Ian Fleming’s name became known thanks to the character of James Bond, invented by him and made famous in 1962 with the brilliant interpretation of Sean Connery followed by numerous actors who played this part.
Who was Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming (London, 28 May 1908 – Canterbury, 12 August 1964) was a British writer. It grows in one aristocratic family made up of brothers, mother and father, an English deputy and officer. Upon his death he places as a bond of access to the inheritance that his wife does not remarry and so Evelyn, Ian’s mother, will be left alone for the rest of her days. The little one begins to attend college in Eton and although he is noted for his great sporting skills, he is forced to abandon his studies.
The mother decides her path by enrolling him in theSandhurst Military Academy where it won’t stay long. After this new failure he was sent to Austria where he approached sports such as skiing and then enrolled at the University of Munich.
After a short time also at the University of Geneva approaches the world of journalism together with his brother and is chosen as an envoy for Berlin, London and Moscow. This phase also ends quite quickly as the death of his grandfather leads him to become a partner in the family bank.
Ian Fleming and participation in the war
Among Fleming’s various life experiences, participation in the second World War where he plays the role of personal assistant to the Royal Navy intelligence director. After this office he held a similar one alongside Colonel “Wild Bill” Donovan who works directly for President Roosevelt. Over the years his duties become more and more important to the point of realizing known military operations.
He does not participate directly in the operations, but always directs them from the Headquarters. It comes to a point where it even follows the information of the units of the Royal Navy for the preparation of the well-known Operation Overlord.
Ian Fleming and the birth of James Bond
At the end of the war he devoted himself to the work of a journalist for almost fifteen years. He is hired at “The Sunday Times” becoming head of foreign services over time. Meanwhile, he buys a house in Jamaica, where he devotes himself to various passions such as golf and spearfishing, which he will also share with his wife. In fact, he married the Countess of Charteris, Anne Geraldine, in 1952 and during their honeymoon comes the idea of ”Casino Royale” which he sees as a protaonist James Bond.
Writing novels becomes for him a real moment of individual affirmation. In fact, he gets into the habit of retiring for two months a year in Goldeneye where he has the opportunity to dedicate himself to his great passion. After the first book dedicated to James Bond he wrote another 11, also obtaining the positive opinion of some colleagues in the world of literature.
When he publishes the various projects dedicated to James Bond success is immediate. His novels become best sellers and he is considered a real celebrity. As is often the case, fame does not have a full effect on his person who becomes more and more like the fictional character over time. His health is getting worse every day from smoking and alcohol abuse.