number, 007, and was a commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two works of non-fiction. In 2008, The Times ranked Fleming 14th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
Fleming was married to Ann Fleming. She had divorced her husband, the 2nd Viscount Rothermere, because of her affair with the author. Fleming and Ann had a son, Caspar. Fleming was a heavy smoker and drinker for most of his life and succumbed to heart disease in 1964 at the age of 56. Two of his James Bond books were published posthumously; other writers have since produced Bond novels. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-seven times, portrayed by six actors in the official film series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
July 8, 2020
It had been many years since I’d read this book, and as I could remember nothing about it I was looking forward to re-reading it as part of my Ian Fleming marathon.
I settled into my comfy easy chair in the little dark corner of my living room next to the lamp on a rainy evening with a glass of Bailey’s, all prepared for a cosy trip back in time. Originally published in 1957, my paperback comes from 1964 and has about it that pleasantly musty smell that reflects the passing years, and aids the trip back through the years. The opening paragraphs of typically atmospheric Fleming scene setting and character description suggest a fascinating non-fiction tale to follow. But all too soon I remembered why I had read this book only once before. It is mostly devoid of Fleming’s best attributes as the opening paragraphs soon give way to what is essentially a transcription of a series of interviews Ian Fleming did with ‘John Blaize’ (an alias for John Collard of the International Diamond Security Organisation) in South Africa. The IDSO was set up to look at the increasing problem of diamond smuggling, from mainly that part of the world.
The best parts of the book are the all too brief scene-settings at the beginnings of each chapter. But all too quickly we come back to the interviewee, whose rather fact based story does little to excite, or even interest for that matter.
On checking out my book on the letters of Ian Fleming I discovered that he was very unhappy at the finished work saying, ‘It was a good book until all the possible libel was taken out.’ Clearly we have a much watered down story. His other non-fiction book ‘Thrilling Cities’ is far more entertaining, giving him room to be creative without being saddled with the limiting constraints that wreck The Diamond Smugglers.
On a separate note, ‘The Diamond Smugglers’ and ‘Thrilling Cities’ were made up of articles Ian Fleming wrote for The Sunday Times newspaper. But he wrote numerous articles apart from these; many of which can be found online via various searches. What I’ve read are very enjoyable, filled with the writer’s crisp prose and skilful abilities at creating mood and character while at the same time imparting information. It’s surprising to discover that these have not yet been collected in any affordable book form. There’s a huge treasure trove of work here - articles on Jacques Cousteau hunting for ancient treasures in the Bay of Marseilles, caving in the Pyrenees, Ian Fleming Introduces Jamaica, The Secrets Of Interpol, Delinquents & Smugglers; there are so many articles, plus book reviews and a weekly column he wrote under the name Atticus. So come on someone! Get these works out of the archives (and the elite) as they would make for a fascinating book. And, given the name involved, I should think a rather successful financial exercise. [A book called ‘Talk of the Devil’ from Queen Anne Press was part of an 18 volume ‘Complete Works of Ian Fleming’ published in 2008, it contains his journalistic work and a couple of unpublished short stories. The set sells for £2,000!].
I settled into my comfy easy chair in the little dark corner of my living room next to the lamp on a rainy evening with a glass of Bailey’s, all prepared for a cosy trip back in time. Originally published in 1957, my paperback comes from 1964 and has about it that pleasantly musty smell that reflects the passing years, and aids the trip back through the years. The opening paragraphs of typically atmospheric Fleming scene setting and character description suggest a fascinating non-fiction tale to follow. But all too soon I remembered why I had read this book only once before. It is mostly devoid of Fleming’s best attributes as the opening paragraphs soon give way to what is essentially a transcription of a series of interviews Ian Fleming did with ‘John Blaize’ (an alias for John Collard of the International Diamond Security Organisation) in South Africa. The IDSO was set up to look at the increasing problem of diamond smuggling, from mainly that part of the world.
The best parts of the book are the all too brief scene-settings at the beginnings of each chapter. But all too quickly we come back to the interviewee, whose rather fact based story does little to excite, or even interest for that matter.
On checking out my book on the letters of Ian Fleming I discovered that he was very unhappy at the finished work saying, ‘It was a good book until all the possible libel was taken out.’ Clearly we have a much watered down story. His other non-fiction book ‘Thrilling Cities’ is far more entertaining, giving him room to be creative without being saddled with the limiting constraints that wreck The Diamond Smugglers.
