Great Britain: The Man with the Golden Bond

GREAT BRITAIN

One golden day early in 1952, wearing shorts, sandals and a blue T-shirt, Ian Fleming sat down before a portable typewriter in a beach house on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. "The scent and smoke and sweat of a Casino are nauseating at three in the morning," he wrote. "James Bond suddenly knew that he was tired."

With those opening words of Casino Royale, tough, handsome James Bond of the British Secret Service was born, soon to be hailed by millions of devotees the world over from Presidents (including John F. Kennedy) and princes to postmen and plumbers. All were...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!