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Ian Fleming: The Complete Man written by Nicholas Shakespeare

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. The 864-page book is titled Ian Fleming: The Complete Man and published in hardback by Harvill Secker on 5th October (James Bond Day) 2023. (The book is also available as an audiobook from Penguin Audio.)

Ian Fleming's greatest creation, James Bond, has had an enormous and ongoing impact on our culture. What Bond represents about ideas of masculinity, the British national psyche and global politics has shifted over time, as has the interpretation of the life of his author. But Fleming himself was more mysterious and subtle than anything he wrote.

Ian's childhood with his gifted brother Peter and his extraordinary mother set the pattern for his ambition to be 'the complete man', and he would strive for the means to achieve this 'completeness' all his life. Only a thriller writer for his last twelve years, his dramatic personal life and impressive career in Naval Intelligence put him at the heart of critical moments in world history, while also providing rich inspiration for his fiction.

Ian Fleming on location in Jamaica with Sean Connery during the production of Dr No (1962).

The book is a perfect Christmas gift for fans of James Bond and British history.

Press reviews:

“This is a marvellous book about Ian Fleming, but it’s also one of the most engaging portraits of a particular period of British history that I have read in a long time.” - Antonia Fraser

“Shakespeare goes to great lengths to dispel the idea that Fleming’s service, occluded by state-sanctioned secrecy, was just “in-trays, out-trays and ashtrays.” - The Guardian

“Exceptional.” - Independent

“Monumental.” - Sunday Times

“A book so buoyant and delicious that you feel it will be a friend for life.” - Telegraph

About the author:

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.

Order Ian Fleming: The Complete Man written by Nicholas Shakespeare from Amazon UK.

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