On a separate note, ‘The Diamond Smugglers’ and ‘Thrilling Cities’ were made up of articles Ian Fleming wrote for The Sunday Times newspaper. But he wrote numerous articles apart from these; many of which can be found online via various searches. What I’ve read are very enjoyable, filled with the writer’s crisp prose and skilful abilities at creating mood and character while at the same time imparting information. It’s surprising to discover that these have not yet been collected in any affordable book form. There’s a huge treasure trove of work here - articles on Jacques Cousteau hunting for ancient treasures in the Bay of Marseilles, caving in the Pyrenees, Ian Fleming Introduces Jamaica, The Secrets Of Interpol, Delinquents & Smugglers; there are so many articles, plus book reviews and a weekly column he wrote under the name Atticus. So come on someone! Get these works out of the archives (and the elite) as they would make for a fascinating book. And, given the name involved, I should think a rather successful financial exercise. [A book called ‘Talk of the Devil’ from Queen Anne Press was part of an 18 volume ‘Complete Works of Ian Fleming’ published in 2008, it contains his journalistic work and a couple of unpublished short stories. The set sells for £2,000!].
August 27, 2023
Meh. Glad that’s over. 💎
April 10, 2009
I didn't think it was possible to dislike diamonds and the diamond trade any more than I do. After reading this book- I really find them revolting.
May 15, 2020
Most amazingly this book was written by the journalist Ian Fleming in 1957 after his publication of Diamonds are forever which featured diamond smuggling and Fleming was asked to write a series of articles on the subject he did two weeks of interviews with John Collard , a member of the Interantional Diamons Security Organisation (IDSO), which was run by Sir Percy Sillicoe, he ex-chief of MI5, who worked for the diamond company De Beers, which of course were then combined in a book. Collard, who is introduced under the pseudonym of "John Blaize".
The book tells the story about the activities of the IDSO from the end of 1954 until the operation was closed down in April 1957, when its job was complete. Collard/Blaize tells that the IDSO was created at the instigation of the Chairman of De Beers, Sir Philip Oppenheimer, when an Interpol report stated that £10 million of diamonds were being smuggled out of South Africa each year, as well as additional amounts from Sierra Leone, Portuguese West Africa, the Gold Coast and Tanganyika.
Fleming and Collard met in Tangiers on 13 April 1957; Fleming considered Collard to be a "reluctant hero, like all Britain's best secret agents". The Sunday Times serialised the book over six weeks, starting on 15 September 1957 and finishing on 20 October 1957. This serialized version and the book was what was left after the De Beers had objected to certain parts and threatened with a lawsuit , so parts were never published. However Fleming did sell the movie rights but somehow the movie never materialized even with the involvement of writers like Jon Cleary, Kingsley Amis and at one point, film director John Boorman was involved.
It is an insightful written book about diamond smuggling halfway the 20th century and of course certain presumptions and observations come from that era that is more than sixty years away from our current times. I am sure some readers would be offended by this book and its content due to modern sensitivities. However I am of the opinion if you do not care to understand society as it was you'll never learn from it. We want to live in better times we hope I do not even doubt that Diamond smuggling is still happening albeit in a more modern style.
It was nice to read a different Fleming namely the journalist instead of the Thriller author, he does know how to writer good story/article.
I've got the Jonathan Cape second impression from 1957 in my collection which is hardcover. For a fan of Ian Fleming this book is perhaps a must read.
The book tells the story about the activities of the IDSO from the end of 1954 until the operation was closed down in April 1957, when its job was complete. Collard/Blaize tells that the IDSO was created at the instigation of the Chairman of De Beers, Sir Philip Oppenheimer, when an Interpol report stated that £10 million of diamonds were being smuggled out of South Africa each year, as well as additional amounts from Sierra Leone, Portuguese West Africa, the Gold Coast and Tanganyika.
Fleming and Collard met in Tangiers on 13 April 1957; Fleming considered Collard to be a "reluctant hero, like all Britain's best secret agents". The Sunday Times serialised the book over six weeks, starting on 15 September 1957 and finishing on 20 October 1957. This serialized version and the book was what was left after the De Beers had objected to certain parts and threatened with a lawsuit , so parts were never published. However Fleming did sell the movie rights but somehow the movie never materialized even with the involvement of writers like Jon Cleary, Kingsley Amis and at one point, film director John Boorman was involved.
It is an insightful written book about diamond smuggling halfway the 20th century and of course certain presumptions and observations come from that era that is more than sixty years away from our current times. I am sure some readers would be offended by this book and its content due to modern sensitivities. However I am of the opinion if you do not care to understand society as it was you'll never learn from it. We want to live in better times we hope I do not even doubt that Diamond smuggling is still happening albeit in a more modern style.
It was nice to read a different Fleming namely the journalist instead of the Thriller author, he does know how to writer good story/article.
I've got the Jonathan Cape second impression from 1957 in my collection which is hardcover. For a fan of Ian Fleming this book is perhaps a must read.
