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August 12, 2015

Ian Fleming's Life and Death

On this date in 1964, British author and journalist Ian Fleming died of a heart attack.  Fleming was the creator of James Bond, the world's most famous fictional spy.

During his adult life, Fleming worked as a foreign correspondent, a stockbroker and a personal assistant to Britain's director of naval intelligence during WWII - experiences that would all provide fodder for his Bond novels.  The first Bond novel, Casino Royale, was published in 1953 and Fleming would go on to write eleven more novels and two short story collections about Agent 007 which together sold more than eighteen million copies.

Fleming also wrote the classic children's book Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang for his son Casper.

I read all the Bond books when I was a young boy and while it's debatable as to whether the books or movies were better than the other, I enjoyed both but found each special in their own way.  The books were more "real" and grittier and while I liked the other movie Bonds, the Sean Connery portrayal best matched up with the Bond of the books.

I'm not sure which of the books or movies I like the most, but I do like the theme song from You Only Live Twice the best of them all. The novel was also where I first learned about haiku, the Japanese poetic form. Bond wrote this one:

You only live twice:
Once when you are born
And once when you look death in the face

So, not to celebrate his death but rather his life and that he has brought so much joy and entertainment to so many people for so long, here's an appropriate salute to you, Ian Fleming.  You will live on forever in your work and inspiration.

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