The Ian Fleming Miscellany

by Andrew Cook

The name Ian Fleming is synonymous with British espionage, both with his work as a naval intelligence officer in the Second World War as well as with his creation of the most famous fictional spy in literary history: James Bond. This book centres on Ian Fleming the man, his contradictions and his public and private personality. It examines the person behind the myth and how in particular he managed (unsuccessfully at first) to create a film franchise that has lasted over fifty years. It considers Fleming’s reputation as a writer, the ‘formula method’ he perfected and that formula’s reliance on the recycling of real individuals and events, as well as the occasional reliance on plagiarism. It uniquely accesses a number of recently opened government files that shed light on previously unknown wartime operations, such as the Air Ministry’s top secret ‘Operation Grand Slam’, which was used in Goldfinger.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Louise Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is well researched and clearly written - but the subject of Ian Fleming himself isn't very attractive! The main impression I was left with is what truly awful people used to run this country! Much as I loathe targets & team meetings and all the corporate carry on, surely it means we end up with more skilled people in top jobs than in the days when a woman with a son damaged by neglect would ring up an old pal and get him a job as a stockbroker even though he couldn't work out 10% of £100?

Fleming's life also reminds me of Clive James saying that what he wasn't good at he was very bad at. Awful as Fleming was in every other way, he does seem to have been a good spy.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book for Bond fans and anyone wanting a precis of Ian Fleming's life. It does not cover any new ground, but is a really skilled summarizing of the major events of Fleming's life, before and during the creation of Bond. It has a handful of nice photographs and only takes a few hours to read. Recommended.