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The Man with the Golden Typewriter: Ian Fleming's James Bond Letters
On 16 August 1952, Ian Fleming wrote to his wife, Ann, 'My love, This is only a tiny letter to try out my new typewriter and to see if it will write golden words since it is made of gold'. He had bought the gold-plated typewriter as a present to himself for finishing his first novel, Casino Royale. It marked in glamorous style the arrival of James Bond, agent 007, and the start of a career that saw Fleming become one of the world's most celebrated thriller writers. And he did write golden words. Before his death in 1964 he produced fourteen bestselling Bond books, two works of non-fiction and the famous children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. Fleming's output was matched by an equally energetic flow of letters. He wrote constantly, to his wife, publisher, editors, fans, friends and critics, charting 007's progress with correspondence that ranged from badgering Jonathan Cape about his quota of free copies -- a coin was tossed; Fleming lost - to apologising for having mistaken a certain brand of perfume and for equipping Bond with the wrong kind of gun. His letters also reflect his friendships with contemporaries such as Raymond Chandler, Noel Coward and Somerset Maugham. Before the world-famous films came the world-famous novels. This books tells the story of the man who wrote them and how he created spy fiction's most compelling hero.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
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December 23, 2022
Following my return to the world of James Bond with Live and Let Die--a spectacularly entertaining fantasy thriller with dubiously researched spycraft and troubling racist undertones--I turned to a book about Ian Fleming for a bit of context. Published in 2015, The Man with the Golden Typewriter: Ian Fleming's James Bond Letters is edited by historian Fergus Fleming, the author's nephew. Fleming's correspondence reveals a professional author whose research and work ethic afforded him little of the extravagance of his fiction, despite Fleming being based at his Goldeneye estate in Jamaica.
A chapter is devoted to each Bond novel, which I appreciated from a chronological standpoint. Fleming was 44 with a postwar career in journalism and publishing when he began writing his first novel Casino Royale and rather than focus on creative writing or the fame he would be swept up in with the film adaptation of his work ten years later, Fleming's letters are devoted to very mundane details that might be of interest to Bond enthusiasts only: royalties, marketing, cover design, constructive criticism from colleagues, alternate titles, etc. I flipped through much of the book, neither ferociously engaged or numbingly bored.
There's a chapter devoted to Fleming's correspondence with Geoffrey Boothroyd, a 31-year-old firearms expert from Glasgow who in 1956 wrote Fleming as a James Bond fan who found the secret agent's taste in guns pitiful (Boothroyd ultimately dismisses silencers as being impractical as well). Boothroyd became Fleming's armorer and ended up outfitting all his characters with weaponry. The author was a veteran of Naval Intelligence and obsessed with detail, but was hardly a globetrotter, and as his thrillers gained in popularity, I was amused by how many men (and women) like Boothroyd wrote to Fleming to call him out on his errors.
I have, by now got rather fond of Mr. James Bond. I like most of the things about him, with the exception of his rather deplorable taste in firearms. In particular I dislike a man who comes in contact with all sorts of formidable people using a .25 Beretta. This sort of gun is really a lady's gun, and not a really nice lady at that. If Mr. Bond has to use a light gun he would be better off with a .22 rim fire and the lead bullet would cause more shocking effect than the jacketed type of the .25.
May I suggest that Mr. Bond is armed with a revolver? This has many advantages for the type of shooting that he is called upon to perform and I am certain that Mr. Leiter would agree with this recommendation. The Beretta will weigh, after it has been doctored, somewhere under one pound. If Mr. Bond gets himself a S & W .38 Special Centennial Airweight he will have a real man-stopper weighing only 13 ozs.
A librarian at Yale University named Herman W. Liebert was also a 007 fan but likewise appalled, by Fleming's dusty American dialogue in Live and Let Die. There's a chapter devoted to Liebert's correspondence with the author, who took constructive criticism exceptionally well and despite periods of artistic temperament, kept cranking out fiction until his death at age 56 of heart failure. That said, I mostly flipped through this book. The two Bond movies that were released during Fleming's lifetime--Dr. No and From Russia With Love--are barely touched on and the creative genesis of Fleming's stories or his thoughts on craft are not covered.
In terms of the racist and sexist undertones in Live and Let Die, there is no indication that Fleming was a bigot. His American friend Ernie Cuneo, a publisher and veteran of the OSS who met Fleming during the war, believed that the author was "as detached from Bond as a scientist who has created a robot, and indeed, there were a considerable number of times when I thought Bond bored Fleming to tears." The author considered his books to be adult thrillers and was disquieted to learn that children might be reading them or view 007 as a role model. Seeing a bit how James Bond took on a life of its own independent from his creator was intriguing.
A chapter is devoted to each Bond novel, which I appreciated from a chronological standpoint. Fleming was 44 with a postwar career in journalism and publishing when he began writing his first novel Casino Royale and rather than focus on creative writing or the fame he would be swept up in with the film adaptation of his work ten years later, Fleming's letters are devoted to very mundane details that might be of interest to Bond enthusiasts only: royalties, marketing, cover design, constructive criticism from colleagues, alternate titles, etc. I flipped through much of the book, neither ferociously engaged or numbingly bored.
There's a chapter devoted to Fleming's correspondence with Geoffrey Boothroyd, a 31-year-old firearms expert from Glasgow who in 1956 wrote Fleming as a James Bond fan who found the secret agent's taste in guns pitiful (Boothroyd ultimately dismisses silencers as being impractical as well). Boothroyd became Fleming's armorer and ended up outfitting all his characters with weaponry. The author was a veteran of Naval Intelligence and obsessed with detail, but was hardly a globetrotter, and as his thrillers gained in popularity, I was amused by how many men (and women) like Boothroyd wrote to Fleming to call him out on his errors.
