Ian Fleming (1908 - 1964)

Ian Lancaster Fleming was born in Green Street in London on 28th May 1908. He died, aged 56, on 12th August 1964 at Sandwich in Kent.

He was educated at Eton College and then abroad in Germany and Austria. After an early career at Reuters news agency, he became a stockbroker. Shortly before World War 2 he was recruited to be personal assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence. He remained in this job throughout the war. He gained a unique insight into the operation of the intelligence services, and was privy to many secrets. This work was the fount of his inspiration for the adventures of James Bond.

Following the war he became foreign manager, in charge of feriegn correspondents, for Kemsley newspapers, owners of the Sunday Times and other papers. Having always claimed that one day he would write the 'thriller to end all thrillers', it wasn't until 1952 at the age of 43 that he sat down and wrote Casino Royale, and introduced James Bond, agent 007 to the world. He wrote thirteen James Bond titles, one a year, before his death at a relatively young age.

He married Anne Rothermere in 1952 and in August that year his only son, Caspar, was born. While convalescing from his first heart attack in 1962, he wrote a short story about a flying car for Caspar - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.