Author Nigel West and The Scarecrow Press will be publishing the Historical Dictionary of Ian Fleming’s James Bond on September 28, 2009.
Twelve novels and nine short stories define one of the most extraordinary fictional characters of all time, creating the basis for the most successful movie series in cinematographic history, watched by more than half the world’s population. The single person probably more responsible than any other for glamorizing the murky world of espionage is Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, who himself lived a remarkable double life of spy and writer. Everyone has an opinion on why 007 became so successful, but one possible explanation is the ingenious formula of fact, fiction, and sheer fantasy. Certainly the author drew on friends and places he knew well to provide the backdrop for his drama, but what proportion of his output is authentic, and what comes directly from the author’s imagination?
These questions and more are examined in the Historical Dictionary of Ian Fleming’s James Bond. This is done through a chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on actual cases of espionage, real-life spies, MI5, SIS, CIA, KGB, and others. It also contains entries on Ian Fleming’s novels and short stories, family and friends, his employers and colleagues, and other notable characters.
Nigel West is an editor of the International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence and teaches at the Center for Counterintelligence and Security Studies in Alexandria, VA. He’s also written the Historical Dictionary of British Intelligence, Historical Dictionary of Cold War Counterintelligence and Historical Dictionary of International Intelligence. i.e., this guy apparently knows his stuff on the subject so this should be a pretty fascinating read – if you can afford it. The book will retail for 80 bucks, though Amazon currently has a sale going: $67.31
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