An Intelligence Officer, a journalist, an author and the descendant of a wealthy family, Ian Lancaster Fleming, popularly known as Ian Fleming, couldn’t have created a more riveting spy series than James Bond!

Born on 28th May 1908, Ian Fleming went on to do several jobs including working for British Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War. Fleming was an integral part of several secret operations.

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Fleming’s James Bond is largely based on his acquaintances from the Naval Intelligence Division he worked for. He personified several commandos to create James Bond and gave him, his own traits including love for gadgets and cars, short-term love affairs, eating, drinking and smoking. Fleming named his character after the American ornithologist “James Bond”. When it came to the looks of James Bond, Ian Fleming looked upon American singer and actor Hoagland Howard Carmichael, and mentioned him in several scenes of his books. In Casino Royale, Vesper remarks, “Bond reminds me of Hoagland Carmichael, but there is something cold and ruthless.” James Bond’s code number is said to be taken from some German secret coded documents.

‘Casino Royale’ was Fleming’s first Bond novel. It was a huge success and Fleming went on to write eleven Bond novels and two short stories collection. The Bond stories are one of the best-selling fiction series of all times, with more than 100 million copies sold worldwide. Fleming also has a children’s book to his name “Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang” which he wrote during his fading years.

Fleming was married to Ann Charteris with whom he had a son named Caspar. He was a chain-smoker and heavy drinker. He also suffered from heart-disease. At the age of 53 in 1961, he suffered from his first heart-attack. He suffered from the second heart-attack on 11th August 1964, after spending a long day with his friends. He died on the early morning of 12th August 1964. His last two books “The Man with the Golden Gun” and “Octopussy and The Living Daylights” were published posthumously.

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In 1975, Ian Fleming’s son Caspar Fleming committed suicide by drug overdose. Later, his wife Ann died in 1981.

During his life-time, Ian Fleming sold approximately thirty million copies of his books and that number doubled in just two years following his death. A bronze bust of Ian Fleming made by sculptor Anthony Smith was commissioned by his family in 2008 to commemorate the centenary of the author’s birth. That very year, Ian Fleming ranked fourteenth on “The Times” list of “50 great British writers since 1945.” There have been a total of 24 movies made on his Bond novels. In 2011, “Ian Fleming International Airport” near Oracabessa, Jamaica became the first International Airport to be named after an English writer.

Ian Fleming is fondly known as “The Bondmaker” or “The Spymaker”, which holds hundred percent true for his fans. Nevertheless, the life of Ian Fleming wasn’t much less than an adventure itself. No wonders, he created the most loved spy ever – “The James Bond”.