“If one eats badly in England-or in any other country, for that matter-it is generally one’s own fault” – Ian Fleming. In 1956, one could be forgiven for not being able to find the finest in English cuisine. Fleming was in a rather more privileged position to sample the best of English cooking from his homes…
Article by Larry Loftis Rear Admiral John Godfrey, Britain’s Director of Naval Intelligence during World War II, had always said that his personal assistant was such a great administrator and intelligence planner that the roles should have been reversed. The assistant, of course, was Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming. In the early days of 1941, when…
We recently had the pleasure of attending a very special book launch at the Special Forces Club in London. This private members club was founded in 1945 by men and women who had served in the Special Operations Executive (SOE), on the initiative of the last Chief of the SOE, Major-General Sir Colin Gubbins, KCMG, DSO, MC.…
Today marks the anniversary of the death of Ian Fleming and the birthday of his only son – Caspar. We pay tribute to them both. 1952 was a momentous year for Ian Fleming. He had begun Casino Royale in January and completed a rough draft six days before marrying Ann O’Neill on March 24. Last…
Herbert O. Yardley seemed Fleming’s kind of man – gambler, code-breaker, rascal and whistle-blower. On the anniversary of his death, Graham M. Thomas delves into his incredible story. *** In early 1959, Ian Fleming contributed a three page preface to a book on how to win at poker: ‘The Education of a Poker Player‘ was a…
Recently we celebrated Ian Fleming’s birthday outside his old writing office in Mitre Court in London. Here, Fleming would return from his yearly two month sojourns to Jamaica to polish off the manuscript for his latest Bond adventure. In this elegantly decorated office with Regency-striped wallpaper, was a solid antique desk with a green leather…
On this Bastille Day, we are delighted to welcome our French cousins commander007.net at Station F, to contribute their thoughts on James Bond in France. Profitez! In 11 novels and 9 short stories, Bond travels five times through 1950’s France. While Bond is now famous for being a great globe-trotting spy, it is surprising that Fleming, an author…
On July 4,1952, Ian Fleming wrote ‘Pleasure Islands?’ for The Spectator shortly after completing the draft of Casino Royale, in which he discusses race relations in Jamaica. Article by Revelator; first published here. There are several notable things about this article, starting with the date. Perhaps it’s true that “after forty it is difficult to start a new life,”…
We are thrilled to bring intelligence expert and award-winning author Michael Smith, in from the cold. Michael worked in intelligence for 10 years and gave us a unique insight into Ian Fleming’s involvement in World War 2. Ian Fleming was described as ‘oiling the wheels’ between The Admiralty and SOE but what sort of role…
In his foreword to the book The Seven Deadly Sins, published in 1962; Fleming declared that the traditional seven deadly sins — PRIDE, ENVY, ANGER, SLOTH, COVETOUSNESS, GLUTTONY and LUST — were no longer sufficient. He proposed seven deadlier sins more worthy of a one way ticket to Hell: AVARICE, CRUELTY, HYPOCRISY, MALICE, MORAL COWARDICE,…
We are delighted to welcome the esteemed author, historian and QC Mr. Brian Lett to interview him about the parallels between the real life heroes from the SOE and Ian Fleming’s fictional heroes and plots, most notably M and Moonraker. 1. With so many potential inspirations for ‘M’ from Ian Fleming’s life and career, what drew…
Article Benjamin Welton In Jules Dassin’s classic crime film Rififi, Louise (played by Janine Darcey) chides her husband, the gangster Jo le Suedois (played by Austrian actor Carl Möhner), for moral cowardice. Specifically, Louise, in a fit of frustration, tells her husband that it’s not the criminals or those who have chosen to flee the responsibilities…
Article by Edward Biddulph If you were asked to name the places with which Ian Fleming is most closely associated, you would almost certainly put Goldeneye, Fleming’s the winter home in Jamaica where he wrote all the Bond books, on the top of your list. Further reflection might bring to mind his London properties, among…
By Michael May It’s easy to see why Ian Fleming had a hard time with self-righteous people. Anyone with the impulse to overthrow the Seven Deadly Sins with his own set of Deadlier ones clearly has a personal stake in seeing the original list replaced. Fleming admitted to struggling with Sloth, but even a shallow…
In his foreword to the book The Seven Deadly Sins, published in 1962; Fleming declared that the traditional seven deadly sins — PRIDE, ENVY, ANGER, SLOTH [accidie], COVETOUSNESS, GLUTTONY and LUST — were no longer sufficient. Thereupon, he proposed seven deadlier sins more worthy of a one way ticket to Hell, which were: AVARICE, CRUELTY, HYPOCRISY, MALICE, MORAL…
This month we kick off a 7-part series by 7 writers inspired by Ian Fleming’s ‘Seven Deadlier Sins’. In his foreword to the book The Seven Deadly Sins, published in 1962; Fleming declared that the traditional seven deadly sins — PRIDE, ENVY, ANGER, SLOTH [accidie], COVETOUSNESS, GLUTTONY and LUST — were no longer sufficient. Thereupon, he…
Article by Benjamin Welton; Featured Image by George Almond Ian Fleming was fortunate in that he had a lot to draw from once he sat down to create James Bond. Not only did he have literary forbearers such as W. Somerset Maugham, Sapper, and Raymond Chandler to emulate, but his actual life was swimming in…
While working for The Sunday Times, Ian Fleming came up with the idea to have a variety of esteemed writers to write about The Seven Deadly Sins, with each choosing the sin of their choice. This never materialized while Fleming was working there, but in 1962 the idea flowered and The Seven Deadly Sins was published featuring contributions…
There have been many portrayals of Ian Fleming on screen at this point with varying success; but has anyone ever nailed it? Will anyone ever be able to? After the recent lackluster and frankly inaccurate interpretation ‘Fleming‘, patience is running out and Fleming fans must be concerned about the likelihood of seeing him again for some…
Words by Revelator After reading Mathew Parker’s book it will be impossible to over-estimate the importance of Jamaica to James Bond. Beginning with Fleming’s wartime discovery of the island, Goldeneye: Where Bond Was Born is a chronological countdown of his years there, interlaced with a concurrent history of country. Goldeneye, Fleming’s Jamaican residence, mirrored the…
Artistic Licence Renewed 