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James Bond (literary character) | HearLore
James Bond (literary character)
Ian Fleming chose the name James Bond because it was the dullest, most unromantic, and plainest-sounding name he could find. He wanted a protagonist who was a blunt instrument, a neutral figure to whom exotic things would happen, rather than a character who was inherently interesting. This decision was made in 1953, shortly before his wedding to his pregnant girlfriend, Ann Charteris, as he sought to distract himself from the impending nuptials. Fleming had a copy of Birds of the West Indies, a field guide written by an American ornithologist named James Bond, and he appropriated the name from the ornithologist, explaining to the ornithologist's wife that the name struck him as perfect. The ornithologist and his wife were amused by the whole joke, unaware that their name had birthed a literary icon. Fleming also considered the possibility that the name came from a Welsh agent named James C. Bond, with whom he served during the war, but the ornithologist connection remains the most widely accepted origin. The character was designed to be an average man, an anonymous figure wielded by a government department, contrasting sharply with the glamorous and violent adventures that would follow.
Wartime Shadows
The character of James Bond was not born from a single source but was a composite of several commandos and secret agents Fleming encountered during his service in the Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War. Fleming admitted that Bond was a compound of all the secret agents and commando types he met, including his own brother, Peter, who was involved in behind-the-lines operations in Norway and Greece. Other influences included Conrad O'Brien-ffrench, a skiing spy Fleming met in Kitzbühel in the 1930s, and Patrick Dalzel-Job, who served with distinction in 30 AU. Bill Biffy Dunderdale, the station head of MI6 in Paris, provided the model for Bond's taste for cuff-links and handmade suits, while Sir Fitzroy Maclean, who worked behind enemy lines in the Balkans, and the double agent Dušan Popov, also contributed to the character's makeup. In 2016, a BBC Radio 4 documentary suggested that the character might have been inspired by Phyllis Bottome's 1946 novel The Lifeline, with its protagonist Mark Chalmers sharing distinct similarities with Bond. The code number 007 was assigned by Fleming in reference to the breaking of the German diplomatic code during the First World War, specifically the Zimmermann Telegram, which was coded 0075 and helped lead the United States into the war. This historical connection grounded the fictional character in real intelligence achievements.
The Vesper Martini
Bond's tastes and habits were as meticulously crafted as his character, with his drinking and smoking habits becoming central to his identity. In the first few pages of Casino Royale, Fleming introduced most of Bond's idiosyncrasies, including his looks, his Bentley, and his consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Bond's martini, named The Vesper after his love interest Vesper Lynd, became a signature drink, and his alcohol intake was staggering; in On Her Majesty's Secret Service alone, he consumed forty-six drinks, ranging from Pouilly-Fuissé and Marsala wines to Taittinger and Krug champagnes, along with various whiskies and vodkas. Despite this heavy consumption, his performance was never affected. Bond eschewed tea, calling it mud and blaming it for the downfall of the British Empire, preferring strong coffee brewed in a Chemex Coffeemaker instead. His smoking habits were equally intense, with Bond smoking an average of sixty cigarettes a day, custom-made by Morland of Grosvenor Street with a higher nicotine content and three gold bands on the filter to mirror his naval Commander's rank. He carried his cigarettes in a wide gunmetal case and used a black oxidised Ronson lighter. Fleming himself smoked up to eighty cigarettes a day, and Bond's habits were a direct reflection of the author's own lifestyle. Bond also occasionally used drugs like benzedrine for stimulation on missions, adding another layer to his complex and often self-destructive nature.
Common questions
Who created the name James Bond and what was the inspiration for the name?
Ian Fleming created the name James Bond in 1953 by appropriating it from an American ornithologist named James Bond who wrote Birds of the West Indies. Fleming chose the dullest and plainest-sounding name he could find to create a neutral figure for his protagonist.
When was the code number 007 assigned to James Bond and what historical event does it reference?
Ian Fleming assigned the code number 007 to the character in reference to the breaking of the German diplomatic code during the First World War. The number specifically references the Zimmermann Telegram which was coded 0075 and helped lead the United States into the war.
What specific car did James Bond own in the novel Moonraker and when was it wrecked?
James Bond owned a supercharged 1930 Bentley 4½ Litre which was wrecked in May 1954 during the events of Moonraker. He subsequently purchased a Bentley Mark VI drophead coupé before replacing it with a Bentley R-Type Continental in Thunderball.
How many novels did John Gardner write as an authorized James Bond author and during what years?
John Gardner wrote fourteen novels and two novelizations between 1981 and 1996 to update Bond for the 1980s. He linked Bond to the Fleming novels rather than the film incarnations and gave the character a more health-conscious demeanor.
When was the first television adaptation of James Bond broadcast and who played the character?
CBS broadcast the first television adaptation of James Bond on the 21st of October 1954 as a one-hour television adventure. Barry Nelson played the character in the adaptation which was changed to Card Sense Jimmy Bond an American agent working for Combined Intelligence.
How many James Bond films have been released to date and who was the first actor to play Bond on the cinema screen?
Twenty-seven Bond films have been released to date and the character has been adapted into comics and video games. Sean Connery was the first of seven actors to play Bond on the cinema screen in the 1962 film Dr. No.
