70 Years Of 007

Celebrating 70 years since the publication of Casino Royale, and the introduction of one Bond, James Bond...

- CLAIRE SAUL

The Evolution of an Action Hero

lan Fleming was educated at Eton College, where his misdemeanours included driving cars and entertaining girls, exploits later echoed in James Bond's own backstory. His Eton years were also notable for seeing his first published short story, in the school magazine.

Fleming would be further educated in Germany and Switzerland before going on to work as a journalist in Russia, and then as a banker and stockbroker. During World War II he became a senior officer in British naval intelligence and afterwards, during the early years of the Cold War, ran the foreign desk of The Sunday Times.

During the war, Fleming vowed his intent to live in Jamaica, to "write the spy story to end all spy stories". He did indeed build a house named Goldeneye there in 1947, and returned to it every winter to write.