For our book club
we read Ian Fleming's 'Dr No' (1958)
I think we were all surprised by how good it was,
a bit dated
yet entertaining
Although 'Dr No' was Fleming's seventh book,
it was his first novel to be turned into a film (1962)
- Fleming knew cinema was the way to make real money -
That signature James Bond theme has been used since 'Dr No'
with its surf style rock, popular in the early 1960s
A classic!
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| Ian Fleming, author of James Bond series wikipedia |
Ian Fleming was born with money and connections
In fact, Winston Churchill was a friend of his father's
Fleming's grandparents owned a high-end flat
where the US Embassy in London now stands
(the irony in that - with all its spies!)
Ian Fleming was a bit like his James Bond's character -
a life filled with men's clubs, women, fancy cars, and a good time
He traveled in wealthy circles in Mayfair
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| Aston Martin, one of James Bond's famous cars wikipedia |
Unlike his father and brother,
Ian did not go to the front lines of war
Instead, he was behind a desk
in London's Naval Intelligence Office during WWII
Once the war was over,
Ian Fleming worked for The Times
with the agreement that he could take time off every winter for three months
In those months,
he stayed in his Jamaican home, 'Goldeneye', and produced one book every year
with the quest to write the best spy novel the world had ever seen
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| Ian Fleming's Jamaican home where he wrote annually wikipedia |
He had the idea that his main character should be a boring man
that to whom extraordinary things happened
Trying to think of a boring name,
Fleming looked at his bookshelf and saw the very plain name
of American ornithologist, James Bond
(Fleming was an avid birdwatcher)
And so it came to be the most famous fictional spy name
with the ornithologist's blessing
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| The real James Bond, an American ornithologist wikipedia |
To me, the James Bond series is a story of success and determination
as Ian Fleming had always wanted to write these great spy novels
But his wife and high-brow friends thought his books were in bad taste
and Fleming received harsh reviews from UK critics
Then Fleming got a lucky break after meeting President Kennedy on a trip to D.C.
The US President listed 'From Russia, With Love'
as one of his favorite books in Life Magazine after they met
With this introduction to the American audience,
Fleming's films and books became successful in the US
and were well received
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| via Amazon |
I can't think of any other film series with such longevity,
with classic quotes and an easily identifiable theme song
that has woven itself into our culture today
Eon Productions has been making James Bond films for fifty-one years
with another film due within the next few years
Bond continues to be the longest running film series
and second highest grossing film series after 'Harry Potter'
In fact, more men have walked on the moon
than have played James Bond in film
(only six in fifty years)
I grew up watching Roger Moore,
so to me, he will always be THE Bond
Do you have a favorite James Bond actor?
- on a random note but must mention, Fleming also wrote 'Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang'! -
More In Bond Series ::
Bond Girl For A Day Or Two (local activities)
Interview Of A Bond Girl
Source: Richard Walker from London Walks, Wikipedia
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