January 5, 2015
It is strange that this book has a relatively high rating on Goodreads. Nearly all of the reviews are poor. The book says very little about diamond smugglers. It is certainly not the racket the cover describes. There is very little detail, to the point of being useless.
The book is based on a brief interview between Ian Fleming, author of James Bond, and a mysterious former spy turned diamond security specialist in Tangier, Morocco. The writing sounds like the dialogue between two people bantering over tea. No detail, vague descriptions, and over generalizations meant that this book reveals virtually nothing.
I am not even sure who the security guy worked for. The British government obviously nurtured and protected the DeBeers diamond monopoly-cartel. He was hired to investigate the loss of diamonds and the traffic of diamonds to Russia. The task was daunting considering how much of Africa produces diamonds. The result was that he had to tighten security throughout British colonial Africa. Even though he described a beach in South Africa where diamonds wash ashore with the tide, he said the security breach was in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Smugglers illegally mined diamonds in Sierra Leone (British) and took them across the border to Liberia (free) where they obtained a legitimate export license and became legal. In a brilliant maneuver, he used a shady diamond dealer in Liberia to buy smuggled diamonds at higher prices to freeze out the other smugglers in Liberia. The odious aspect of the sting was that the British government supplied one million pounds, so DeBeers could then sell the diamonds through their legal channels. Free diamonds.
Some reviewers object to the authors imperialist and racist discussion, but those were common of the era, kinda like blaming Thomas Jefferson for using the term negro. I feel that DeBeers diamond monopoly-cartel is far more odious. The resources they spent trying to restrict impoverished locals from making simple surface pits in Sierra Leone or parts of South Africa were bordering on human rights violations. The British government supporting such countermeasures was unsettling, no matter how important the diamond trade was to Britain.
Overall, a disagreeable book on many levels. There are some anecdotal stories that are interesting, such as an ostrich killing a a security chief; but mostly the book is pointless and irrelevant. There are no insights into smuggling, the diamond industry, or British Imperialism. It is just two guys talking on a beach.
The book is based on a brief interview between Ian Fleming, author of James Bond, and a mysterious former spy turned diamond security specialist in Tangier, Morocco. The writing sounds like the dialogue between two people bantering over tea. No detail, vague descriptions, and over generalizations meant that this book reveals virtually nothing.
I am not even sure who the security guy worked for. The British government obviously nurtured and protected the DeBeers diamond monopoly-cartel. He was hired to investigate the loss of diamonds and the traffic of diamonds to Russia. The task was daunting considering how much of Africa produces diamonds. The result was that he had to tighten security throughout British colonial Africa. Even though he described a beach in South Africa where diamonds wash ashore with the tide, he said the security breach was in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Smugglers illegally mined diamonds in Sierra Leone (British) and took them across the border to Liberia (free) where they obtained a legitimate export license and became legal. In a brilliant maneuver, he used a shady diamond dealer in Liberia to buy smuggled diamonds at higher prices to freeze out the other smugglers in Liberia. The odious aspect of the sting was that the British government supplied one million pounds, so DeBeers could then sell the diamonds through their legal channels. Free diamonds.
Some reviewers object to the authors imperialist and racist discussion, but those were common of the era, kinda like blaming Thomas Jefferson for using the term negro. I feel that DeBeers diamond monopoly-cartel is far more odious. The resources they spent trying to restrict impoverished locals from making simple surface pits in Sierra Leone or parts of South Africa were bordering on human rights violations. The British government supporting such countermeasures was unsettling, no matter how important the diamond trade was to Britain.
Overall, a disagreeable book on many levels. There are some anecdotal stories that are interesting, such as an ostrich killing a a security chief; but mostly the book is pointless and irrelevant. There are no insights into smuggling, the diamond industry, or British Imperialism. It is just two guys talking on a beach.
June 27, 2017
A unique view into the world of diamond smugglers in the 1950s.The story takes place in Sierra Leone, West Africa where the life expectancy is for men 37 years old and people manage to live on about $1 a day.
The Diamond Smugglers is a good book to read if you want to understand the connection how the diamond industry financed the killing and destruction throughout Sierra Leone. Diamonds are definitely not a Sierra Leoneans' best friend!
I was a big fan of Ian Fleming's James Bond books. Fleming's writing style brings the story to life. However this book doesn’t have the action as the Bond Series. There is much more historical in analytical information in this book than his other writings.
The Diamond Smugglers is a good book to read if you want to understand the connection how the diamond industry financed the killing and destruction throughout Sierra Leone. Diamonds are definitely not a Sierra Leoneans' best friend!
I was a big fan of Ian Fleming's James Bond books. Fleming's writing style brings the story to life. However this book doesn’t have the action as the Bond Series. There is much more historical in analytical information in this book than his other writings.