I have, by now got rather fond of Mr. James Bond. I like most of the things about him, with the exception of his rather deplorable taste in firearms. In particular I dislike a man who comes in contact with all sorts of formidable people using a .25 Beretta. This sort of gun is really a lady's gun, and not a really nice lady at that. If Mr. Bond has to use a light gun he would be better off with a .22 rim fire and the lead bullet would cause more shocking effect than the jacketed type of the .25.
May I suggest that Mr. Bond is armed with a revolver? This has many advantages for the type of shooting that he is called upon to perform and I am certain that Mr. Leiter would agree with this recommendation. The Beretta will weigh, after it has been doctored, somewhere under one pound. If Mr. Bond gets himself a S & W .38 Special Centennial Airweight he will have a real man-stopper weighing only 13 ozs.
A librarian at Yale University named Herman W. Liebert was also a 007 fan but likewise appalled, by Fleming's dusty American dialogue in Live and Let Die. There's a chapter devoted to Liebert's correspondence with the author, who took constructive criticism exceptionally well and despite periods of artistic temperament, kept cranking out fiction until his death at age 56 of heart failure. That said, I mostly flipped through this book. The two Bond movies that were released during Fleming's lifetime--Dr. No and From Russia With Love--are barely touched on and the creative genesis of Fleming's stories or his thoughts on craft are not covered.
In terms of the racist and sexist undertones in Live and Let Die, there is no indication that Fleming was a bigot. His American friend Ernie Cuneo, a publisher and veteran of the OSS who met Fleming during the war, believed that the author was "as detached from Bond as a scientist who has created a robot, and indeed, there were a considerable number of times when I thought Bond bored Fleming to tears." The author considered his books to be adult thrillers and was disquieted to learn that children might be reading them or view 007 as a role model. Seeing a bit how James Bond took on a life of its own independent from his creator was intriguing.
January 24, 2016
In 1952, to celebrate the publication of Casino Royale, his first novel featuring James Bond, Ian Fleming ordered a gold-plated Royal typewriter from New York. It cost $174.00, or about $1600.00 in 2016 dollars, and he had a friend smuggle the machine into England so that he wouldn't have to pay the custom duties on it. Over the coming years, he used the typewriter to complete the remainder of his Bond adventures plus a couple of nonfiction books and various assorted columns and stories. He also used it to write a huge collection of letters to friends, relatives, fans, publishers and others. His nephew, Fergus Fleming, has now gathered many of these letters into this collection.
After a brief introduction that provides the salient details of Fleming's life, the book is organized into seventeen chapters, most of which are titled for and organized around the details of each of the fourteen Bond novels. Three additional chapters involve letters exchanged between Fleming and Geoffrey Boothroyd, the man who would advise him on Bond's armaments; letters between Fleming and Raymond Chandler, the creator of Philip Marlowe, and letters between Fleming and Herman W. Liebert, a scholar who advised Fleming on the differences between British and American English.
The collection will be of principal interest to devoted fans of James Bond, who will be interested to see the way in which these novels took shape, and to other writers, who will be relieved to learn that even an author as successful as Ian Fleming obsessed about the same sort of small details that bedevil virtually all writers. How large would his print runs be? (Almost never large enough to please him, at least early on.) How much money would the publisher be spending to promote the books. (Again, never enough.) As with most other authors, Fleming was very much concerned with the cover art for his novels along with the amount of his royalties. He fretted about negative reviews and lamented the movie and television deals that never came to fruition. Other writers reading these letters will, for the most part, simply nod in agreement and sigh heavily.
If these letters are any indication, Fleming also enjoyed hearing from readers and was always very gracious in responding to their concerns, even when they were critical of something he had written. The letters that passed between him and Chandler are also very interesting for the light that they shed on both men.
In a day and age before email and when long-distance telephoning was still fairly expensive, Fleming (like many others, of course) was a prolific letter writer. It's impossible to know how selectively Fergus Fleming has pruned his uncle's correspondence and to know if the letters reproduced here are representative of the totality of Ian Fleming's letters. Still, this is an entertaining volume that provides an interesting glimpse into the life of the man who created one of the world's most durable super spies.
After a brief introduction that provides the salient details of Fleming's life, the book is organized into seventeen chapters, most of which are titled for and organized around the details of each of the fourteen Bond novels. Three additional chapters involve letters exchanged between Fleming and Geoffrey Boothroyd, the man who would advise him on Bond's armaments; letters between Fleming and Raymond Chandler, the creator of Philip Marlowe, and letters between Fleming and Herman W. Liebert, a scholar who advised Fleming on the differences between British and American English.
The collection will be of principal interest to devoted fans of James Bond, who will be interested to see the way in which these novels took shape, and to other writers, who will be relieved to learn that even an author as successful as Ian Fleming obsessed about the same sort of small details that bedevil virtually all writers. How large would his print runs be? (Almost never large enough to please him, at least early on.) How much money would the publisher be spending to promote the books. (Again, never enough.) As with most other authors, Fleming was very much concerned with the cover art for his novels along with the amount of his royalties. He fretted about negative reviews and lamented the movie and television deals that never came to fruition. Other writers reading these letters will, for the most part, simply nod in agreement and sigh heavily.
If these letters are any indication, Fleming also enjoyed hearing from readers and was always very gracious in responding to their concerns, even when they were critical of something he had written. The letters that passed between him and Chandler are also very interesting for the light that they shed on both men.
In a day and age before email and when long-distance telephoning was still fairly expensive, Fleming (like many others, of course) was a prolific letter writer. It's impossible to know how selectively Fergus Fleming has pruned his uncle's correspondence and to know if the letters reproduced here are representative of the totality of Ian Fleming's letters. Still, this is an entertaining volume that provides an interesting glimpse into the life of the man who created one of the world's most durable super spies.
September 15, 2015
I've been interested in Ian Fleming since reading about his role in Naval Intelligence during WWII. When NetGalley offered this collection of letters, I was interested, but certainly didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
Nor did I expect to find Fleming, the man, so likable and charming, so generous, and so appreciative and kind to his fans. The man who wrote thrillers was friends with Evelyn Waugh, Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham, and Raymond Chandler.
