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The Life of Ian Fleming
The biography of the man who created James Bond, one of the world's most famous and popular fictional characters. Fleming remained an enigmatic figure who disclaimed comparisons with his creation, but John Pearson - with access to Fleming's private papers - draws many parallels between the two. Pearson worked with Fleming for several years on "The Sunday Times".
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
36 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
John George Pearson
30 books24 followersJohn Pearson is a writer best associated with James Bond creator Ian Fleming. He was Fleming's assistant at the London Sunday Times and would go on to write the first biography of Ian Fleming, 1966's The Life of Ian Fleming. Pearson also wrote "true-crime" biographies, such as The Profession of Violence: an East End gang story about the rise and fall of the Kray twins.
Pearson would also become the third official James Bond author of the adult-Bond series, writing in 1973 James Bond: The Authorised Biography of 007, a first-person biography of the fictional agent James Bond. Although the canonical nature of this book has been debated by Bond fans since it was published, it was officially authorised by Glidrose Publications, the official publisher of the James Bond chronicles. Glidrose reportedly considered commissioning Pearson to write a new series of Bond novels in the 1970s, but nothing came of this.
Pearson was commissioned by Donald Campbell to chronicle his successful attempt on the Land Speed Record in 1964 in Bluebird CN7, resulting in the book Bluebird and the Dead Lake.
Pearson wrote the non-fiction book, The Gamblers, an account about the group of gamblers who made up, what was known as the Clermont Set, which included John Aspinall, James Goldsmith and Lord Lucan. The film rights to the book were purchased by Warner Bros. in 2006. He also wrote Façades, the first full-scale biography of the literary Sitwell siblings, Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell, published in 1978.
Pearson has also written five novels:
Gone To Timbuctoo (1962) - winner of the Author's Club First Novel Award
James Bond: The Authorised Biography of 007 (1973)
The Bellamy Saga (1976)
Biggles: The Authorized Biography (1978)
The Kindness of Dr. Avicenna (1982).
Pearson would also become the third official James Bond author of the adult-Bond series, writing in 1973 James Bond: The Authorised Biography of 007, a first-person biography of the fictional agent James Bond. Although the canonical nature of this book has been debated by Bond fans since it was published, it was officially authorised by Glidrose Publications, the official publisher of the James Bond chronicles. Glidrose reportedly considered commissioning Pearson to write a new series of Bond novels in the 1970s, but nothing came of this.
Pearson was commissioned by Donald Campbell to chronicle his successful attempt on the Land Speed Record in 1964 in Bluebird CN7, resulting in the book Bluebird and the Dead Lake.
Pearson wrote the non-fiction book, The Gamblers, an account about the group of gamblers who made up, what was known as the Clermont Set, which included John Aspinall, James Goldsmith and Lord Lucan. The film rights to the book were purchased by Warner Bros. in 2006. He also wrote Façades, the first full-scale biography of the literary Sitwell siblings, Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell, published in 1978.
Pearson has also written five novels:
Gone To Timbuctoo (1962) - winner of the Author's Club First Novel Award
James Bond: The Authorised Biography of 007 (1973)
The Bellamy Saga (1976)
Biggles: The Authorized Biography (1978)
The Kindness of Dr. Avicenna (1982).
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 29, 2016
Published shortly after the novelist’s death this is a well written and engaging story of Ian Fleming.
Carefully exploring the factors in his life which created not only the man himself but also his most famous creation, James Bond, Pearson sheds light on Fleming’s driving passions, successes and failures in an engrossing narrative.
Of all the books on Ian Fleming, this was recommended to me as the best and I have no reason to doubt that having read it.
This is a very rewarding and satisfying read on a complex individual.
007 would have been pleased.
Carefully exploring the factors in his life which created not only the man himself but also his most famous creation, James Bond, Pearson sheds light on Fleming’s driving passions, successes and failures in an engrossing narrative.
Of all the books on Ian Fleming, this was recommended to me as the best and I have no reason to doubt that having read it.
This is a very rewarding and satisfying read on a complex individual.
007 would have been pleased.
May 5, 2016
In his 1996 biography of Ian Fleming, Andrew Lycett describes Pearson's account of thirty years before as a "lively" book which "suffered, through no fault of his own, from being too close to its subject, both in time and in perspective (the book was initiated by the Sunday Times for which both he and Ian had worked)… while his need to work closely with Ian’s widow Ann precluded serious examination of his subject’s emotional life."
This politely dismissive assessment understates the book's continuing value as a source. Pearson not only knew Fleming: according to the publisher’s blurb he "travelled 100,000 miles and interviewed 150 people" for his researches, and the book includes previously unpublished material by Noël Coward, Paul Gallico, Somerset Maugham and Edith Sitwell. A typed letter to Fleming from C. G. Jung in 1929 is reproduced as a lithograph; there is also a note from Aleister Crowley, from during the war, when Fleming came up with the idea (never used) that The Great Beast might be able to assist in the interrogation of Rudolf Hess. Pearson's book is indeed "lively", but while his closeness to his subject does give a particular perspective, it is not at all clear that the work “suffers” from it.
