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22 Facts About Ian Fleming |
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Fleming reached the rank of Commander in the Naval Intelligence Service, and had the codename was 17F. James Bond held the same rank.
Fleming first visited Jamaica after the War, and fell in love with the island. He bought a house there next door to his friend, the playwright Noel Coward, and named it Goldeneye. This was partly in reference to his War work, partly a reference to the novel Reflections In A Golden Eye by Carson McCullers and partly due to a Spanish tomb on the property with a bit of carving that resembles an eye.
At the time she fell pregnant, Fleming's wife, Anne, was still legally married to Viscount Rothemere, and held the title Lady Rothemere.
Fleming married Anne at his Jamaican estate, witnessed by Noel Coward.
He was a member of gentlemen's club Boodle's for 20 years until his death - fellow members included David Niven, who Fleming later recommended to play Bond when he sold the film rights.
Fleming published his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1953. It was a modest hit, although it remained largely unknown in the US until later. Fleming was said to have taken the name of his titular spy from the book 'Birds of the West Indies' by noted ornithologist James Bond.
Fleming sold the film rights to already published and future Bond novels to Harry Saltzman in 1961. Fleming suggested that Saltzman and partner Cubby Broccoli cast Noel Coward as Dr. No and David Niven as Bond. Neither Saltzman or Broccoli expected the film to be a success and were surprised when it became a sensation, sparking the '60s spy craze.
Fleming wrote the book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as well as the screenplay for the film adaptation.
A self-confessed bibliophile, Fleming amassed an extensive library of books, particularly books which 'started something' and were instrumental in shaping Western Civilization. Concentrating on science and technology, he also had copies of sociological and philosophical titles ranging from Mein Kampf to Scouting for Boys. Some 600 of his books are currently held in the Lilly Library at the University of Indiana in the USA.
In 1960 he met John F. Kennedy, who had helped gain Fleming recognition in the US by naming 'From Russia With Love' as one of his all-time favourite novels. They had dinner, and Fleming related his ideas to discredit Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Kennedy passed these on to CIA head Allen Welsh Dulles, who gave the ideas serious consideration.
Fleming was the subject of a TV movie 'Spymaker: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming' starring Jason Connery, one time Robin Hood and son of Sean in 1990.
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