September 10, 2016
The superior, colonialist attitudes of the 'protagonists' make the book almost unreadable. Useful only as a testament to the fact that, even after WWII, there were still packs of these delusional imperialists running around the globe patting themselves on the back and thinking they still owned the world. Insufferable...
October 20, 2025
probably would've been far more interesting if read around the original publication date. the history is sooooo dry. fleming feels like he's grasping at straws trying to make the narrative more engaging.
August 15, 2021
I read this due to the love of Fleming's work.
Although the book was an interesting look into the world of diamond smuggling I wouldn't say that the book had me enthralled at any point.
You can sort of understand that diamond smuggling exists though with the low risk to reward that was around at the time it was written.
Although the last paper cutting makes me agree with Blaize that golf would be a better option!
Although the book was an interesting look into the world of diamond smuggling I wouldn't say that the book had me enthralled at any point.
You can sort of understand that diamond smuggling exists though with the low risk to reward that was around at the time it was written.
Although the last paper cutting makes me agree with Blaize that golf would be a better option!
April 20, 2017
"If you write spy thrillers you are apt to have an interesting postbag."(p. 17)
Fleming never fades into the background. Despite it being not his story, it is written in the style of Fleming's own memoir. Everything "John Blaze" contributes is told in dialog, as he and the author live the expat high life in Tangiers and converse over drinks or tea or whatnot. It is a peculiar way to go about it, to say the least.
The matter is only shown from the topmost level down, with the Diamond Corporation as the aggrieved party, representing not just Jolly Olde England but the entire Western Bloc: a great many smuggled stones wind up in the Soviet Union, for use in industry and munitions. It is really hard to muster sympathy for a diamond monopoly, of all things, especially when it is implied that the people pulling the things out of the ground are doing so for a pittance.
It would be interesting to see what Fleming and Blaze and Co. would have thought of a "conflict diamond". That the money from all this smuggling and subterfuge winds up in slightly different European pockets is both stupid and sort of quaint.
Fleming's interests and sympathies are clear. The Africans at the bottom of the ladder do not rate, the nearly postcolonial African authorities deserve contempt, and the Soviet angle for industrial diamonds is unexplored but for a bit of flag-waving. But these things would have represented actual work, instead of being dictated his book over a week by this "John Blaze" in exotic and luxurious surroundings.
Fleming never fades into the background. Despite it being not his story, it is written in the style of Fleming's own memoir. Everything "John Blaze" contributes is told in dialog, as he and the author live the expat high life in Tangiers and converse over drinks or tea or whatnot. It is a peculiar way to go about it, to say the least.
The matter is only shown from the topmost level down, with the Diamond Corporation as the aggrieved party, representing not just Jolly Olde England but the entire Western Bloc: a great many smuggled stones wind up in the Soviet Union, for use in industry and munitions. It is really hard to muster sympathy for a diamond monopoly, of all things, especially when it is implied that the people pulling the things out of the ground are doing so for a pittance.
It would be interesting to see what Fleming and Blaze and Co. would have thought of a "conflict diamond". That the money from all this smuggling and subterfuge winds up in slightly different European pockets is both stupid and sort of quaint.
Fleming's interests and sympathies are clear. The Africans at the bottom of the ladder do not rate, the nearly postcolonial African authorities deserve contempt, and the Soviet angle for industrial diamonds is unexplored but for a bit of flag-waving. But these things would have represented actual work, instead of being dictated his book over a week by this "John Blaze" in exotic and luxurious surroundings.
January 19, 2009
a poor excuse for a book. Fleming must have been hot property for the publisher to have put this out. its only 150 pages of Fleming's notes from meeting with a guy involved in stopping diamond smuggling in Africa. the stories he relates are not even that interesting and i'd have discarded the book if it was not so brief.
December 8, 2011
High hopes for the most part very pedantic and boring.
May 11, 2013
Like most Ian Flemming extremely racist and colonial, but still an enjoyable read if your interested to see how the British Empire views the exploitation of the diamond mines.
November 22, 2018
A fascinating bit of journalism, but also hasn't aged well in some respects. Brace for some casual racism and smug colonialism.
May 1, 2025
Ik denk dat ik The Diamond Smugglers in een periode heb gekocht dat ik heel hard into James Bond was. De originele verhalen van 007 had ik al in bezit (en heb ik in een periode van ongeveer 7 jaar gelezen, gewoon een gelukkig toeval), maar ik heb dit boek altijd bewust wat links laten liggen. De reden? Het is namelijk gelinkt aan Diamonds Are Forever. Dat is het vierde James Bond boek en is samen met Thunderball het zwakste boek uit heel de reeks. Uiteindelijk blijkt de link niet meer te zijn dan “Fleming schreef Diamonds Are Forever en werd achteraf uitgenodigd om over de diamantsector
te schrijven” maar dat neemt niet weg dat dit inderdaad een ietwat flauw boek is.