(I had never heard of the Studillac before reading the letters, so I had to Google to discover that the Studillac was a studebaker with a cadillac engine.)
Although I had never been previously much interested in James Bond (books or films), I thoroughly enjoyed these letters and fell half in love with Ian Fleming. Highly Recommended. Yes, I mentioned in previous posts while reading because it was so fascinating.
Read in August. A Garden Carried in the Pocket review scheduled for Oct. 19, 2015.
NetGalley/Bloomsbury
Letters/Memoir. Nov. 3, 2015. Print version: 400 pages.
A Garden Carried in the Pocket
Nor did I expect to find Fleming, the man, so likable and charming, so generous, and so appreciative and kind to his fans. The man who wrote thrillers was friends with Evelyn Waugh, Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham, and Raymond Chandler.
(I had never heard of the Studillac before reading the letters, so I had to Google to discover that the Studillac was a studebaker with a cadillac engine.)
Although I had never been previously much interested in James Bond (books or films), I thoroughly enjoyed these letters and fell half in love with Ian Fleming. Highly Recommended. Yes, I mentioned in previous posts while reading because it was so fascinating.
Read in August. A Garden Carried in the Pocket review scheduled for Oct. 19, 2015.
NetGalley/Bloomsbury
Letters/Memoir. Nov. 3, 2015. Print version: 400 pages.
A Garden Carried in the Pocket
January 3, 2016
The Man With the Golden Typewriter by Fergus Fleming provides unparalleled insight into Ian Fleming’s quest to become a successful novelist. This is a book for the James Bond aficionado, or indeed, anyone who has ever written a book, aspires to, or worked in publishing. It’s an expose of the man who created spy fiction’s everlastingly popular hero, told through the copious amount of letters he wrote to his wife, publisher, editors, fans, friends and critics. It reveals the man behind the myth, in his own words.
The best exchanges are those between Fleming and two of his most trusted readers, William Plomer and Daniel George, to whom he sent early drafts of each Bond novel. While they always found something positive to say, they didn’t shy away from criticism, either. As a writer myself, it is chastening to read commentary such as “on some pages the sentences all begin with ‘And.’” Polmer couldn’t see the point of this. “Presumably you are aiming at producing an effect of panting continuity. Take out all the ‘Ands’ and see if it makes any difference.” These are lessons every writer can learn from. But there are practical criticisms, too; faults in Fleming’s plot, or the continuity of events. 007 fanatics will lap up these exchanges.
Most terrifying (at least from my perspective, as I currently work in a marketing and PR) are Fleming’s interactions with his publisher, Jonathan Cape. To say Fleming was not an easy customer is an understatement. The way he haggles Cape for higher royalties, additional proofs, and pushes various marketing ideas, is frightening. But there is an elegance to their letters, despite the occasional underlying of sarcasm or (sometimes) malice. Fleming remains a gentleman throughout, seemingly unflappable and confident – an egotist – but there are moments when this façade cracks, revealing the anxious persona that exists inside all writers. In a letter to Raymond Chandler, he reveals his disparaging opinions of his James Bond novels, labelling them “straight pillow fantasies of the bang-bang, kiss-kiss variety.” He admits, “I don’t take them seriously enough and meekly accept having my head ragged off about them.” But his readers took them seriously, showcased by the plentiful letters, many full of praise, others critiquing certain details.
Interesting, too, is the distinct lack of letters between Fleming and his wife, Ann. Not because they never wrote to each other – there are a few scattered throughout the pages of The Man With the Golden Typewriter – but because their correspondence was withheld from publication because of Ann’s daughter, which highlights the fractured nature of the Fleming family. Indeed, one can’t help but wonder whether Ian and Ann were better off as occasional lovers than partners for life – their relationship had an acrimonious ending.
There is plenty for readers to latch onto in The Man With the Golden Typewriter, and one needn’t be a Bond fan to find nuggets of gold here, though of course, it helps. The Man With the Golden Typewriter showcases a different era of publishing, and the mindset of one of the world’s most popular authors.
The best exchanges are those between Fleming and two of his most trusted readers, William Plomer and Daniel George, to whom he sent early drafts of each Bond novel. While they always found something positive to say, they didn’t shy away from criticism, either. As a writer myself, it is chastening to read commentary such as “on some pages the sentences all begin with ‘And.’” Polmer couldn’t see the point of this. “Presumably you are aiming at producing an effect of panting continuity. Take out all the ‘Ands’ and see if it makes any difference.” These are lessons every writer can learn from. But there are practical criticisms, too; faults in Fleming’s plot, or the continuity of events. 007 fanatics will lap up these exchanges.
Most terrifying (at least from my perspective, as I currently work in a marketing and PR) are Fleming’s interactions with his publisher, Jonathan Cape. To say Fleming was not an easy customer is an understatement. The way he haggles Cape for higher royalties, additional proofs, and pushes various marketing ideas, is frightening. But there is an elegance to their letters, despite the occasional underlying of sarcasm or (sometimes) malice. Fleming remains a gentleman throughout, seemingly unflappable and confident – an egotist – but there are moments when this façade cracks, revealing the anxious persona that exists inside all writers. In a letter to Raymond Chandler, he reveals his disparaging opinions of his James Bond novels, labelling them “straight pillow fantasies of the bang-bang, kiss-kiss variety.” He admits, “I don’t take them seriously enough and meekly accept having my head ragged off about them.” But his readers took them seriously, showcased by the plentiful letters, many full of praise, others critiquing certain details.
Interesting, too, is the distinct lack of letters between Fleming and his wife, Ann. Not because they never wrote to each other – there are a few scattered throughout the pages of The Man With the Golden Typewriter – but because their correspondence was withheld from publication because of Ann’s daughter, which highlights the fractured nature of the Fleming family. Indeed, one can’t help but wonder whether Ian and Ann were better off as occasional lovers than partners for life – their relationship had an acrimonious ending.