Of course, the book is dated in some respects: Augustus John is referred to as Ian's mother's "admirer", but although she and John were both dead by the time Pearson was writing, this is the nearest hint we get of their affair. Amaryllis Fleming already knew the truth about her parentage by this time, too, but Pearson dutifully describes her as Eve Fleming’s "adoptive daughter" (for Eve to have remarried following her husband's death during World War I would have come with serious financial penalties, due to the terms of her inheritance). We read of Fleming dropping out of Sandhurst after a year, but Pearson passes over the dose of clap he was suffering at the time; and I was sorry that Pearson does not relate the amusing story of Fleming's legal dispute with the architect Ernő Goldfinger – perhaps legal concerns (and delicacy over the infamous "Goldprick" jibe) necessitated discretion and circumspection.
Pearson's account of Fleming’s early years introduces some unexpected material: the contact with Jung concerned Fleming's wish to translate a lecture of his on the subject of Paracelsus (Fleming at one stage planned to write a book on Palacelsus with Edith Sitwell). There was also an unsuccessful therapeutic encounter with an Adlerian therapist, "Dr [Leonhard] Seif". Fleming was at the time living in Austria under the tutelage Ernan Forbes Dennis and Phyllis Bottome, who were both closely associated with the Adlerian movement and with Alfred Adler himself. Later, Fleming developed an interest in book collecting, focusing on scientific and practical works that represented "milestones of human progress" – this meant "books on motor cars and zip fasteners and tuberculosis and the theory of relativity". Although he later lost interest in the project, it proved to be a shrewd investment, and he in due course purchased the Book Collector quarterly.
Of course, many readers will be primarily interested in Fleming the late-blooming novelist, and perhaps in his war work which gave him a number of his later inspirations. Fleming airily announced his plan to write "the spy story to end all spy stories" while in the field towards the end of the war, although it was a few years before the poet William Plomer became the first person to read the manuscript of Casino Royale. Pearson’s chronicle of the rise of James Bond (with a passing reference to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) shows that it was a long time before the success of the series was assured – and that Fleming remained troubled by literary condescension. The book ends on a somewhat downbeat note, with Fleming dying not long after the legal disputes over Thunderball.
Pearson's biography is also interesting for another reason. Several years after it was published, Pearson discovered that James Bond was in fact a real person (as were most of the other characters mentioned in the novels), and that the books had been authorized by M as a disinformation exercise to protect Bond's identity by persuading the Russians he was a fictitious character. The Russians eventually realised they had been taken in, but by that time they had their own reasons not to expose the truth. This put a new perspective on Fleming’s career, but rather than revise his biography of Fleming, Pearson instead published a separate book about the life of Bond. The book appeared as The Authorized Biography of James Bond 007 (reviewed here), but it seems that the secret service got cold feet and in the end Pearson was only allowed to publish it in the guise of fiction.
This politely dismissive assessment understates the book's continuing value as a source. Pearson not only knew Fleming: according to the publisher’s blurb he "travelled 100,000 miles and interviewed 150 people" for his researches, and the book includes previously unpublished material by Noël Coward, Paul Gallico, Somerset Maugham and Edith Sitwell. A typed letter to Fleming from C. G. Jung in 1929 is reproduced as a lithograph; there is also a note from Aleister Crowley, from during the war, when Fleming came up with the idea (never used) that The Great Beast might be able to assist in the interrogation of Rudolf Hess. Pearson's book is indeed "lively", but while his closeness to his subject does give a particular perspective, it is not at all clear that the work “suffers” from it.
Of course, the book is dated in some respects: Augustus John is referred to as Ian's mother's "admirer", but although she and John were both dead by the time Pearson was writing, this is the nearest hint we get of their affair. Amaryllis Fleming already knew the truth about her parentage by this time, too, but Pearson dutifully describes her as Eve Fleming’s "adoptive daughter" (for Eve to have remarried following her husband's death during World War I would have come with serious financial penalties, due to the terms of her inheritance). We read of Fleming dropping out of Sandhurst after a year, but Pearson passes over the dose of clap he was suffering at the time; and I was sorry that Pearson does not relate the amusing story of Fleming's legal dispute with the architect Ernő Goldfinger – perhaps legal concerns (and delicacy over the infamous "Goldprick" jibe) necessitated discretion and circumspection.
Pearson's account of Fleming’s early years introduces some unexpected material: the contact with Jung concerned Fleming's wish to translate a lecture of his on the subject of Paracelsus (Fleming at one stage planned to write a book on Palacelsus with Edith Sitwell). There was also an unsuccessful therapeutic encounter with an Adlerian therapist, "Dr [Leonhard] Seif". Fleming was at the time living in Austria under the tutelage Ernan Forbes Dennis and Phyllis Bottome, who were both closely associated with the Adlerian movement and with Alfred Adler himself. Later, Fleming developed an interest in book collecting, focusing on scientific and practical works that represented "milestones of human progress" – this meant "books on motor cars and zip fasteners and tuberculosis and the theory of relativity". Although he later lost interest in the project, it proved to be a shrewd investment, and he in due course purchased the Book Collector quarterly.
Of course, many readers will be primarily interested in Fleming the late-blooming novelist, and perhaps in his war work which gave him a number of his later inspirations. Fleming airily announced his plan to write "the spy story to end all spy stories" while in the field towards the end of the war, although it was a few years before the poet William Plomer became the first person to read the manuscript of Casino Royale. Pearson’s chronicle of the rise of James Bond (with a passing reference to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) shows that it was a long time before the success of the series was assured – and that Fleming remained troubled by literary condescension. The book ends on a somewhat downbeat note, with Fleming dying not long after the legal disputes over Thunderball.