Ik begin eigenlijk ook meer en meer vast te stellen dat Fleming echt geen goede auteur is voor mij. De James Bond is sowieso niet altijd even succesvol als je het mij vraagt, maar die koloniale insteek in Diamond Smugglers… Het is een tijdsbeeld dat vandaag de dag gelukkig aan het veranderen is, maar van die passages dat ze toch zelfs een zwarte man (Fleming gebruikt een ander woord trouwens) niet dagelijks een x-ray kunnen laten ondergaan om na te gaan of hij een diamant heeft gestolen, laat staan dat ze dat met een blanke man kunnen doen, zijn echt wel tenenkrommend. Het zorgt ervoor dat dit af en toe - en naar het einde toe wordt het precies erger en erger - een vervelende rit wordt en het is dan ook maar een goede zaak dat dit niet veel pagina’s bevat. Ik denk dat Fleming ook echt wel gewoon uitverteld was, want in de laatste hoofdstukken gebeurt er sowieso weinig interessants. In het voorwoord van John Collard merk je ook dat de man zichzelf graag hoort praten (een voorwoord van 10 pagina’s!) en naar het schijnt was Fleming zelf ook niet zo heel hard te spreken over het uiteindelijke resultaat omdat hij veel heeft moeten aanpassen van Collard. De beste stukken zitten dan ook in het begin wanneer Collard grote sier maakt met uit te leggen hoe ze bepaalde misdadigers te pakken hebben gekregen. Misschien interessant om in het verlengde van Diamonds Are Forever te lezen, maar ik ga een herlezing toch aan mij voorbij laten gaan.
Nu rest me enkel nog Thrilling Cities en dan ben ik door mijn volledige oeuvre van Fleming. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 14 James Bond boeken en dan dus deze Diamond Smugglers. Ironisch genoeg maakt dat van Fleming één van mijn meest gelezen auteurs, maar ik zou me niet omschrijven als een fan. Daarvoor is zijn oeuvre echt gewoon te wisselvallig en ik heb een beetje schrik voor wat Thrilling Cities gaat brengen… Dat is echter voor binnenkort.
te schrijven” maar dat neemt niet weg dat dit inderdaad een ietwat flauw boek is.
Ik begin eigenlijk ook meer en meer vast te stellen dat Fleming echt geen goede auteur is voor mij. De James Bond is sowieso niet altijd even succesvol als je het mij vraagt, maar die koloniale insteek in Diamond Smugglers… Het is een tijdsbeeld dat vandaag de dag gelukkig aan het veranderen is, maar van die passages dat ze toch zelfs een zwarte man (Fleming gebruikt een ander woord trouwens) niet dagelijks een x-ray kunnen laten ondergaan om na te gaan of hij een diamant heeft gestolen, laat staan dat ze dat met een blanke man kunnen doen, zijn echt wel tenenkrommend. Het zorgt ervoor dat dit af en toe - en naar het einde toe wordt het precies erger en erger - een vervelende rit wordt en het is dan ook maar een goede zaak dat dit niet veel pagina’s bevat. Ik denk dat Fleming ook echt wel gewoon uitverteld was, want in de laatste hoofdstukken gebeurt er sowieso weinig interessants. In het voorwoord van John Collard merk je ook dat de man zichzelf graag hoort praten (een voorwoord van 10 pagina’s!) en naar het schijnt was Fleming zelf ook niet zo heel hard te spreken over het uiteindelijke resultaat omdat hij veel heeft moeten aanpassen van Collard. De beste stukken zitten dan ook in het begin wanneer Collard grote sier maakt met uit te leggen hoe ze bepaalde misdadigers te pakken hebben gekregen. Misschien interessant om in het verlengde van Diamonds Are Forever te lezen, maar ik ga een herlezing toch aan mij voorbij laten gaan.
Nu rest me enkel nog Thrilling Cities en dan ben ik door mijn volledige oeuvre van Fleming. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 14 James Bond boeken en dan dus deze Diamond Smugglers. Ironisch genoeg maakt dat van Fleming één van mijn meest gelezen auteurs, maar ik zou me niet omschrijven als een fan. Daarvoor is zijn oeuvre echt gewoon te wisselvallig en ik heb een beetje schrik voor wat Thrilling Cities gaat brengen… Dat is echter voor binnenkort.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2023
I’d heard of Ian Fleming’s 1957 book, The Diamond Smugglers 💎🕵️♂️✈️⛏️🗼🌊, but assumed that it contained his research for his 1956 James Bond 0️⃣0️⃣7️⃣ novel, Diamonds Are Forever 💎, which is not the (Tiffany) case.
