04 The character of James Bond
Description
This article is from the James Bond FAQ, by Michael Reed reed55@core.com with numerous contributions by others.
04 The character of James Bond
James Bond is a fictional British secret agent. He holds the "double-o"
prefix, which gives him a licence to kill in the course of his duties for
MI6. He first appeared in novel form in 1953, created by author Ian Fleming.
More information regarding Fleming and the books can be found in Brief #3,
Sections #2 and #2A.
Fleming based James Bond on an amalgamation of people he knew while in the
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, along with some of the exploits Fleming
wanted to participate in himself. Fleming never got to spend much time in
the field and unlike his creation's affinity for high stakes gambling,
Fleming typically played for small change.
The name of his handiwork came to pass by simple observation. His wife
enjoyed a coffee table book entitled "Field Guide To Birds Of The West
Indies". Fleming wanted a simple, straightforward name for his workmanlike
agent. He saw the author of that book was an ornithologist named James Bond
and borrowed it. His character has no middle name. He later told the real
James Bond that should a particularly foul species of bird be discovered, he
would graciously lend his name to it. The Bond film "Die Another Day"
features the actual book and the agent posing as the ornithologist.
He chose the "00" designation after a real life occurrence. During his
Whitehall tenure he pursued secret documents prefixed with "00". (Submitted
by Rhino <mailto:rhino@blueyonder.co.uk>)
Continue to:
My Books
