The James Bond Bedside Companion by Raymond Benson Read Free Book Online

him about collaborating on a series provisionally called "Commander Jamaica." It was to be an adventure series filmed in the Caribbean. Fleming worked on a script, which featured a character named James Gunn. The plot involved Gunn investigating an island fortress in the Caribbean where a group of criminals were believed to be deflecting missiles from Cape Canaveral from their course. The project fell apart, but Fleming later used the basic plot for DOCTOR NO.
    In October, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER came out in America. Anthony Boucher was kinder this time, saying that Fleming's "handling of America and Americans is well above the British average; as before he writes excellently about gambling; and he contrives picturesque incidents and a moderately believable love story." But Boucher went on to say that the "narrative is loose-jointed and weakly resolved. . ." In America the works of Ian Fleming were still enjoyed by only a small group.
    But in November an event occurred that placed Ian Fleming's name more prominently in the press. The Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden, was suffering from severe exhaustion; on the advice of his doctors, he was looking for a spot to enjoy a "restful holiday." It was most likely Lady Eden, an old friend of Anne Fleming and godmother to Caspar Fleming, who suggested Goldeneye, and Fleming was eventually approached on the matter by the Secretary of State for Colonial Affairs, Mr. Alan Lennox-Boyd. On November 24, Goldeneye received its distinguished guests, but the Edens did not enjoy the peace and quiet they expected. The governor of Jamaica at the time had inspected Goldeneye and had decided that it did not befit a Prime Minister. As a result, additional servants were called into the house, despite the protests of Violet the cook. A telephone was installed, and the area was provided police protection. Anthony Eden's "private" visit was anything but private. Goldeneye was beseiged by reporters who caused Fleming some embarrassment when the Evening Standard revealed that Goldeneye had rat trouble. But the Prime Minister seemed to enjoy his stay anyway, and wrote to Fleming later saying so.
    After Eden's visit, the sales of Fleming's books rose.
    The publicity in a way foreshadowed the publicity and increased sales that resulted when another political figure, President Kennedy, in 1961, said that FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE was one of his ten favorite books. Late in the fall of 1956, the Daily Express bought the serial rights to the yet unpublished novel, and the James Bond snowball began to increase in speed and size.
     
    T he January-February stint in 1957 produced DOCTOR NO; and an examination of the original manuscript suggests it was a much easier novel for Fleming to write than FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE. Two hundred and six pages long, it contained less revisions than its predecessors. The first chapter was originally titled "The Quick, Neat Job," rather than "Hear You Loud and Clear," and Honey's last line was changed from "Do what I tell you," to "Do as you're told."
    That spring, against the advice of his friend and reader William Plomer, Fleming sold the rights for the Daily Express to turn James Bond into a cartoon strip. For £1,500 a novel, Fleming went for the deal, but kept a strong hand in approval of the strip for publication. CASINO ROYALE was the first book to be featured, followed by LIVE AND LET DIE, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, and others. The cartoon strip was enormously successful and managed, as well, to retain a level of quality faithful to Fleming's writing.
    April brought another opportunity for adventure. Sir Percy Sillitoe, former head of the International Diamond Security Organization, decided to have a book written about the organization's efforts in combating illicit diamond trade. He commissioned one of his own men, an English solicitor named John Collard, to write the story. The piece that Collard wrote was shown to Denis Hamilton at the Sunday Times, who was impressed but thought it