It collects Ian Fleming’s interviews with a diamond detective 🕵️♂️ who he nicknames “John Blaize” (reminiscent of another “JB”), a former MI5 agent who read Diamonds Are Forever 💎 and asked Fleming to tell his story in The Sunday Times 📰 to raise awareness of diamond smuggling and illicit diamond buying after the agency that he worked for - the International Diamond Security Organisation (IDSO) - was wound up.
Apparently, the interviews were significantly edited by diamond corporation, De Beers before being published and the foreword to the book (by Fleming’s nephew, Fergus) explains that, whilst Fleming enjoyed interviewing Blaize, he did not enjoy the book itself.
Although Blaize sounds more like a detective than a spy 🔍, the facts unfold much as you might expect a real-life spy plot would. Blaize frequently monitored events from afar to avoid arousing suspicion and often was not involved in an operation from beginning to end, not unlike William Somerset Maugham’s Ashenden: Or the British Agent.
Many details of the efforts to curb the smuggling are pre-figured in the novel of Diamonds Are Forever 💎 and, as I read this book, I wondered whether some of them inspired plot points in the James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever (1971) 💎.
There are some genuinely thrilling and intriguing parts to this book, such as a botched aircraft landing on a beach 🏝️ and, separately, a sinister plane crash ✈️, but whilst the events feel like they are building towards something and there is plenty of material here to inspire espionage authors like Fleming, the solution to the smuggling is anticlimactic.
Nevertheless, Ian Fleming’s prose style clearly shines through, demonstrating that the James Bond novels definitely carried his “voice”. The Diamond Smugglers is also a perfect companion piece to the fictional novel, Diamonds Are Forever 💎.
It collects Ian Fleming’s interviews with a diamond detective 🕵️♂️ who he nicknames “John Blaize” (reminiscent of another “JB”), a former MI5 agent who read Diamonds Are Forever 💎 and asked Fleming to tell his story in The Sunday Times 📰 to raise awareness of diamond smuggling and illicit diamond buying after the agency that he worked for - the International Diamond Security Organisation (IDSO) - was wound up.
Apparently, the interviews were significantly edited by diamond corporation, De Beers before being published and the foreword to the book (by Fleming’s nephew, Fergus) explains that, whilst Fleming enjoyed interviewing Blaize, he did not enjoy the book itself.
Although Blaize sounds more like a detective than a spy 🔍, the facts unfold much as you might expect a real-life spy plot would. Blaize frequently monitored events from afar to avoid arousing suspicion and often was not involved in an operation from beginning to end, not unlike William Somerset Maugham’s Ashenden: Or the British Agent.
Many details of the efforts to curb the smuggling are pre-figured in the novel of Diamonds Are Forever 💎 and, as I read this book, I wondered whether some of them inspired plot points in the James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever (1971) 💎.
There are some genuinely thrilling and intriguing parts to this book, such as a botched aircraft landing on a beach 🏝️ and, separately, a sinister plane crash ✈️, but whilst the events feel like they are building towards something and there is plenty of material here to inspire espionage authors like Fleming, the solution to the smuggling is anticlimactic.
Nevertheless, Ian Fleming’s prose style clearly shines through, demonstrating that the James Bond novels definitely carried his “voice”. The Diamond Smugglers is also a perfect companion piece to the fictional novel, Diamonds Are Forever 💎.
January 4, 2026
In the early stages of this book - and where it works best - this reads like an M briefing to 007 at the start of another extraordinary mission. Some of the initial background, details of diamond mines and beaches full of diamonds were fascinating.
Just before I posted my own thoughts, I read another review on Goodreads which is spot on. This book works best when Fleming is writing his scene setting at the beginning of each chapter. His descriptions of coffee shops, the local area or his subject, Blaize, and their journey to a suitable interview location are the most interesting. What then happens is Fleming then resorts to interview transcripts essentially, newspaper clippings, diary entries and transcripts erode all excitement and soon become quite dull rather than the usual exciting prose that Fleming creates.
As the book continues, Fleming’s prose becomes further reduced and more reliant on these transcripts, and as such, the book’s impact reduces over its limited 130 pages.
Recommended?: for Fleming completeness this is well worth a look, and there are some really interesting stories included within, I particularly liked the exploits about the diamond beach and the coverage of the plans to smuggle and hide diamonds on the beach and then recover them via land, sea or air. That said, overall it’s pretty average, let down by an insufficient amount of fun stories like the beach heist and over reliant on those factual and often dull Blaize transcripts.
Just before I posted my own thoughts, I read another review on Goodreads which is spot on. This book works best when Fleming is writing his scene setting at the beginning of each chapter. His descriptions of coffee shops, the local area or his subject, Blaize, and their journey to a suitable interview location are the most interesting. What then happens is Fleming then resorts to interview transcripts essentially, newspaper clippings, diary entries and transcripts erode all excitement and soon become quite dull rather than the usual exciting prose that Fleming creates.
