Ian Fleming

Ian Lancaster Fleming was born in London on May 28, 1908, into a wealthy family (his parents were connected to the bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his father was a Member of Parliament). He attended Sandhurst Military College and Eton before continuing his studies in continental Europe. In 1931, he failed to secure a position at the Foreign Office and took a job at Reuters. He got his first taste of the world of secret services in 1933 in Moscow, covering as a correspondent for the international agency the show trial of six British engineers accused of espionage. He then left Reuters and moved to the City to work as a stockbroker. During World War II, he served in the Admiralty as the personal assistant to the head of Naval Intelligence, reaching the rank of lieutenant commander—a rank he later bestowed upon 007. After the war, he returned to active journalism, became the foreign news director for the Kemsley group (owners of the "Sunday Times"), and built his house—Goldeneye—in Jamaica. Following a scandalous love affair, he married Lady Ann Rothermere in 1952. In 1953, he published "Casino Royale," the first novel featuring the adventures of James Bond. By the time of his death in 1964, the 14 novels of his famous hero had sold over 40 million copies worldwide.