Pearson's biography is also interesting for another reason. Several years after it was published, Pearson discovered that James Bond was in fact a real person (as were most of the other characters mentioned in the novels), and that the books had been authorized by M as a disinformation exercise to protect Bond's identity by persuading the Russians he was a fictitious character. The Russians eventually realised they had been taken in, but by that time they had their own reasons not to expose the truth. This put a new perspective on Fleming’s career, but rather than revise his biography of Fleming, Pearson instead published a separate book about the life of Bond. The book appeared as The Authorized Biography of James Bond 007 (reviewed here), but it seems that the secret service got cold feet and in the end Pearson was only allowed to publish it in the guise of fiction.
July 7, 2021
What a misogynist Ian Fleming was. I mean - I knew that - but this book enforces it.
Interestingly the author paid tribute to this misogyny by hardly ever naming the women in Fleming's life.
Interestingly the author paid tribute to this misogyny by hardly ever naming the women in Fleming's life.
September 30, 2025
A very good and definitive biography of Ian Fleming. It goes through his time at Eton right through to his time as a journalist, his time in the intelligence service during World War Two and explains how he wrote the James Bond novels including his inspiration for ideas.
June 13, 2022
When reading a biography by someone who knew their subject, you sometimes find the tone can tip over into plain old hero-worship. Thankfully, Pearson avoids this pitfall, as well as the temptation to insert himself into the narrative. My understanding is that he originally wrote this shortly after Fleming's death in 1964, and periodically released subsequent editions which he updated. I read the 2013 edition - the most recent one, I believe.
The major upside is that this book was extremely readable. Personally I can sometimes find biographies a bit dry, mostly because the author's enthusiasm for their chosen subject means they find every scrap of information interesting in a way that perhaps the average fan or reader would not. That approach isn't a bad thing - I guess it depends on how you feel about the subject in question. For me, I like the detail, but I also don't need a minute timeline of someone's day-by-day movements unless they are formulating an overall picture of their character. Ultimately, this is still a 500 page book, but it feels like it moves at a reasonably good pace. A lot of that is helped by the fact that Fleming was a dynamic guy. He knew everyone, travelled everywhere, and tried lots of different careers and side hustles. It means that one minute he's working as a stockbroker, and then the next he's in Naval Intelligence, and somewhere along the way he buys a house in Jamaica, writes a book and at one point, ends up on a scientific study trip looking at flamingos? I mean, yeah, good for him to be fair.
Pearson clearly dug up a lot of good information about his subject - and he doesn't gloss over Fleming's glaring imperfections. He shifts from speaking about his charisma and youthful handsomeness (me: HEY SIRI, PICTURES OF YOUNG IAN FLEMING, IAN FLEMING YOUNG PHOTOS, PHOTOS OF IAN FLEMING WHEN YOUNG PLEASE), to trying to articulate Fleming's bizarre thoughts on women ("older women are best, because they always think they may be doing it for the last time" - vomit) all the while accepting that Fleming was a contradictory sort of figure; a drawling upper class boy-man who never could find his place.
Fleming was, to put it mildly, pretty fascinating. Even when I wanted to dislike him, I found I kind of couldn't, which pretty much sums up how people felt about him when he was alive it seemed. The book is littered with famous names that he kicked around with even before he had written a word of the Bond novels that were to eventually make him famous: Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham, Roald Dahl, etc. At first it seemed crazy to me that someone who was "un-famous" for the majority of his life still moved in these circles - but then I remembered that classic affliction that nowadays we so fondly call ye olde White Male Privilege. Well duh. How silly of me. The man went to goddamn Eton, for goodness sake. It's the condition for entry there, right?
The downside of this biography for me was I did feel it glossed over some of the more unsavoury elements of Fleming's life - not all of them, but certainly some that we know to be true nowadays. I don't know if this was because of Pearson's closeness to his subject (and subsequently the surviving family) or because the information wasn't available for any of his "re-editions" (which seems unlikely to me). Either way, we don't really get the true story as to why Fleming was kicked out of Sandhurst (he contracted gonorrhea lol, but also he was just generally crap at being a soldier), or get any true idea of the scale of the love affairs he had (they are alluded to but all in very vague or otherwise euphemistic terms). His role in WWII's Operation Mincemeat isn't mentioned at all, even though it was declassified in 1996. I appreciate an author can't keep indefinitely adding to a biography when new information comes to light, but Pearson does say in the introduction that he does revisit the content with every new edition and opted not to change anything in this one from the previous. Perhaps he just wanted it to be a time capsule? I don't know - but take that into account if you're looking for up-to-date accuracy.
I also would have loved for the book to have included pictures. I recognise that might sound like something a five year old says, but I realise how valuable I find those sections in biographies. I spent a lot of time consulting google while I was reading this. That isn't a bad thing (me, yet again: HEY SIRI, MORE PICTURES OF YOUNG IAN FLEMING, PICTURES OF GOLDENEYE JAMAICA, PICTURES OF ANN ROTHERMERE PLEASE) but after a while you just kind of wish the book had done the work for you and I'm not really sure why this one didn't. Money? Copyright? I also lost count of the number of rabbit holes I fell down as a result, including: blue plaques in London, Anthony Eden, Maugham's Ashenden, Turner's House in Cheyne Walk, King Zog of Albania, to name just a few.