There is plenty for readers to latch onto in The Man With the Golden Typewriter, and one needn’t be a Bond fan to find nuggets of gold here, though of course, it helps. The Man With the Golden Typewriter showcases a different era of publishing, and the mindset of one of the world’s most popular authors.
August 14, 2016
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was on my lovely high school girlfriend's family boat in Annapolis harbor. Father a surgeon, mother a nurse. A beautiful summer afternoon with a slight breeze and I sat on the stern smoking a menthol cigarette. (Hey, it was the mid 60's, nearly everyone smoked. Cigs were 25 cents a pack in D.C. and 10 cents if you had access to a military base.) Her mother handed me a copy of a book in a series that she said she thought I would like. The title was "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" by Ian Fleming featuring the spy James Bond. Like it indeed! I went back and finished the earlier ones and anxiously snapped up the new ones as they came out.
So this book by Fleming's nephew caught my attention. It is laid out in sequence of publication of the Bond novels so brought back a lot of memories. A big tip of the hat to Fergus for his clarifying notes re who the correspondents were and what the issues were that they were dealing with. And it was a wide range of issues dealing with the stories themselves. the business side of publishing, jottings to friends and fans and fellow authors as well as missives of a personal nature.
I am not sure that someone who has not read and enjoyed the Bond series as I did would find this as entertaining but there are interesting insights into the creative side of publishing as well as the practical side. Fleming for example getting into a coin toss with his publisher to see who would pay for his additional 10 promotional copies of the first book "Casino Royale". Ian lost. Ironic, considering the series would go on to sell over 100 million books.
A solid 4 stars for a well organized, informative and fun read.
So this book by Fleming's nephew caught my attention. It is laid out in sequence of publication of the Bond novels so brought back a lot of memories. A big tip of the hat to Fergus for his clarifying notes re who the correspondents were and what the issues were that they were dealing with. And it was a wide range of issues dealing with the stories themselves. the business side of publishing, jottings to friends and fans and fellow authors as well as missives of a personal nature.
I am not sure that someone who has not read and enjoyed the Bond series as I did would find this as entertaining but there are interesting insights into the creative side of publishing as well as the practical side. Fleming for example getting into a coin toss with his publisher to see who would pay for his additional 10 promotional copies of the first book "Casino Royale". Ian lost. Ironic, considering the series would go on to sell over 100 million books.
A solid 4 stars for a well organized, informative and fun read.
January 8, 2016
Very entertaining insight into the way Fleming managed to knock out the James Bond novels year after year. It would be great to hear more about what he thought about the movies (he only saw two) but they came out when his health was failing.
August 9, 2017
The Man with the Golden Typewriter succeeds in showing an Ian Fleming much different from the one who narrates Bond. To his professional contacts and friends he was amusing and generous. To his fans he was the ideal author to receive a letter from: courteous, amusing and appreciative. Even as his health started to fail he kept up a breezy manner to amuse anyone who concerned about him. His style has the flair of his 007 novels. But the letters add a warm, conversational tone. The Fleming in these letters embodies the ideal qualities of the British gentleman.
Editor Fergus Fleming (Ian’s nephew) is a celebrated non-fiction author in his own right. He has tracked down a diverse range of letters and even obscure Sunday Times pieces. He arranges these with care. He also adds relevant biographical information and summaries of the Bond novels . This adds important context to the letters which are for the most part organized chronologically.
Each batch corresponding to the evolution and reception of a different Bond book. Maybe ordering all the letters by date would have made more sense? But Fergus’s order is easier for the lay reader to digest. The are a few exceptions to the novel-based groupings. These are chapters devoted to Fleming’s correspondence with
* Ernie Cuneo,
* Major Boothroyd,
* Raymond Chandler, and
* Yale Librarian Herman Liebert.
You get the impression that Fleming was a nice chap. Especially in his correspondence back to members of the public who have written to him. His replies always show courtesy and warmth.
As mentioned here:
In short, this is a book that is far more interesting and entertaining than you might have thought; you don’t have to be a Bond nut to enjoy it. The underlying story is sad: as Fleming’s health failed, his marriage disintegrated and the quality of the books dipped. But for much of the book we are revelling in Fleming’s success ...
So, all in all worth reading. Or even better get the audio book and listen to the excellent narration.
Editor Fergus Fleming (Ian’s nephew) is a celebrated non-fiction author in his own right. He has tracked down a diverse range of letters and even obscure Sunday Times pieces. He arranges these with care. He also adds relevant biographical information and summaries of the Bond novels . This adds important context to the letters which are for the most part organized chronologically.
Each batch corresponding to the evolution and reception of a different Bond book. Maybe ordering all the letters by date would have made more sense? But Fergus’s order is easier for the lay reader to digest. The are a few exceptions to the novel-based groupings. These are chapters devoted to Fleming’s correspondence with
* Ernie Cuneo,
* Major Boothroyd,
* Raymond Chandler, and
* Yale Librarian Herman Liebert.
You get the impression that Fleming was a nice chap. Especially in his correspondence back to members of the public who have written to him. His replies always show courtesy and warmth.
As mentioned here:
In short, this is a book that is far more interesting and entertaining than you might have thought; you don’t have to be a Bond nut to enjoy it. The underlying story is sad: as Fleming’s health failed, his marriage disintegrated and the quality of the books dipped. But for much of the book we are revelling in Fleming’s success ...
So, all in all worth reading. Or even better get the audio book and listen to the excellent narration.
February 4, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. As a big James Bond fan, I found the insight into Ian Fleming to be very interesting, and it helped me to understand his perspectives and the amount of effort and research that he put into his work. It also gave a bit of an insight into his personality.
December 27, 2023
This was a fantastic book. The editor used letters from Ian Fleming to various friends, family and business associates to show the creation and editing process of each book that he wrote. At least one per year, all the initial manuscripts written over a 2 month period every winter at his home in Jamaica, Goldeneye.
