Ian Fleming

Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist, and commander in the Royal Navy, best known for creating the iconic character of James Bond. Born on May 28, 1908, in a well-to-do district of London, Fleming was a grandson of the Scottish financier Robert Fleming, who founded the Scottish American Investment Trust and the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co. His father was a member of the parliament and served in the navy during the First World War, while his eldest brother, Peter, was a travel writer.

Fleming's experiences in the navy during the Second World War significantly contributed to his writings. After the war, he worked at Reuters news agency before joining Naval Intelligence as an officer. His talent for writing fast and engaging prose, along with his knowledge of espionage and his fertile imagination, led to the creation of James Bond, a character that would become one of the most famous fictional characters of all time. Fleming introduced Bond in his first novel, Casino Royale, in 1953, which was the first of fourteen James Bond books that have sold over 60 million copies worldwide and been translated into 20 languages.

In addition to the James Bond series, Fleming wrote the children's story Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and two non-fiction books. The James Bond book series would go on to become one of the greatest film series of all time, starting in 1962 with Dr. No. Fleming's works have had a significant impact on popular culture, and both he and his fictional counterpart have become synonymous with style, glamour, and thrilling adventures, as well as universally recognized phrases such as "My name's Bond, James Bond" and "shaken and not stirred." Fleming was married to Ann Rothermere with whom he had a son, Caspar. He died in 1964.