Ian Fleming - Cold War Author

By Serena Price


The Cold War describes the years between the end of World War II, 1945, and the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Specifically, it refers to the tense quality of relations between the Soviet Union and the United States. Ian Fleming was a hugely popular cold war author. He is best known for his James Bond spy novels as well as a children's short story that became a popular Disney film, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

Fleming's family came from Scotland. They moved from Perth to Dundee, where Ian's grandfather, Robert Fleming, made his fortune in the financial sector. When the Flemings migrated from Dundee to London in the south, Robert Fleming started an investment bank of his own.

Valentine, Ian's father, was killed in action during the Great War, World War I, in which he served as one of the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars. His obituary was composed by Valentine's friend and fellow officer, the future Prime Minister of England, Winston Churchill. He left a wife, Evelyn Rose, and four children, aged 4, 6, 9 and 10. Prior to serving in the armed forces, Valentine worked as a barrister and as a Member of Parliament.

Born in London's Mayfair on 27 Green Street on the 28th of May 1908, Ian Lancaster Fleming was the second-eldest of four brothers. He went to school at Eaton College, and then studied abroad in Germany and Austria. His elder brother, Peter, was born in 1907. He eventually wed noted actress, Celia Johnson, who appeared in David Lean's Film, "Brief Encounter." The two younger Fleming brothers, Richard and Michael, were born in 1911 and 1913, respectively. Richard died of a heart attack in 1977, while Michael married and had four children.

Prior to joining the Admiralty, he spent a career as a journalist at the British news agency, Reuters. While he was working for Reuters, he was fined three guineas (GBP 3.15) for driving an unlicensed car in Oxford. Lawyers explained his absence in court as being because he was at the World Economic Conference. He considered his years at Reuters to be the most exciting time of his life.

He was so eager to work for Reuters, he volunteered to work for nothing for a month's trial. He successfully completed updating 500 obituaries, which impressed his boss tremendously. During the Reuters years, Fleming learned to write accurately and quickly. Submitting anything less than 100% accurate copy was grounds for dismissal at Reuters.

It was Fleming's tenure as assistant Director of Naval Intelligence that inspired his 14 James Bond novels. He chose the name, James Bond, from the writer of a book about West Indian birds. Fleming spent 18 years in Jamaica, and the volume was his constant companion.

Cold war author, Ian Fleming, most famous for his spy novels, also wrote a children's short story, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. This story was eventually made into a Disney movie. The story was written for his son, Caspar. Fleming suffered a heart attack in Jamaica on the day of his son's 12th birthday, August 12, 1964. The boy never recovered from losing his father at such a tender age and took his own life in 1975.




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