As the book continues, Fleming’s prose becomes further reduced and more reliant on these transcripts, and as such, the book’s impact reduces over its limited 130 pages.
Recommended?: for Fleming completeness this is well worth a look, and there are some really interesting stories included within, I particularly liked the exploits about the diamond beach and the coverage of the plans to smuggle and hide diamonds on the beach and then recover them via land, sea or air. That said, overall it’s pretty average, let down by an insufficient amount of fun stories like the beach heist and over reliant on those factual and often dull Blaize transcripts.
May 26, 2020
Dull non-fiction effort by the otherwise great James Bond author Ian Fleming. With no story to speak of, "The Diamond Smugglers" mainly features a series of anecdotes taken from Fleming's real-life conversations with a British agent who oversaw a spy network in Africa in order to plug the enormous leak in the illicit diamond smuggling trade.
Through "The Diamond Smugglers," the agent "John Blaize" provides for one boring diamond smuggling story after another, with no end in sight. The hope was that "The Diamond Smugglers" would be at least as interesting as Ian Fleming's previously published five novels. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Perhaps Fleming's publisher was overzealous to publish yet another book with the name "Ian Fleming" on it in 1957, hoping to make a quick pound (or dollar), otherwise it is hard to understand why anyone would want to publish this flat, uneventful book, let alone read it.
If anything, "The Diamond Smugglers" feels less like a book and more like research for a better book. Ian Fleming thankfully would go on to author much better books than this slight and forgettable offering.
Through "The Diamond Smugglers," the agent "John Blaize" provides for one boring diamond smuggling story after another, with no end in sight. The hope was that "The Diamond Smugglers" would be at least as interesting as Ian Fleming's previously published five novels. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Perhaps Fleming's publisher was overzealous to publish yet another book with the name "Ian Fleming" on it in 1957, hoping to make a quick pound (or dollar), otherwise it is hard to understand why anyone would want to publish this flat, uneventful book, let alone read it.
If anything, "The Diamond Smugglers" feels less like a book and more like research for a better book. Ian Fleming thankfully would go on to author much better books than this slight and forgettable offering.
December 10, 2020
This is an different tack from the usual Fleming reading. This is the short but true accounts from Fleming about the early efforts to tackle the diamond smuggling problems that plagued Africa in the early 1950's.
As it is written during that time frame, it contains all of the language and viewpoints held by members of the West.
However it does shine a light on the problems with rampant diamond smuggling at all levels in Africa, and the steps both private and public entities took to try and counter this black market.
As we were just talking about blood diamonds and violence in Sierra Leone, Liberia, etc...the same countries that Flemming's subject was working in to try and stop smuggling 60+ years ago.
So unsavory language and biases aside, it is an interesting account that is still relevant today.
As it is written during that time frame, it contains all of the language and viewpoints held by members of the West.
However it does shine a light on the problems with rampant diamond smuggling at all levels in Africa, and the steps both private and public entities took to try and counter this black market.
As we were just talking about blood diamonds and violence in Sierra Leone, Liberia, etc...the same countries that Flemming's subject was working in to try and stop smuggling 60+ years ago.
So unsavory language and biases aside, it is an interesting account that is still relevant today.
June 17, 2017
I have mixed feelings about this book. I didn’t really take much of it in, but it was an enjoyable enough read for what it was. Fleming himself never took it particularly seriously, but it sold well enough when it was first released and there was even talk of turning it into a movie.
The book is basically a short, journalistic piece based on a series of interviews that Fleming held with a diamond smuggler. It’s interesting in its way, but it’s not as purely entertaining as his Bond novels. It’s only really worth reading if you’re a big fan of his or if you’re really into diamonds. It’s your call.
The book is basically a short, journalistic piece based on a series of interviews that Fleming held with a diamond smuggler. It’s interesting in its way, but it’s not as purely entertaining as his Bond novels. It’s only really worth reading if you’re a big fan of his or if you’re really into diamonds. It’s your call.
April 27, 2021
It was almost like Ian Fleming was taking us along on one of his research trips to feed a novel on which he was working.
“John Blaize” himself commented at the end, paraphrasing a James Bond novel(?) “It reads better than it lives.”
It was just amazing how much was recalled - I forget how soon after the actual events occurred that Ian Fleming was able to interview Blaize. There were no truly suspenseful or ominous moments - the tale chugged along in the (intended?) storytelling style, that seemed plausible and did not smack of “that only happens in books/movies!”.
And to think, there were even some portions that Fleming (or Blaize) was not able to share.
