'I am going to write the spy story to end all spy stories' One morning in February 1952, a journalist called Ian Fleming sat down at his desk and set about creating a fictional secret agent. James Bond was born and would go on to become one of the most successful, enduring and lucrative creations in literature. But Bond's world of glamour and romance, gadgets and cocktails, espionage and villainy wasn't entirely drawn from imagination: Fleming's background and his experiences as an intelligence officer during the Second World War were all formative parts in the creation of the world's most famous spy. Packed with astonishing detail and written in Macintyre's inimitable style, For Your Eyes Only is the most enlightening, enlivening book on the creator of the spy who not only lived twice, but proved to be immortal.

Mass national excitement for Bond and Fleming continues to grow; Fleming's centenary was in May, the Imperial War Museum launched its exhibition and the new film, Quantum of Solace, releases in November. The DVD will release in spring 2009 Revised and updated for the paperback edition, with a stunning plate section, For Your Eyes Only will be launched with a London Underground poster campaign Agent Zigzag has sold 20,000 hardbacks and 80,000 paperbacks; For Your Eyes Only has sold over 5,500 GBP20.00 hardbacks (BookScan)

About the Author
Ben Macintyre is a columnist and Associate Editor on The Times. He has worked as the newspaper's correspondent in New York, Paris and Washington. He now lives in London with his wife and three children. Agent Zigzag, the true story of a WWII double-agent, was a recent Sunday Times bestseller.

Reviews
'A marvellously entertaining and informative book ... deserves to fly off the shelves every bit as quickly as Devil May Care' Spectator 'Thrilling' Sunday Times 'Everything that makes Bond interesting with relation to the real world, in fact, is explored here. Ben Macintyre's skill, in this entertaining mix of history, espionage, biography, and post-war sociology, is to make you see clearly where Ian Fleming's world ended and the fantasy of James Bond began' Tom Fleming, Literary Review 'Fleming, a journalist like Macintyre, would have approved of Macintyre's fast, witty and informative style, and this is the perfect starting place for anyone wanting to find out more about Bond and his creator' Mail on Sunday



Book Information
ISBN 9780747598664
Author Ben Macintyre
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 235g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 17mm