February 29, 2016
When Ian Fleming achieves notoriety as author of the James Bond 007 series, following the publication of Casino Royale, in 1953, he purchases a gold-plated typewriter. Presumably, he continues to pound out the remaining books in the series on this golden instrument. I’m not sure why I am drawn to this book except that, like most voyeurs, I enjoy reading authors’ letters, especially those written to other authors, agents, and publishers. Their words open up a world of publishing that many of us only dream of. In large part, I am not disappointed by the letters’ contents.
As the title would suggest, the letters all pertain to the famed James Bond novels. Twelve of the sixteen chapters are organized around those titles. The remaining four relate in different ways to the 007 series, not the least of which are letters exchanged with Herman W. Liebert, Yale librarian in the 1960s. Mr. Liebert is a fan but a critical one, the type of fan that Fleming seems almost obsessively drawn to, the type of fan who seems to have caught Fleming in a mistake or two and is intent on seeing that they are corrected. Fleming, rather that being put off by it, as would be many writers, rather enjoys corresponding with such critics. He drains them dry for information that, in his estimation, will make his corrections for the novel’s next edition or, indeed, his next book, even better. And he composes such charming letters, how could one possibly refuse? The following passage provides a fine example:
“What I would pray you to do is to pay particular attention to the gangsterese—improving, re-writing, and even editing snatches of conversation wherever you think fit” (303).
Here Fleming cleverly enlists the aid of an unsuspecting critic, and he aims to milk the epistolary relationship for all he can. I don’t believe his pursuit is mean-spirited or cynical. I only think he wants to make his novel as authentic as possible. Later in this same letter, Fleming says:
“So, as you see, I am taking your kind offer very seriously indeed and I am embarrassed to suggest what fee to offer you for this invaluable work. But if you can successfully bring about this vital piece of collaboration I propose to present you with a handsome present from Cartiers as a memento.
I am coming out to New York by the Queen Elizabeth sailing on July 20th and shall be about two weeks in the States, when perhaps we might meet and I could make the presentation!” (303).
How could one not accept? Well, as it turns out Mr. Liebert declines payment of any kind, responding:
“Grateful as I should be, I hope you will not indulge in a present, for the pleasure and pride I have in the offer to go over the book are more than sufficient reward. The fact that I am doing this work will be graveyard so far as I am concerned” (304). He continues by offering to meet Fleming in New Haven, a proposal which Fleming must decline because of a tight travel schedule, so the two gentlemen never meet. However, the exchange of letters is a fascinating one, highlighting Fleming’s generosity, as well as his pursuit of perfection in his work.
Editor Fleming has selected the best to publish, but toward the end of the author Fleming’s life, (he has severe heart problems), the letters diminish by way of texture and content. Yet the overall collection is worth the time whether the reader is a James Bond fan or merely one of the art of letter writing. Judging by these that are over fifty years old, it is an art that has probably been lost. I dare anyone’s most recent e-mails to stand up to the quality of these missives.
As the title would suggest, the letters all pertain to the famed James Bond novels. Twelve of the sixteen chapters are organized around those titles. The remaining four relate in different ways to the 007 series, not the least of which are letters exchanged with Herman W. Liebert, Yale librarian in the 1960s. Mr. Liebert is a fan but a critical one, the type of fan that Fleming seems almost obsessively drawn to, the type of fan who seems to have caught Fleming in a mistake or two and is intent on seeing that they are corrected. Fleming, rather that being put off by it, as would be many writers, rather enjoys corresponding with such critics. He drains them dry for information that, in his estimation, will make his corrections for the novel’s next edition or, indeed, his next book, even better. And he composes such charming letters, how could one possibly refuse? The following passage provides a fine example:
“What I would pray you to do is to pay particular attention to the gangsterese—improving, re-writing, and even editing snatches of conversation wherever you think fit” (303).
Here Fleming cleverly enlists the aid of an unsuspecting critic, and he aims to milk the epistolary relationship for all he can. I don’t believe his pursuit is mean-spirited or cynical. I only think he wants to make his novel as authentic as possible. Later in this same letter, Fleming says:
“So, as you see, I am taking your kind offer very seriously indeed and I am embarrassed to suggest what fee to offer you for this invaluable work. But if you can successfully bring about this vital piece of collaboration I propose to present you with a handsome present from Cartiers as a memento.
I am coming out to New York by the Queen Elizabeth sailing on July 20th and shall be about two weeks in the States, when perhaps we might meet and I could make the presentation!” (303).
How could one not accept? Well, as it turns out Mr. Liebert declines payment of any kind, responding:
“Grateful as I should be, I hope you will not indulge in a present, for the pleasure and pride I have in the offer to go over the book are more than sufficient reward. The fact that I am doing this work will be graveyard so far as I am concerned” (304). He continues by offering to meet Fleming in New Haven, a proposal which Fleming must decline because of a tight travel schedule, so the two gentlemen never meet. However, the exchange of letters is a fascinating one, highlighting Fleming’s generosity, as well as his pursuit of perfection in his work.
Editor Fleming has selected the best to publish, but toward the end of the author Fleming’s life, (he has severe heart problems), the letters diminish by way of texture and content. Yet the overall collection is worth the time whether the reader is a James Bond fan or merely one of the art of letter writing. Judging by these that are over fifty years old, it is an art that has probably been lost. I dare anyone’s most recent e-mails to stand up to the quality of these missives.
August 30, 2018
"My name is Bond, James Bond." That iconic phrase has been heard in every James Bond movie and spoken in most of the books when James Bond introduces himself.. And in a way, The Man With The Golden Typewriter is an introduction to Ian Fleming's voice as he was writing James Bond.