“John Blaize” himself commented at the end, paraphrasing a James Bond novel(?) “It reads better than it lives.”
It was just amazing how much was recalled - I forget how soon after the actual events occurred that Ian Fleming was able to interview Blaize. There were no truly suspenseful or ominous moments - the tale chugged along in the (intended?) storytelling style, that seemed plausible and did not smack of “that only happens in books/movies!”.
And to think, there were even some portions that Fleming (or Blaize) was not able to share.
July 21, 2021
titular sentence:
p17: 'One day early in '54 my old Chief--he'd just retired--invited me to lunch at his club and asked me if I'd like to leave Military Intelligence and join a team to get after the diamond smugglers....'
cement:
p110: Inside the dirty white cement building there was the usual early morning smell of cheap airports--a mixture of coffee, petrol, sweat and old tobacco smoke.
A sad situation made sadder by crime.
I thought this would be material generated by research for Diamonds Are Forever. It appears that isn't the case.
p17: 'One day early in '54 my old Chief--he'd just retired--invited me to lunch at his club and asked me if I'd like to leave Military Intelligence and join a team to get after the diamond smugglers....'
cement:
p110: Inside the dirty white cement building there was the usual early morning smell of cheap airports--a mixture of coffee, petrol, sweat and old tobacco smoke.
A sad situation made sadder by crime.
I thought this would be material generated by research for Diamonds Are Forever. It appears that isn't the case.
September 11, 2023
Thought this was an excellent read, easy, languid, descriptive language. For me the book inadvertently shines a brief light on the British Establishment on Foreign soil. How their role was a crossover of espionage, corporate business, colonial snobbery and feeling of natural superiority. How all these factors are in place solely to improve the welfare of the ruling elite. The diamond smuggling is a side issue to the fact that the elite feel plundered of their entitlements. I've explained it badly but it's well worth a read as it's a short book. I loved it.
December 28, 2024
I expected this book from 1957 to pique my interest since it was a nonfiction book written by the author of the James Bond series. It ended up being basically a transcript of many interviews Ian Fleming did with John Collard of the International Diamond Security Organization (IDSO) in South Africa. The IDSO was set up to look at the increasing problem of diamond smuggling from African nations. The problem stemmed from lenient punishments and rich rewards for smugglers. Bear in mind this is written in 1950s jargon and all that entails ...
July 23, 2017
If you've read The Last Empire by Kanfer or any of the Diamond Invention series by Epstein, a lot of this won't come as news to you. Nevertheless, it's a rare first-hand look into the activity of illegal diamond buyers and sellers, as told by one of the Diamond Cartel's paid men. If you're a Fleming fan, it's a great work of journalism by him.
March 3, 2019
Eh
It’s no surprise why most Ian Fleming fans have not heard of this book. It consists of stories relayed to him by a person who catches Diamond Smugglers. There is no “Fleming sweep”. Even though, it’s a short book, it took me forever to read (and I’m a fan of Fleming’s other books, even the lesser known “Thrilling Cities”).
It’s no surprise why most Ian Fleming fans have not heard of this book. It consists of stories relayed to him by a person who catches Diamond Smugglers. There is no “Fleming sweep”. Even though, it’s a short book, it took me forever to read (and I’m a fan of Fleming’s other books, even the lesser known “Thrilling Cities”).
March 4, 2019
This is the only non-fiction book by Ian Fleming that I know of. It is a fascinating description of diamond mining and smuggling in Africa in the 1950's. His main character is not a James Bond type at all, but a rather a likable unassuming guy that has a lot of fantastic stories to tell. It is a great read and very informative.
April 14, 2020
To quote the author himself: “This was written in 2 weeks in Tangiers, April 1957. ... It is rather adequate journalism but a poor book and necessarily rather contrived though the facts are true."
If nothing else, it was fascinating to read about Africa and the diamond trade in the words of a “distinguished gentleman”, aka. a colonial era elitist and racist. A man of his time clearly.
If nothing else, it was fascinating to read about Africa and the diamond trade in the words of a “distinguished gentleman”, aka. a colonial era elitist and racist. A man of his time clearly.
April 2, 2023
This was a surprisingly entertaining and informative book, heavily a product of it’s time, but i still finished it in one sitting.
There is no actual plot but Fleming reports in episodes the activities of a professional charged with reducing diamond smuggling. A topic that i found highly interesting.
There is no actual plot but Fleming reports in episodes the activities of a professional charged with reducing diamond smuggling. A topic that i found highly interesting.
May 1, 2023
The Diamond Smugglers is a true story of an operation responsible for smuggling millions of pounds worth of diamonds out of Africa. Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond series, draws on interviews with a reluctant hero of the diamond companies' attempt to to explore the world of the real master criminals of the time. This book rivals Fleming's best spy novels.
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