On the 28th of May 1908, Ian Lancaster Fleming was born, and now 100 years on there are surely few who have never heard of Mr Fleming, or his creation - James Bond. During World War II, Fleming served as assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence, which gave him great insight into the world of secret operation and espionage. Before the war, and after, Fleming worked as a journalist, which helped develop his writing style and eye for detail.
In 1953, Fleming published Casino Royale and the James Bond legend was born. A total of 14 James Bond books by Fleming were published, two of them posthumously. Fleming died following a heart attack on August 12 1964 - but his legacy has not yet died out. Indeed it could be argued that it is stronger than ever - the latest Bond film became the highest grossing in the history of the series, and it was based on Fleming's first Bond novel. Also, a new Bond novel by Sebastian Faulks, called Devil May Care has just been published to commemorate the centenary. It will surely be many years before the legacy of Ian Fleming dies out, so here's to the next 100 years of Ian Fleming!