Fergus Fleming has done the James Bond aficionado a huge favor by collecting the letters written by Ian Fleming or to Ian Fleming that relate to the James Bond books and the other books he wrote from 1952 to 1964. The book is arranged with 17 chapters (one for each book Fleming wrote plus chapters regarding guns, correspondence with Raymond Chandler, and notes on Americanism in Bond tales) that discusses the book, major events that happened during the time of correspondence, and them the letters themselves. At the end of the book is a listing of titles Fleming wrote and a list of James Bond movies current as of the time the book was published.
The book title comes from the fact that Ian Fleming acquired a gold-plated typewriter after he sold Casino Royale, the first James Bond novel (pp. 14, 16). It is the little nuggets of knowledge found in the letters that make the book fun to read! So reader does not need to be a James Bond or Ian Fleming scholar to appreciate the information found in this book. If you enjoy James Bond, you are likely to enjoy The Man With The Golden Typewriter.
Fergus Fleming has done the James Bond aficionado a huge favor by collecting the letters written by Ian Fleming or to Ian Fleming that relate to the James Bond books and the other books he wrote from 1952 to 1964. The book is arranged with 17 chapters (one for each book Fleming wrote plus chapters regarding guns, correspondence with Raymond Chandler, and notes on Americanism in Bond tales) that discusses the book, major events that happened during the time of correspondence, and them the letters themselves. At the end of the book is a listing of titles Fleming wrote and a list of James Bond movies current as of the time the book was published.
The book title comes from the fact that Ian Fleming acquired a gold-plated typewriter after he sold Casino Royale, the first James Bond novel (pp. 14, 16). It is the little nuggets of knowledge found in the letters that make the book fun to read! So reader does not need to be a James Bond or Ian Fleming scholar to appreciate the information found in this book. If you enjoy James Bond, you are likely to enjoy The Man With The Golden Typewriter.
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November 10, 2015My Thoughts
This book appealed to me because for as long as I can remember I have been a huge fan of the James Bond movies. Some might think that as a female, I like the them because of the always attractive leading man, Actually, it’s the intricate gadgets and all the action that drew me to the movies.
I enjoyed reading the letters that Ian Fleming wrote. He comes across as very intelligent with a good sense of humor. What I really like about the books, was all the background information about each movie and where Mr. Fleming was in his life at the time each book was written.
I thought the books was both informative and entertaining. Any aficionado of 007 should also find this enjoyable.
My thanks to Bloomsbury USA, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
This book appealed to me because for as long as I can remember I have been a huge fan of the James Bond movies. Some might think that as a female, I like the them because of the always attractive leading man, Actually, it’s the intricate gadgets and all the action that drew me to the movies.
I enjoyed reading the letters that Ian Fleming wrote. He comes across as very intelligent with a good sense of humor. What I really like about the books, was all the background information about each movie and where Mr. Fleming was in his life at the time each book was written.
I thought the books was both informative and entertaining. Any aficionado of 007 should also find this enjoyable.
My thanks to Bloomsbury USA, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
June 24, 2019
Fergus Fleming collects several of the letters written by (and sometimes to) his infamous uncle, Ian Fleming. Chapter titles match the published books, and each contains a mini-biography of the ideas and travel behind that particular title, along with his life and relations during that time.
The early letters are quite interesting, and offer bits of humor. Later letters do less to flesh out the story, dealing more with business, and towards the end, I was mostly focused on the book biographies. Very little is said about the films.
A complete biography of Fleming this isn't. A must read for a completist, and I found the book interesting, but wouldn't recommend it to the casual reader. That person should focus instead on the novels and/or a full biography instead. 2½ stars.
The early letters are quite interesting, and offer bits of humor. Later letters do less to flesh out the story, dealing more with business, and towards the end, I was mostly focused on the book biographies. Very little is said about the films.
A complete biography of Fleming this isn't. A must read for a completist, and I found the book interesting, but wouldn't recommend it to the casual reader. That person should focus instead on the novels and/or a full biography instead. 2½ stars.
January 5, 2016
Fergus has the Fleming touch to keep a reader's attention. While missing letters here and there, (due to legal and/or family requests) Fergus nicely fills in the gaps. The correspondence in the Man with the Golden Typewriter tells us that Ian Fleming was a man who needed to control his work-and control he did from book packaging to marketing techniques. He also desperately and smartly requested help from friends and fellow writers to finely tune each and every "James Bond volume". As a writer and fan, it's a sheer relief to know that James Bond was not entirely magic; research, assistance and hard work was behind everything Fleming created.
September 8, 2015
Of course this book is Golden for James Bond’s fans yet it is much more. A glimpse into the behind the scenes story of the man who wrote masterpieces not just the best spy novels.. Bit and pieces of trivia and often heartfelt words shared with those he loved and encountered. Enjoy! NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA provided an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
January 23, 2016
For fans of the author or the character he created, this is a delightful collection of letters both
informative and just plain amusing. Plenty of behind the scenes trivia regarding the conception and development of 007. Fleming comes off as surprisingly modest, good-natured and funny. A unique look at the birth rites and creative process that gave us this timeless series of books.
September 19, 2015
Fascinating glimpse of the man who imagined James Bond and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
August 14, 2019
Interesting insights to the man. It however got a little boring as the letters all merged to similar topics.
July 5, 2021
I think I am developing quite a taste for reading collections of someone's letters. They not only provide surprisingly comfy reading material, and unique insight into someone's mind, but they also deeply encourage the "lost art" of thoughtful letter writing. After I put this book down I felt liking writing a letter to all of my friends and family.
Fleming was a misunderstood person, he comes across a lot less harsh and caustic as he's made out to be. There is definitely something of the Snob in him, the old boys club of fast cars and faster women. Yet he took the time to write well-considered and warm letters to not only friends, but fans far and wide like teenage boys and elderly spinsters. He also revealed a deep insecurity about his own skill as a writer. Would recommend
Fleming was a misunderstood person, he comes across a lot less harsh and caustic as he's made out to be. There is definitely something of the Snob in him, the old boys club of fast cars and faster women. Yet he took the time to write well-considered and warm letters to not only friends, but fans far and wide like teenage boys and elderly spinsters. He also revealed a deep insecurity about his own skill as a writer. Would recommend
December 21, 2015
An intriguing collection of letters written by Ian Fleming and pertaining to his most famous creation, James Bond. There's letters containing his research (including assembling details for the 1963 novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service), correspondence with editors, letters from and to fans (including what led Bond to not only changing guns but driving an Aston Martin), plus letters with Raymond Chandler and Robert Kennedy amongst others. For fans of the literary 007, it's an intriguing read.
