The idea for a spy novel had been in Ian Fleming’s mind for several years before he finally committed pen to paper. He had no idea what was to come when he started typing “Casino Royale” on the morning of 15th January 1952. He had been thinking about the plot and the characters for years, building notes about the story from colleagues he had met during World War II. He typed 2,000 words per day every morning for five days a week for eight weeks, and in the evening, he made corrections to his manuscript. The name of his hero was taken from a famous ornithologist, an expert in the birds of the West Indies. James Bond was born.
The source for James Bond and his fictional world
Fleming’s inspiration for the character of James Bond came from the real-life exploits of the British secret agent Sidney Reilly. He read about the operational history of the Naval Institute of Defence (NID) in their departmental archives, where he learned about the cracking of the German diplomatic code 0070. Perhaps this provided the source for the code number 007. His interest in the NID archives was to provide Fleming with a rich source of material for the creation of the fictional world of James Bond. You can see an example of this world today on a James Bond island tour from Phuket, Thailand.
Cold War Politics and Espionage
Fleming had always been interested in the work of the Political Warfare Executive, headed by an acquaintance of his, Robert Bruce Lockhart. In 1918 Lockhart had worked with Sidney Reilly in Russia on a plot to overthrow Lenin’s Bolshevik government. Reilly disappeared in the USSR in 1925, and he became a household name in Britain as a ‘Master Spy’ famed for a succession of exploits. Fleming was well aware of Reilly’s reputation at a time when it seemed that the whole world was embroiled in Cold War politics and espionage.
Writing the manuscript of “Casino Royale”
Fleming had the plan that the first draft had to be written quickly. While typing the story at his home in Jamaica he did not allow himself to be distracted with research or detail. He knew exactly the kind of book that he wanted to write as he had read countless examples of the genre. He knew who his characters would be. He knew the required formula. He understood the structure of a thriller, with its need for a dramatic dilemma, action scenes, the ebb and flow of fortune and suspense culminating in a triumphant climax.
Building the character of James Bond
Most importantly of all, Fleming knew he had to create a hero. This hero would be handsome, fearless, and accomplished. He would be a patriotic protagonist pitted against a lethal antagonist whom his audience could recognise as a hostile alien. Fleming also had to include sexual intrigue to make his character fit with the 50s and 60s. The plot lines required impossibly seductive women and a rich vein of material aspiration. The British of this era were seduced by tales of wealth and sexual intrigue. James Bond had to consume luxury: cars, hotels, beaches, and most importantly women, voraciously and conspicuously.