Overall, would I recommend it? For sure if you are a literature fan, a Bond fan or interested in learning about Fleming. If you're a super-fan, I think there are probably more recent works available now which will be less forgiving, more rigorous and probably full of the more salacious stuff that we're secretly all gasping for. But generally, this was still a great read. An honest sense of Fleming still came across: a second-son-with-an-inferiority-complex, a highly sexed snob, someone who inspired genuine love from his friends and who loved them in return, a man prone to gloominess and solitude but who also feared boredom. Sure, creating Bond is what has ensured his legacy but really, nowadays Bond is basically his own beast, albeit one with very Fleming-esque preferences. But in general, Fleming rattled through life, looking for adventure, and kudos to that.
The major upside is that this book was extremely readable. Personally I can sometimes find biographies a bit dry, mostly because the author's enthusiasm for their chosen subject means they find every scrap of information interesting in a way that perhaps the average fan or reader would not. That approach isn't a bad thing - I guess it depends on how you feel about the subject in question. For me, I like the detail, but I also don't need a minute timeline of someone's day-by-day movements unless they are formulating an overall picture of their character. Ultimately, this is still a 500 page book, but it feels like it moves at a reasonably good pace. A lot of that is helped by the fact that Fleming was a dynamic guy. He knew everyone, travelled everywhere, and tried lots of different careers and side hustles. It means that one minute he's working as a stockbroker, and then the next he's in Naval Intelligence, and somewhere along the way he buys a house in Jamaica, writes a book and at one point, ends up on a scientific study trip looking at flamingos? I mean, yeah, good for him to be fair.
Pearson clearly dug up a lot of good information about his subject - and he doesn't gloss over Fleming's glaring imperfections. He shifts from speaking about his charisma and youthful handsomeness (me: HEY SIRI, PICTURES OF YOUNG IAN FLEMING, IAN FLEMING YOUNG PHOTOS, PHOTOS OF IAN FLEMING WHEN YOUNG PLEASE), to trying to articulate Fleming's bizarre thoughts on women ("older women are best, because they always think they may be doing it for the last time" - vomit) all the while accepting that Fleming was a contradictory sort of figure; a drawling upper class boy-man who never could find his place.
Fleming was, to put it mildly, pretty fascinating. Even when I wanted to dislike him, I found I kind of couldn't, which pretty much sums up how people felt about him when he was alive it seemed. The book is littered with famous names that he kicked around with even before he had written a word of the Bond novels that were to eventually make him famous: Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham, Roald Dahl, etc. At first it seemed crazy to me that someone who was "un-famous" for the majority of his life still moved in these circles - but then I remembered that classic affliction that nowadays we so fondly call ye olde White Male Privilege. Well duh. How silly of me. The man went to goddamn Eton, for goodness sake. It's the condition for entry there, right?
The downside of this biography for me was I did feel it glossed over some of the more unsavoury elements of Fleming's life - not all of them, but certainly some that we know to be true nowadays. I don't know if this was because of Pearson's closeness to his subject (and subsequently the surviving family) or because the information wasn't available for any of his "re-editions" (which seems unlikely to me). Either way, we don't really get the true story as to why Fleming was kicked out of Sandhurst (he contracted gonorrhea lol, but also he was just generally crap at being a soldier), or get any true idea of the scale of the love affairs he had (they are alluded to but all in very vague or otherwise euphemistic terms). His role in WWII's Operation Mincemeat isn't mentioned at all, even though it was declassified in 1996. I appreciate an author can't keep indefinitely adding to a biography when new information comes to light, but Pearson does say in the introduction that he does revisit the content with every new edition and opted not to change anything in this one from the previous. Perhaps he just wanted it to be a time capsule? I don't know - but take that into account if you're looking for up-to-date accuracy.
I also would have loved for the book to have included pictures. I recognise that might sound like something a five year old says, but I realise how valuable I find those sections in biographies. I spent a lot of time consulting google while I was reading this. That isn't a bad thing (me, yet again: HEY SIRI, MORE PICTURES OF YOUNG IAN FLEMING, PICTURES OF GOLDENEYE JAMAICA, PICTURES OF ANN ROTHERMERE PLEASE) but after a while you just kind of wish the book had done the work for you and I'm not really sure why this one didn't. Money? Copyright? I also lost count of the number of rabbit holes I fell down as a result, including: blue plaques in London, Anthony Eden, Maugham's Ashenden, Turner's House in Cheyne Walk, King Zog of Albania, to name just a few.
Overall, would I recommend it? For sure if you are a literature fan, a Bond fan or interested in learning about Fleming. If you're a super-fan, I think there are probably more recent works available now which will be less forgiving, more rigorous and probably full of the more salacious stuff that we're secretly all gasping for. But generally, this was still a great read. An honest sense of Fleming still came across: a second-son-with-an-inferiority-complex, a highly sexed snob, someone who inspired genuine love from his friends and who loved them in return, a man prone to gloominess and solitude but who also feared boredom. Sure, creating Bond is what has ensured his legacy but really, nowadays Bond is basically his own beast, albeit one with very Fleming-esque preferences. But in general, Fleming rattled through life, looking for adventure, and kudos to that.
December 14, 2015
Excellent research and detail, although I was shocked to see that Pearson thought that Fleming modeled "M" on his (Ian's) mother!