Bond's character was a complex mix of violence and philosophy, often expressing racist, sexist, and homophobic attitudes that reflected Fleming's own prejudices. While journalist Yuri Zhukov described Bond as an unthinking wild beast, academic Jeremy Black argued that Bond was a product of his time, a healthy, violent, noncerebral man in his middle-thirties. Fleming did not consider his character to be particularly good or evil, stating that Bond had vices and few perceptible virtues except patriotism and courage. In From Russia, with Love, Bond watches Kerim Bey shoot a Bulgarian killer and observes that he had never killed anyone in cold blood, while in The Living Daylights, he deliberately misses his target, realizing the sniper he was sent to kill was simply a beautiful female cello player. Goldfinger opens with Bond thinking through the experience of killing a Mexican assassin days earlier, showing his philosophical approach to violence. Bond's approach to homosexuality was particularly harsh, with him opining that homosexuals were a herd of unhappy sexual misfits, adding that he was sorry for them but had no time for them. Despite these prejudices, Fleming's Bond was not a simple villain; he was a creature of his era, a man who could kill with a calm demeanor yet still possess a sense of humor and a capacity for love.
The Bentley and The Gun
Bond's material possessions were as iconic as his character, with his cars and weapons becoming central to his identity. Bond was a car enthusiast who owned three Bentleys over the course of the fourteen books, all painted battleship grey. His first car, a supercharged 1930 Bentley 4½ Litre, was wrecked in May 1954 during the events of Moonraker. He subsequently purchased a Bentley Mark VI drophead coupé, which he used until he replaced it with a Bentley R-Type Continental in Thunderball. Bond's car choices were often influenced by real-world events, such as his request to Rolls-Royce's Chairman, Whitney Straight, for a new car that was a cross between a Bentley Continental and a Ford Thunderbird. His weapon of choice evolved from a .25 ACP Beretta automatic pistol to a Walther PPK 7.65mm, a suggestion from gun expert Geoffrey Boothroyd, who was later immortalized as Major Boothroyd, the Secret Service Armourer. Bond's skills were extensive, including skiing, hand-to-hand combat, underwater swimming, and golf, though he was often beaten by others in these areas. His driving was also a skill, but he was outclassed by Sir Hugo Drax, who caused him to write off his first Bentley. Despite these limitations, Bond's abilities made him the best in the Secret Service, and his weapons and cars were extensions of his personality, reflecting his taste for luxury and power.
The Continuation Authors
After Fleming's death in 1964, the James Bond legacy was continued by a series of authorized writers, each bringing their own interpretation to the character. John Gardner wrote fourteen novels and two novelizations between 1981 and 1996, updating Bond for the 1980s with low-tar cigarettes, a Saab 900 Turbo, and a more health-conscious demeanor. Gardner's Bond was more reliant on technology and less on individual abilities, and he linked Bond to the Fleming novels rather than the film incarnations. Raymond Benson took over in 1996, writing six novels, three novelizations, and three short stories, making Bond a more ruthless and darker character, with increased crudity and group sex. Benson's Bond was the first to visit a prostitute and swear more, reflecting the changing times. Kingsley Amis wrote Colonel Sun in 1968 under the pen-name Robert Markham, maintaining Bond's original character and background. Sebastian Faulks released Devil May Care in 2008, reverting to the 1960s timeframe and using cultural touchstones of the sixties. Jeffery Deaver restarted the chronology in 2011, stating Bond was born in 1980, while William Boyd set his novel Solo in 1969. Anthony Horowitz released Trigger Mortis in 2015, containing material written but previously unreleased by Fleming, and Forever and a Day in 2018, detailing events leading up to Bond's promotion to 00-status. These authors kept the character alive, each adding their own layer to the legacy.
The Young Spy
The story of James Bond extended beyond his adult years with the Young Bond series, which explored his childhood and early life. Charlie Higson released SilverFin in 2005, the first of five novels and one short story in the life of a young James Bond, set in the 1930s. Higson was instructed by the Fleming estate to ignore all other interpretations of Bond, except the original Fleming version, and used Bond's obituary in You Only Live Twice as well as his own and Fleming's childhoods to form the early character. Higson created the origins of some of Bond's character traits, including his love of cars and fine wine. Steve Cole continued the Young Bond storyline with four more novels, expanding the narrative. The Young Bond series provided a deeper understanding of Bond's background, showing how he became the man he was by the original Fleming novel. The series also included a companion book, Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier, which contained a short story titled A Hard Man to Kill. This series added a new dimension to the character, showing his development from a young boy to the seasoned spy he would become.
The Screen Legacy
Adaptations of James Bond began early, with CBS paying Fleming $1,000 to adapt his first novel, Casino Royale, into a one-hour television adventure broadcast on the 21st of October 1954. The Bond character, played by Barry Nelson, was changed to Card Sense Jimmy Bond, an American agent working for Combined Intelligence. In 1957, the Daily Express newspaper adapted Fleming's stories into comic strip format, with illustrator John McLusky changing Bond to give him a more masculine look. The first cinema adaptation of a Fleming novel, Dr. No, was released in 1962 by Eon Productions, featuring Sean Connery as 007. Connery was the first of seven actors to play Bond on the cinema screen, with six of them appearing in the Eon series of films. Besides Connery, Bond has been portrayed on film by David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig, each interpreting the role in a different way. The films have become a cultural phenomenon, with twenty-seven Bond films released to date, and the character has been adapted into comics, video games, and other media. The screen legacy has kept the character alive, introducing him to new generations and ensuring his place in popular culture.