March 23, 2017
I loved these letters; Fleming is wonderfully bolshy with his publishers and charming to fans and detractors alike. My favourites, though, were the manuscript critiques by William Plomer - 'M ought not so often to speak drily' - along with a precision F-strike from Noel Coward.
January 3, 2016
I had high expectations for this book & was very pleased that they were exceeded. Fergus Fleming (the author's nephew) presents a superb collection of letters Ian Fleming wrote over the years to his publishers, friends, fans etc & they make fascinating reading. Just when I thought that there was nothing new for me to learn about Fleming & James Bond 007 I was proved (very pleasantly) wrong.
November 27, 2015
What a cool book. Did you know James Bond was named after an ornithologist who wrote "Birds of the West Indies"? This and so many other interesting facts about Bond and his author, Ian Fleming, are found in this book of letters. Very fun read.
January 1, 2016
To be honest, I wasn't the biggest fan of the way the author (Ian Fleming's nephew) organized these letters, but he outlined beforehand the method behind it, which is fine. Overall, it is a great look at Fleming's life and work.
June 30, 2023
I picked this book up as a light read in between some heavier tomes, and wasn’t expecting to enjoy it anywhere near as much as I did! It probably should be noted up front that I am not a James Bond fan, in fact I’m not sure I have ever watched a whole film as I find them sexist & misogynistic with women portrayed as trophies or damsels in distress.
The Man with the Golden Typewriter is a collection of letters & other correspondence (to friends, relatives, fans, publishers and others) that has been edited by historian Fergus Fleming, who is also Ian Fleming’s nephew.
The correspondence has been arranged roughly chronologically, mostly in chapters that link to the fourteen Bond novels. There is relevant biographical & historical information added to put them into context & each Bond novel is succinctly summarised which adds to the readability. There is very little about his wife Ann, primarily because her daughter from her first marriage withheld most of that correspondence from publication.
Through his letters, I have a new impression of Fleming – an amusing and generous man who welcomed communication from his fans & experts (eg when being advised that he’d give Bond the wrong type of gun!). It was interesting to read the correspondence with Geoffrey Boothroyd, a firearms expert who became “Bond’s firearms consultant”, advising on all weapons for future novels and to understand how each Bond novel evolved. It’s actually made me want to go & read one!
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt and he really brought the book to life. I would definitely recommend this book & as I’ve proven, you definitely don’t need to be a Bond fan to enjoy it!
Ultimately this was a book that I enjoyed far more than I had expected to, it’s both interesting & entertaining and has been curated well for easy reading.
The Man with the Golden Typewriter is a collection of letters & other correspondence (to friends, relatives, fans, publishers and others) that has been edited by historian Fergus Fleming, who is also Ian Fleming’s nephew.
The correspondence has been arranged roughly chronologically, mostly in chapters that link to the fourteen Bond novels. There is relevant biographical & historical information added to put them into context & each Bond novel is succinctly summarised which adds to the readability. There is very little about his wife Ann, primarily because her daughter from her first marriage withheld most of that correspondence from publication.
Through his letters, I have a new impression of Fleming – an amusing and generous man who welcomed communication from his fans & experts (eg when being advised that he’d give Bond the wrong type of gun!). It was interesting to read the correspondence with Geoffrey Boothroyd, a firearms expert who became “Bond’s firearms consultant”, advising on all weapons for future novels and to understand how each Bond novel evolved. It’s actually made me want to go & read one!
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt and he really brought the book to life. I would definitely recommend this book & as I’ve proven, you definitely don’t need to be a Bond fan to enjoy it!
Ultimately this was a book that I enjoyed far more than I had expected to, it’s both interesting & entertaining and has been curated well for easy reading.
September 28, 2020
I've been a Bond fan since my teens (movies first then the books) but over the years my relationship and thoughts on Bond (especially the books) have become more complicated. The misogyny, racism and homophobia bypassed my awareness in my younger years but now is front and centre; heightened by my current re-reading of the series. I've decided to complete my re-read but think that will be it for me. So, I was curious to see what kind of man Flemming was.
This collection of his 'Bond letters' documenting his varied correspondence over the 10 years or so he wrote the books leading to his death does a wonderful job in bringing him to life. He seemed to have a warm and welcoming manner, reveling at witty wordplay and replies to his colleagues and publishers but also random members of the public. He seemed genuinely happy to correspond with anyone who wrote to him and was uniformly gracious in doing so.
Clearly there are aspects of his life untouched and while there is commentary on the concurrent aspects of his life and relationships (the gradual breakup of his marriage haunts the background) it does seem quite cherry picked. There are a couple of racist and homophobic comments mentioned but either glossed over or explained away by the narrator so it's hard to know how much was the man and how much the character (or perhaps, expectation of the character in the era).
So, it's not a warts and all affair but it does bring him to life and I enjoyed it for the most part. The narration of the audioversion is excellent.
This collection of his 'Bond letters' documenting his varied correspondence over the 10 years or so he wrote the books leading to his death does a wonderful job in bringing him to life. He seemed to have a warm and welcoming manner, reveling at witty wordplay and replies to his colleagues and publishers but also random members of the public. He seemed genuinely happy to correspond with anyone who wrote to him and was uniformly gracious in doing so.
Clearly there are aspects of his life untouched and while there is commentary on the concurrent aspects of his life and relationships (the gradual breakup of his marriage haunts the background) it does seem quite cherry picked. There are a couple of racist and homophobic comments mentioned but either glossed over or explained away by the narrator so it's hard to know how much was the man and how much the character (or perhaps, expectation of the character in the era).
