Overview
A fascinating new biography of the man behind James Bond, by an award-winning biographer and novelist who has unprecedented access to the Fleming Archive. A fresh portrait of the man behind James Bond, and his enduring impact, by an award-winning biographer with unprecedented access to the Fleming family papers. *WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION* Ian Fleming's greatest creation, James Bond, has had an enormous and ongoing impact on our culture, but Fleming's life was more mysterious than anything he wrote. Ian's childhood with his gifted brother and extraordinary mother established his ambition to be 'the complete man'. Only a writer for his last twelve years, his dramatic personal experiences and career in Naval Intelligence put him at the heart of critical moments in world history, while also providing rich inspiration for his fiction. Nicholas Shakespeare is one of the most gifted biographers working today. His talent for uncovering new material that casts fresh light on his subjects is fully evident in this masterful, definitive biography. 'Elegant and painstakingly researched' Observer 'Marvellous...one of the most engaging portraits of a particular period of British history that I have read in a long time' Antonia Fraser 'A book so buoyant and delicious that you feel it will be a friend for life' Telegraph *LONGLISTED FOR THE SALTIRE SOCIETY LITERARY AWARD* *A The Times, Financial Times, Economist, Spectator and BBC History Magazine Book of the Year*
Full Product Details
Author: Nicholas Shakespeare
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
Imprint: Vintage
Dimensions:
Width: 12.90cm
, Height: 3.70cm
, Length: 19.80cm
Weight: 0.613kg
ISBN: 9781529920604
ISBN 10: 1529920604
Pages: 864
Publication Date: 03 October 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
Written with Fleming-esque brio and insouciance, with a feeling for the tragic aspects of his life as well as the ironic comedy of it..elegant...the research here is impeccable. * Telegraph * This excellent biography is as worldly and clever as one could wish. -- Philip Hensher * Spectator * Elegant and painstakingly researched * Observer * A monumental record of Fleming’s life. The completeness of the book is beyond doubt. Shakespeare leaves no future biographer much to discover. Fleming’s place in history is assured. -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times * A sustained and engrossing homage to the Olympic icon of a beleaguered Britain, and a writer damned to fame. With scarcely a dull page, it’s a chip off the old block... steeped in exceptional research....stitches up the loose ends of Fleming’s story into a satisfying 21st-century biography. -- Robert McCrum * Independent *
Author Information
Nicholas Shakespeare was born in 1957. The son of a diplomat, much of his youth was spent in the Far East and South America. His books have been translated into twenty-two languages. They include The Vision of Elena Silves (winner of the Somerset Maugham Award), Snowleg, The Dancer Upstairs, Inheritance, Priscilla and Six Minutes in May. He has been longlisted for the Booker Prize twice, was a Visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
