Book description
'Surround yourself with human beings, my dear James. They are
easier to fight for than principles'
In Casino Royale, the first of Fleming's 007 adventures, a
game of cards is James Bond's only chance to bring down the desperate
SMERSH agent Le Chiffre. But Bond soon discovers that there is far
more at stake than money.
Ian Lancaster Fleming was born in London in 1908. His first job was
at Reuters news agency after which he worked briefly as a stockbroker
before working in Naval Intelligence during the Second World War. His
first novel,
Casino Royale
, was published in 1953 and was an instant success. Fleming went on to
write thirteen other Bond books as well as two works of non-fiction and
the children's classic
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
. The Bond books have sold over sixty million copies and earned praise
from figures such as Raymond Chandler who called Fleming 'the most
forceful and driving writer of thrillers in England' and President
Kennedy who named
From Russia with Love
as one of his favourite books. The books inspired a hugely successful
series of film adaptations which began in 1962 with the release of
Dr No
, starring Sean Connery as 007. Fleming was married to Anne Rothermere
with whom he had a son, Caspar. He died in 1964. www. ianfleming. com