May 24, 2022
He smoked 70 cigarettes a day at one point
August 19, 2024
দু'টি disconnected আঙ্গিকের মাধ্যমে এই বইয়ের analysis করা যায়। প্রথমেই আসবেন বিভূতিভূষণ। চাঁদের পাহাড়। এই কয়েকদিন আগে প্রমিতি চট্টোপাধ্যায় রচিত এক নিবন্ধ পড়ছিলুম চাঁদের পাহাড় সংক্রান্ত।
প্রমিতি তাঁর নিবন্ধের এক্কেবারে শেষে লিখছেন: 'গোপাল হালদারের ‘শনিবারের চিঠি’-র একটি কথা মনে পড়ে যায়। তিরিশের দশক। লোকের মুখে মুখে ফিরছে গান্ধীর ডান্ডি অভিযানের খুঁটিনাটি।
কিন্তু বিভূতিবাবু একেবারেই চুপ। শেষে অনেক করে প্রশ্ন করলে তিনি একটা ভারী অদ্ভুত কথা বলেন। সে দিন বিভূতিভূষণ বলেছিলেন, দেশ কি আর সবার কাছে একই রকম? আমরা লেখকরা দেশটা খুঁজি অন্য ভাবে, আমরা জীবনের অনেক গভীরতর দেশকে দেখি— রাজনীতি তো শুধু তার ওপরের ভাসাভাসা পরত মাত্র, আর কিচ্ছু নয়।... হয়তো এ কারণেই শঙ্করের খোঁজ কখনও শেষ হয় না। চাঁদের পাহাড় কি সত্যিই পৃথিবীতে নামে কোনও দিন?
ভবঘুরে অপু কি কখনও খুঁজে পায় তার পোর্তো-প্লাতা? মহালিখারূপের জঙ্গলে বৃদ্ধ সাঁওতাল রাজা কি জানতে পারেন সত্যিকারের ভারতবর্ষের মানে? হয়তো পারেন, কিংবা পারেন না। পথের দেবতা স্মিতমুখে বলেন, “সামনে, শুধুই সামনে… দেশ ছেড়ে বিদেশের দিকে, সূর্যোদয় ছেড়ে সূর্যাস্তের দিকে, জানার গণ্ডি এড়িয়ে অপরিচয়ের উদ্দেশ্যে… বিচিত্র আনন্দ-যাত্রার অদৃশ্য তিলক তোমার ললাটে পরিয়েই তো তোমাকে ঘরছাড়া করে এনেছি!”
এটা উল্লেখ করার কারণ স্রেফ এটুকুই যে বিভূতিবাবু বাপের জন্মে আফ্রিকা যাননি।
তবুও তিনি শঙ্করের যাত্রার খুঁটিনাটির এমন আশ্চর্য detailing করেছেন, যার জবাব নেই। প্রমিতি চট্টোপাধ্যায় মহাশয়ার ভাষা ধার করেই আবার বলতে হয়:
'অসহ্য কষ্ট! পায়ের তলায় মাটি নেই, পাথর নেই, শুধুই শতাব্দীর পর শতাব্দী জুড়ে জড়ো হওয়া পচা পাতার রাশ আর শুকনো গুঁড়ির স্তূপ শঙ্করকে টলিয়ে দিচ্ছে মাঝেমধ্যে। সে তো আর আলভারেজের মতো কঠিনপ্রাণ স্বর্ণান্বেষী প্রস্পেক্টর নয়। সোনার খোঁজে, হিরের খোঁজে এ কোথায় চলেছে সে? তার ছোট্ট গ্রাম, পিদিমজ্বালা তুলসীতলা, গ্রামের আকাশে কৃষ্ণপক্ষের এক কোয়া চাঁদ— সব পরিচিত ছবি ছেড়ে এই বিদেশ-বিভুঁইয়ে অপরিচিত মানুষের সঙ্গে আর কত দূরে যেতে হবে তাকে?.
গায়ে কাঁটা দিয়ে ওঠে, তাই না?
এবারে আসা যাক দ্বিতীয় আঙ্গিকে। আমাদের রবীন্দ্রনাথ বলেছিলেন, 'কবিরে পাবে না তার জীবন চরিতে'। সৃষ্টির গহীনে গিয়ে যদি স্রষ্টার খোঁজ করতে যায়, বিফল হবে। সকলেই শরৎ চাটুজ্জে বা জীবনানন্দ নন।
ইয়ান ফ্লেমিং ছিলেন সোনার চামচ মুখে নিয়ে জন্মানো একজন মানুষ।
গ্রহের ফেরে তিনি দ্বিতীয় মহাযুদ্ধ চলাকালীন ব্রিটিশ ইন্টেলিজেন্স ব্যবস্থার অভ্যন্তরীণ জিনিসপত্রের অংশভাক হন। এমন অনেক কিছু দেখেন যা অভাবনীয়। যা অকল্পনীয়।
এমন অনেক চরিত্রকে দেখেন যারা সাধারণ ভাত-ডাল-আলু পোস্তর দুনিয়ায় বেমানান। যারা আড্ডা মারতে মারতে মানুষ খুন করে, যারা অপরিচিত মানুষকে নিমেষেই নিকেশ করতে পারঙ্গম। এমন একদল চরিত্র যাদের morality বলে কিছুই নেই।
আছে শুধু mission complete করার তাগিদ।
এই লোকগুলোর কোনো sexual loyalty নেই। ভাবতে পারেন? ইয়ান ফ্লেমিং চূড়ান্ত যৌণ promiscuity উদযাপন করছিলেন তাহলে?