So, it's not a warts and all affair but it does bring him to life and I enjoyed it for the most part. The narration of the audioversion is excellent.
July 18, 2018
The Man with the Golden Typewriter is a collection of letters between Ian Fleming and various correspondents such as his publishers, friends and readers - edited by Fleming’s nephew, Fergus Fleming. The audio edition has sublime narration by Julian Rhind-Tutt.
The letters reveal, among other things, Fleming’s involvement in the publishing process and where he got some of his ideas. The references to Bond stories meant nothing to me and yet their inclusion did not diminish my enjoyment of the book.
Fleming’s courteous, warm hearted and often humorous responses to members of the public who wrote to him pointing out errors in his books are a delight to read.
I’ve never read a James Bond novel or seen the films but I found the letters fascinating. It gave me an intimate glimpse into the mind and development of Ian Fleming the writer. Being a writer myself is undoubtedly one reason I was so intrigued by this book but I am sure readers, especially readers of James Bond novels, will be equally fascinated.
The letters reveal, among other things, Fleming’s involvement in the publishing process and where he got some of his ideas. The references to Bond stories meant nothing to me and yet their inclusion did not diminish my enjoyment of the book.
Fleming’s courteous, warm hearted and often humorous responses to members of the public who wrote to him pointing out errors in his books are a delight to read.
I’ve never read a James Bond novel or seen the films but I found the letters fascinating. It gave me an intimate glimpse into the mind and development of Ian Fleming the writer. Being a writer myself is undoubtedly one reason I was so intrigued by this book but I am sure readers, especially readers of James Bond novels, will be equally fascinated.
January 24, 2019
Possibly the best book I've read in ages, which is ironic as it is a collection of letters. But it deals with the creation of a series of books that I spent roughly 25 years away from before falling in love with them all over again.
The letters are mostly from Fleming as he talks with his publishers, beta readers, family members, friends, and - quite charmingly - some fans. It shows the thought process behind Bond's adventures and his character. As a source book it is quite unique, often laugh-out-loud funny and very boring for spouses who have their partners reading large chunk of it to them because they just have to share some nugget of information with them.
My biggest takeaway from it is that it would be an interesting thought experiment to imagine what the British publishing scene would be like without the invention of Bond: he may have saved the world several times in his adventures but it would be a different place culturally if he had not existed at all.
The letters are mostly from Fleming as he talks with his publishers, beta readers, family members, friends, and - quite charmingly - some fans. It shows the thought process behind Bond's adventures and his character. As a source book it is quite unique, often laugh-out-loud funny and very boring for spouses who have their partners reading large chunk of it to them because they just have to share some nugget of information with them.
My biggest takeaway from it is that it would be an interesting thought experiment to imagine what the British publishing scene would be like without the invention of Bond: he may have saved the world several times in his adventures but it would be a different place culturally if he had not existed at all.
May 7, 2020
A rather esoteric collection of letters written from and to Ian Fleming. From friends, lovers, fans, critics, editors, and publishers…
I love the way he takes a critical letter from a fan, and makes that weapon-aware fan into his special advice person, and then names a weapons adviser in the books after him. That’s a gift.
I also did not know he and Raymond Chandler had a friendship.
And when he is ill in hospital after a heart attack, they take his typewriter away so he starts handwriting a children’s book about a magic car rescuing the family it loves.
[Wait, Ian Fleming wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - did I know this??? Have I forgotten this???]
Julian Rhind-Tutt does a fabulous job with the narration.
It is particularly poignant as his illness progresses and his letters are signed off as typed and signed by his secretary.
An extraordinary man with a gift. As they say, 100 million books sold and one in five people have seen a Bond film. That’s some kind of legacy.
4 stars
I love the way he takes a critical letter from a fan, and makes that weapon-aware fan into his special advice person, and then names a weapons adviser in the books after him. That’s a gift.
I also did not know he and Raymond Chandler had a friendship.
And when he is ill in hospital after a heart attack, they take his typewriter away so he starts handwriting a children’s book about a magic car rescuing the family it loves.
[Wait, Ian Fleming wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - did I know this??? Have I forgotten this???]
Julian Rhind-Tutt does a fabulous job with the narration.
It is particularly poignant as his illness progresses and his letters are signed off as typed and signed by his secretary.
An extraordinary man with a gift. As they say, 100 million books sold and one in five people have seen a Bond film. That’s some kind of legacy.
4 stars
March 20, 2020
Interesting but I was disappointed.
The letters were more about Fleming's trials and tribulations with his publishers, reviewers, friends and his own poor health (in the end). Less about the character than I had hoped.
I did learn that Fleming kept up a correspondence with Geoffrey Boothroyd, a gun expert from Scotland, who had taken Fleming to task in a letter about the way he went about arming 007. Nobody with any sense, especially someone with a "license to kill" would go about with such "a puny thing" (.25 caliber Baretta) according to Boothroyd. He called it "a lady's gun." He went on to make suggestions that Fleming was obliged to take heed of.
Boothroyd was the inspiration for the character of "Q", Bond's erstwhile armorer featured in many of the Bond films. He was portrayed by Desmond Lewellyn.
The letters were more about Fleming's trials and tribulations with his publishers, reviewers, friends and his own poor health (in the end). Less about the character than I had hoped.
I did learn that Fleming kept up a correspondence with Geoffrey Boothroyd, a gun expert from Scotland, who had taken Fleming to task in a letter about the way he went about arming 007. Nobody with any sense, especially someone with a "license to kill" would go about with such "a puny thing" (.25 caliber Baretta) according to Boothroyd. He called it "a lady's gun." He went on to make suggestions that Fleming was obliged to take heed of.
Boothroyd was the inspiration for the character of "Q", Bond's erstwhile armorer featured in many of the Bond films. He was portrayed by Desmond Lewellyn.
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