Ian Fleming – The Creator of the James Bond Series

Ian Fleming was a writer who influenced twentieth century literature with the creation of a spy thriller series of books, making this genre of books popular at that time.  His books included characters who were very knowledgeable, sensual, and at times sarcastic.  At first, the success of these books was slow but with the invention of television these books became popular.   His first book “Casino Royal”, written in 1952, was also made into a comic strip.  An endorsement from US president J.F. Kennedy, who enjoyed Ian’s novels, lead to an increase in book sales that still continues today.  Before his untimely death at the age of 56, Ian had penned twelve novels and nine short stories about James Bond and had become one of the most read authors in the world.   

Ian’s full name was Ian Lancaster Fleming.  He was a child born into wealth and privilege thanks to his grandfather who made millions by creating investment trusts overseas.  His father was Valentine Fleming who enjoyed a life of privilege and was elected to Parliament when Ian was only two years old.  Sadly, his father died when he went to serve his country during World War I.  He died during combat when Ian was only nine years old.  His father left him and his brothers a modest fortune which could not be touched unless their mother Eve remarried or died.  So this encouraged Ian to study and make his own way in life.  Ian’s mother supported his education along with the education of his brothers.  Ian attended school enjoying the lifestyle of leisure and he studied at Durnford School and then Eton, winning the victor Ludorum athletic award twice.  Never finishing school, Ian moved on to prepare to enter the Royal Military College but instead he attended Villa Tennerhof school in Austria where the teachers finally encouraged his talent for creative writing.  He ended his formal education by returning to Sandhurst where he was forced to leave after a London showgirl scandal.  Life from that point on was a rocky road with many career changes as he tried to earn a living while waiting for his inheritance.  The need for employment did gradually lead him to a lifelong career of writing at his home in Jamaica which he purchased with some of his inheritance.

Leading up to World War II, Ian took assignments for newspapers such as the Times and Reuters.  The British Foreign Office picked up on his writing and employed him as a personal assistant to Admiral John Godfrey who was the Director of Naval Intelligence.  This work brought out the best in Ian while providing him with material for his career as a novelist.  He started to show imagination, forthrightness, and a very sharp eye for detail and actually helped shape many real important intelligence missions.  He was not in combat like his father but he was at the forefront of British espionage.  After the war, he moved to a house named Goldeneye on the north shore of Jamaica where he continued to work as a foreign editor for Kemsley newspapers managing his reporters much like a spymaster.  He spent fourteen years writing novels about James Bond in Jamaica.

Ian lived his life on his own terms, similar to the lifestyles of the characters he wrote about in his novels.  He wandered through the early part of his life at school and continued to wander through his twenties with vacations, golf and women.  Later he purchased a home in Jamaica which allowed him to spend his winters in warmth giving him time to write his novels.   He continued a life-long love affair with Lady Anne Rothermore through two of her marriages.  She eventually had two children with him and settled down to live in Jamaica at Goldeneye.   His lifestyle, as a spy thriller writer, lead to a habit of smoking seventy cigarettes a day and consuming at least half a bottle of spirits each evening.  This lifestyle added up to two early heart attacks and a final fatal coronary hemorrhage.  He died before the premiere of James Bond coming to life for a third time in Goldfinger.  Some say he was really the character of James Bond as Ian lived a similar lifestyle that James enjoyed in the books.