জর্জ পিয়ারসন সাহেবের এই বইটি আপনাকে এমন একজন মানুষের মুখোমুখি আনবে , যাঁর শ্রেষ্ঠ চরিত্রের সঙ্গে তাঁর নিজের সাযুজ্য বড়ই সামান্য।
'কবিরে পাবে না তার জীবন চরিতে'
পড়ে দেখুন বইটি। বেশ জব্বর।
প্রমিতি তাঁর নিবন্ধের এক্কেবারে শেষে লিখছেন: 'গোপাল হালদারের ‘শনিবারের চিঠি’-র একটি কথা মনে পড়ে যায়। তিরিশের দশক। লোকের মুখে মুখে ফিরছে গান্ধীর ডান্ডি অভিযানের খুঁটিনাটি।
কিন্তু বিভূতিবাবু একেবারেই চুপ। শেষে অনেক করে প্রশ্ন করলে তিনি একটা ভারী অদ্ভুত কথা বলেন। সে দিন বিভূতিভূষণ বলেছিলেন, দেশ কি আর সবার কাছে একই রকম? আমরা লেখকরা দেশটা খুঁজি অন্য ভাবে, আমরা জীবনের অনেক গভীরতর দেশকে দেখি— রাজনীতি তো শুধু তার ওপরের ভাসাভাসা পরত মাত্র, আর কিচ্ছু নয়।... হয়তো এ কারণেই শঙ্করের খোঁজ কখনও শেষ হয় না। চাঁদের পাহাড় কি সত্যিই পৃথিবীতে নামে কোনও দিন?
ভবঘুরে অপু কি কখনও খুঁজে পায় তার পোর্তো-প্লাতা? মহালিখারূপের জঙ্গলে বৃদ্ধ সাঁওতাল রাজা কি জানতে পারেন সত্যিকারের ভারতবর্ষের মানে? হয়তো পারেন, কিংবা পারেন না। পথের দেবতা স্মিতমুখে বলেন, “সামনে, শুধুই সামনে… দেশ ছেড়ে বিদেশের দিকে, সূর্যোদয় ছেড়ে সূর্যাস্তের দিকে, জানার গণ্ডি এড়িয়ে অপরিচয়ের উদ্দেশ্যে… বিচিত্র আনন্দ-যাত্রার অদৃশ্য তিলক তোমার ললাটে পরিয়েই তো তোমাকে ঘরছাড়া করে এনেছি!”
এটা উল্লেখ করার কারণ স্রেফ এটুকুই যে বিভূতিবাবু বাপের জন্মে আফ্রিকা যাননি।
তবুও তিনি শঙ্করের যাত্রার খুঁটিনাটির এমন আশ্চর্য detailing করেছেন, যার জবাব নেই। প্রমিতি চট্টোপাধ্যায় মহাশয়ার ভাষা ধার করেই আবার বলতে হয়:
'অসহ্য কষ্ট! পায়ের তলায় মাটি নেই, পাথর নেই, শুধুই শতাব্দীর পর শতাব্দী জুড়ে জড়ো হওয়া পচা পাতার রাশ আর শুকনো গুঁড়ির স্তূপ শঙ্করকে টলিয়ে দিচ্ছে মাঝেমধ্যে। সে তো আর আলভারেজের মতো কঠিনপ্রাণ স্বর্ণান্বেষী প্রস্পেক্টর নয়। সোনার খোঁজে, হিরের খোঁজে এ কোথায় চলেছে সে? তার ছোট্ট গ্রাম, পিদিমজ্বালা তুলসীতলা, গ্রামের আকাশে কৃষ্ণপক্ষের এক কোয়া চাঁদ— সব পরিচিত ছবি ছেড়ে এই বিদেশ-বিভুঁইয়ে অপরিচিত মানুষের সঙ্গে আর কত দূরে যেতে হবে তাকে?.
গায়ে কাঁটা দিয়ে ওঠে, তাই না?
এবারে আসা যাক দ্বিতীয় আঙ্গিকে। আমাদের রবীন্দ্রনাথ বলেছিলেন, 'কবিরে পাবে না তার জীবন চরিতে'। সৃষ্টির গহীনে গিয়ে যদি স্রষ্টার খোঁজ করতে যায়, বিফল হবে। সকলেই শরৎ চাটুজ্জে বা জীবনানন্দ নন।
ইয়ান ফ্লেমিং ছিলেন সোনার চামচ মুখে নিয়ে জন্মানো একজন মানুষ।
গ্রহের ফেরে তিনি দ্বিতীয় মহাযুদ্ধ চলাকালীন ব্রিটিশ ইন্টেলিজেন্স ব্যবস্থার অভ্যন্তরীণ জিনিসপত্রের অংশভাক হন। এমন অনেক কিছু দেখেন যা অভাবনীয়। যা অকল্পনীয়।
এমন অনেক চরিত্রকে দেখেন যারা সাধারণ ভাত-ডাল-আলু পোস্তর দুনিয়ায় বেমানান। যারা আড্ডা মারতে মারতে মানুষ খুন করে, যারা অপরিচিত মানুষকে নিমেষেই নিকেশ করতে পারঙ্গম। এমন একদল চরিত্র যাদের morality বলে কিছুই নেই।
আছে শুধু mission complete করার তাগিদ।
এই লোকগুলোর কোনো sexual loyalty নেই। ভাবতে পারেন? ইয়ান ফ্লেমিং চূড়ান্ত যৌণ promiscuity উদযাপন করছিলেন তাহলে?
