The first book to explore in detail the link between the work of Ian Fleming at Naval Intelligence during the Second World War and the 007 plots.
In 1953, Ian Fleming's literary sensation James Bond emerged onto the world's stage. Nearly seven decades later, he has become a multi-billion-pound film franchise, now equipped with all the gizmos of the modern world. Yet Fleming's creation, who battled his way through the fourteen novels from 1953 to 1966, was a maverick a man out of place. Bond even admits it, wishing he was back in the real war
the Second World War. Indeed, the thread of the Second World War runs through the whole of the Bond series, and many were inspired by the real events and people Fleming came across during his time in Naval Intelligence. In Ian Fleming's War, Mark Simmons explores these remarkable similarities, from Fleming's scheme to capture a German naval codebook that appears in Thunderball as Plan Omega, to the exploits of 30 Assault Unit, the commando team he helped to create, which inspired Moonraker.
AUTHOR: Mark Simmons was born into a family with a long tradition of service in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. In the 1970s he served in the Royal Marines with 40 Commando RM, 3 Commando Brigade, and with the Commando Logistics Regiment. He has written over 130 articles, primarily on military and travel subjects. His other books include The Battle of Matapan and The Rebecca Code.
20 b/w illustrations
By:
Mark Simmons
Foreword by:
Anthony Horowitz
Imprint: HISTORY PRESS
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: New edition
Dimensions:
Height: 198mm,
Width: 129mm,
ISBN: 9781803999838
ISBN 10: 1803999837
Publication Date: 01 October 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified
Title Copyright Contents Foreword by Anthony Horowitz Introduction – James Bond the Maverick Glossary and Acronyms 1 Lunch at the Carlton Grill 2 Naval Intelligence Division, 1912– 39 3 The Phoney War 4 Find the Admiral 5 Operation Golden Eye 6 Operation Ruthless 7 The Hess Affair, May 1941 8 Architect of US Intelligence 9 Gibraltar 10 Is Your Journey Really Necessary? 11 Change of Command 12 30AU Get their Knees Brown 13 Back to France 14 The Final Push 15 Casino Royale Appendix 1: Ian Fleming’s James Bond Books and their Second World War Content Appendix 2: Other Writers of Bond Books and their Books Notes Bibliography Acknowledgements
MARK SIMMONS was born into a family with a long tradition of service in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. In the 1970s he served in the Royal Marines with 40 Commando RM, 3 Commando Brigade, and with the Commando Logistics Regiment. He has written over 130 articles, primarily on military and travel subjects. His other books include The Battle of Matapan and The Rebecca Code.