জর্জ পিয়ারসন সাহেবের এই বইটি আপনাকে এমন একজন মানুষের মুখোমুখি আনবে , যাঁর শ্রেষ্ঠ চরিত্রের সঙ্গে তাঁর নিজের সাযুজ্য বড়ই সামান্য।
'কবিরে পাবে না তার জীবন চরিতে'
পড়ে দেখুন বইটি। বেশ জব্বর।
February 5, 2021
This biography has reproduced documents in it which is quite awesome, in addition to the regular photos. Still, as with all biographies, the main question to ask is: does the subject’s life find expression?
I’d say Pearson does an admirable job of covering Fleming’s life, from the usual preamble concerning his family’s history, his childhood and adolescence, all the way to the withering and tragic death of a man who lived about as hard as his wildly iconic character James Bond. Just, you know, without the spy stuff (but there’s a little bit of that).
Throughout this book the reader learns that Ian Fleming certainly had a rich life, working for the Admiralty in Intelligence during the Second World War, and afterwards in journalism until he condensed his flights of fancy into a certain James Bond (named after the author of Birds of the West Indies).
John Pearson’s main argument is that James Bond is an author surrogate for Fleming, someone into whom he could place his own frustrated dreams and explore a world he had thought he’d glimpsed during the War and afterwards. Pearson goes a little into the psychology of this and it’s a good insight. For me, who knew of the movies (and N64 title Goldeneye) more than the author, it was a great eye-opening read.
The other ongoing theme in the book is about Fleming’s general excesses with smoking and drinking, which ultimately had a pretty negative effect on his health and lead to his early death—but he never slowed down, being fully addicted to tobacco and fairly habituated to strong drinks.
All in all, an excellent read that really details the life of someone whose creation has eclipsed him. What I found perhaps most poignant was how Fleming really thirsted for the wealth and fame he assumed would flow with success, and once it was somewhat acquired, he was already beyond caring. Oh and I discovered the importance of Goldeneye, decades after becoming a fan.
I’d say Pearson does an admirable job of covering Fleming’s life, from the usual preamble concerning his family’s history, his childhood and adolescence, all the way to the withering and tragic death of a man who lived about as hard as his wildly iconic character James Bond. Just, you know, without the spy stuff (but there’s a little bit of that).
Throughout this book the reader learns that Ian Fleming certainly had a rich life, working for the Admiralty in Intelligence during the Second World War, and afterwards in journalism until he condensed his flights of fancy into a certain James Bond (named after the author of Birds of the West Indies).
John Pearson’s main argument is that James Bond is an author surrogate for Fleming, someone into whom he could place his own frustrated dreams and explore a world he had thought he’d glimpsed during the War and afterwards. Pearson goes a little into the psychology of this and it’s a good insight. For me, who knew of the movies (and N64 title Goldeneye) more than the author, it was a great eye-opening read.
The other ongoing theme in the book is about Fleming’s general excesses with smoking and drinking, which ultimately had a pretty negative effect on his health and lead to his early death—but he never slowed down, being fully addicted to tobacco and fairly habituated to strong drinks.
All in all, an excellent read that really details the life of someone whose creation has eclipsed him. What I found perhaps most poignant was how Fleming really thirsted for the wealth and fame he assumed would flow with success, and once it was somewhat acquired, he was already beyond caring. Oh and I discovered the importance of Goldeneye, decades after becoming a fan.
November 30, 2017
A pretty by-the-numbers biography of a pretty remarkable character - and the character that character created. A bit of a slow read during the childhood and youth parts, but it picks up speed, wit and sass as Fleming did.
July 7, 2022
A really good read. Well written, keeps the pace moving with plenty of detail, but not so much that it bogs down the narrative. Of course, it helps that Fleming's life was so interesting - and James Bond was really only one small part of what made this so fascinating.
August 10, 2019
You can’t help but feel Flemings charm and charisma whilst reading this account of his eventful and colourful life.
His flaws and complexity add to his appeal and likability.
I personally found the end of the book slightly slower but his youth and war years were totally fascinating.
Definitely a book worth reading.
His flaws and complexity add to his appeal and likability.
I personally found the end of the book slightly slower but his youth and war years were totally fascinating.
Definitely a book worth reading.
Read
May 19, 2020Learned a lot I did not know. Good read
January 26, 2024
Brilliant biography of a brilliant man who seemingly could do most anything - as was common for his generation.
November 6, 2024
Not much to say, more because of the state of the world the day I finished this. Good read about a fascinating person.
November 12, 2023
One of the best literary biographies I have ever read. Pearson takes advantage of his direct acquaintance with Fleming and Fleming's social circles to provide insights that would likely be inaccessible to an ordinary third-party researcher, including the varied and unique life experiences that ultimately yielded the character of James Bond. Captivating from beginning to end. I would highly recommend this book to all comers, and particularly to those with an affinity for the Bond opus.
October 13, 2024
This was a very interesting and enlightening book on the life of Ian Fleming. It tells a good story of the creation of James Bond, and it is a story, because it is apparent that this is the PG version and there is a lot left out (which makes me want to read the latest biography though I do think I need a break from Fleming for a few months). Honestly, I didn’t like it as much towards the end though it was a compelling story because the author clearly had a message to convey, and that was that James Bond killed Ian Fleming. Additionally, Fleming never got to enjoy the fame and fortune he sought his entire life because of the previous fact. I’d not gotten this impression so strongly from the other material I’ve written on Fleming, but rather quite the opposite. I know that Pearson was close to Fleming and was not doubt upset on the circumstances of his untimely passing. Still, there is a lot of great material here, some of which I’ve included below.
February 26, 2015
Written by a colleague who worked with Fleming in the last years of his life. Not an incredibly uplifting ending either. Just as Fleming was about to enjoy the success of the Bond novels, he is hit by a plagiarism suite and ill-health in the form of a massive heart attack. Many think the latter was precipitated by the former. I had recently watched the BBC mini-series: Fleming and wanted to know more about his war work. )There are certainly many inaccuracies in the service of dramatic effect.) Bond turns out to be Fleming's wish fulfillment of the live he would have liked to live. All were written during Fleming's annual winter holiday in Jamaica, at his beach house: Goldeneye. Fleming came from wealthy stock but was always living in the shadow of his brother Peter who saw more action in the War and was already an established author. There is less inside information than Andrew Lycett's later biography, in part, because Fleming's widow Anne was still alive.
Being the first biography, it is a solid work and a good place to start if you want to know more about that man who wrote the James Bond novels.
Being the first biography, it is a solid work and a good place to start if you want to know more about that man who wrote the James Bond novels.
January 19, 2014
A heroic biography of Ian Fleming, carefully written to avoid some of the more sordid things we've come to know about him in more recent years. The book appears to have been written by a huge fan of the Bond novels, because there are frequent, nearly non sequitur references to little things in Fleming's life that show up as throwaway lines in later Bond adventures. (Best example so far: Fleming is running the operational branch of Royal Navy Intelligence from a basement room in Whitehall. He's never been at sea, so some wag nicknames him a "chocolate sailor". Nearly 20 years later, in "Thunderball", Bond is talking to an American submarine captain. The captain asks Bond which branch of the Royal Navy he's in. Bond replies "I'm in intelligence. Strictly a chocolate sailor." The book is loaded with things like that)
May 23, 2014
People have asked or years how much of James Bond is an original character and how much is he Ian Fleming in disguise. In this book, John Pearson (who actually knew Fleming at one point) gives us a good look into the complex, occasionally very exciting, and at other times sad life Fleming lived. At the same time, Pearson discusses which events inspired Fleming to create James Bond and to what extent Bond was a fantasy of who Fleming wanted to be.
Interesting, fascinating, and you come back with a better understanding of who James Bond is, as well as who his creator was.
Interesting, fascinating, and you come back with a better understanding of who James Bond is, as well as who his creator was.
June 17, 2014
Given that the author was an associate of Fleming, I certainly have reservations as to the fullness of this work of biography. However, it's still a wonderful story of an odd and complex man. The wartime life of Fleming is interesting. It's also quite notable to see how his rich imagination was so often at work. If the author is right, then Fleming also has some credit for the creation of the structure of the OSS, precursor to the modern Central Intelligence Agency. Book is well written and quite enjoyable.
August 3, 2007
While Fleming's life wasn't nearly as exciting as that of his fictional hero (how could it possibly be?), author Pearson makes it clear how Fleming's hero related to the author's actual life. Fans of 007 will find this a very readable biography, one that gives a good sense of the man. I'd only read one James Bond novel before reading this biography, but now I'm intrigued enough to pick up a few of them and have a go.
July 8, 2009
A great and thorough look at the life of Ian Fleming. I think this book may be where the speculation began that the name M stood for "Mother."
Even without Bond Fleming had an interesting life. He served in British Intelligence during WWII and helped arrange one of the greatest and most daring escapades of the war. He was friends with William Stephenson--the man called "Intrepid."
He and John F. Kennedy were friends.
Even without Bond Fleming had an interesting life. He served in British Intelligence during WWII and helped arrange one of the greatest and most daring escapades of the war. He was friends with William Stephenson--the man called "Intrepid."
He and John F. Kennedy were friends.
June 9, 2013
Never really enjoyed this book. Thought it would have been a lot more interesting, after all it is about the man who gave us James Bond, but it just never seemed to get going, and never covered anything in any real detail, just seemed very superficial. At least I found out where some the newer Bond movies titles came from.
August 7, 2011
Just got past the photos fold... over half way.
finished. A good book that let's you understand the life and times of the man who created James Bond. He wrote Bond as the secret agent he wished to be himself and lived his fantasy life through Bond.
finished. A good book that let's you understand the life and times of the man who created James Bond. He wrote Bond as the secret agent he wished to be himself and lived his fantasy life through Bond.
November 12, 2012
Fascinating life story of a complicated man, the saga of how the media phenomenon which is James Bond was born out of the author's own life, and a great insight into how a writer draws on their own experiences both major and minor to give life to their creations.
January 17, 2012
Very well written and a compelling story of the mans behind James Bond.
April 26, 2011
A fascinating insight of the creater of Bond, by an experienced author that worked with Fleming.
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