Historical Dictionary of Ian Fleming's World of Intelligence: Fact and Fiction (Historical Dictionaries of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence) [Hardcover]

Nigel West (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0810861909 | ISBN-13: 978-0810861909 | Publication Date: November 9, 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 World of Intelligence: Fact and Fiction. 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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A fascinating read. This work is an excellent resource. (American Reference Books Annual )

Ian Fleming's life was nearly as eventful as the one he created for James Bond in 12 novels and nine short stories. West here makes the point that Fleming used people, organizations, and events in his life as fodder for his tales of the fictional British secret agent. Most of the entries are on people and organizations, both real and imagined, major players and the barely mentioned, from Fleming's real life and Bond's fictional one. Entries range in length from three sentences to 16 pages and include cross-references. The longest one is on Mark Chalmers, hero of The Lifeline, a 1946 spy novel written by Fleming's teacher Phyllis Bottome (Bond and Chalmers bear striking resemblances). A chronology, general index, and bibliography are included. West, real name Rupert Allason, is a real character in his own right—a former Tory member of Parliament, a frequent litigant, and an espionage historian who has compiled several other historical dictionaries on the subject for Scarecrow. BOTTOM LINE: There is intriguing material here, but the title will appeal primarily to specialized library collections. Buy where demand warrants. (Library Journal, April 2010 )

Nigel West examines the fascinating double life of spy and writer Ian Fleming, who will forever be known for creating James Bond, one of the most intriguing fictional spies in modern history—as well as the most lucrative; the Bond movies have been seen by more than half of the world's population. The volume consists of a chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced entries on actual cases of espionage and real-life spies, along with entries on Fleming's novels, his family and friends, his employers and colleagues, and other notable characters from his work. (Reference Editor Mirela Roncevic's personal pick Library Journal, December 2009 )

About the Author

Nigel West is currently the European Editor of the International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence and teaches the history of postwar intelligence at the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies in Alexandria, VA. He is the author of many books, including the Historical Dictionary of British Intelligence (Scarecrow Press, 2005), Historical Dictionary of International Intelligence (Scarecrow Press, 2006), Historical Dictionary of Cold War Counterintelligence (Scarecrow Press, 2007), and Historical Dictionary of Sexspionage (Scarecrow Press, 2009). In October 2003 he was awarded the U.S. Association of Former Intelligence Officers' first Lifetime Literature Achievement Award.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press (November 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810861909
• ISBN-13: 978-0810861909
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,401,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Lambeth, Nigel West was educated at a Roman Catholic monastery and London University. While still a student he worked as a researcher for the authors Ronald Seth and Richard Deacon, who both specialised in security and intelligence issues.

In 1977 Nigel joined BBC TV's General Features Department to make television documentaries, and he worked on the SPY! and ESCAPE! series. His first book, written with Richard Deacon, was based on the first series and was entitled SPY! Thereafter he was commissioned to write a wartime history of the Security Service, MI5, which was published in 1981, and since then he has averaged one book of non-fiction a year, including The Secret War for the Falklands released in January 1997.

He has concentrated on security and intelligence issues and his controversial books invariably hit the headlines. He was injuncted by the Attorney-General in 1982 and was served a Public Interest Immunity Certificate signed by the Home Secretary in 1987. He was voted 'The Experts' Expert' by a panel of other spy writers in the Observer in November 1989 and The Sunday Times has commented:

'His information is so precise that many people believe he is the unofficial historian of the secret services. West's sources are undoubtedly excellent. His books are peppered with deliberate clues to potential front-page stories.'

Nigel West often speaks at intelligence seminars and has lectured at both the KGB headquarters in Dzerzhinsky Square and at the CIA headquarters in Langley. He is now a member of the faculty at the Centre for Counterintelligence & Security Studies in Washington DC (www.cicentre.com).

His greatest coup was tracking down the wartime double agent GARBO, who was reported to have died in Africa in 1949. In fact West traced him to Venezuela, and they collaborated on GARBO, published in 1985. He was also the first person to identify and interview the mistress of Admiral Canaris, the German intelligence chief, and he was responsible for the exposure of Leo Long and Edward Scott as Soviet spies.

His recent titles include Crown Jewels, based on files made available to him by the KGB archives in Moscow; VENONA, which disclosed the existence of a GRU spy-ring operating in London throughout the war, headed by Professor J B S Haldane and the Hon. Ivor Montagu: and The Third Secret, an account of the CIA's intervention in Afghanistan. In Mortal Crimes, published in September 2004, investigates the scale of soviet espionage in the Manhattan Project, the Anglo-American development of an atomic bomb.

In 2005 he edited The Guy Liddell Diaries, a daily journal of the wartime work of MI5's Director of Counter-Espionage. He also published a study of the Comintern's secret wireless traffic, MASK: MI5's Penetration of the Communist Party of Great Britain, and a counter-intelligence textbook, The Historical Dictionary of British Intelligence.

He has lectured at the Smithsonian institute in Washington DC, speaks regularly for Hilton Special Events, on the QE2 and QM2, and for Seabourn, Regent Crystal Cruises. His topics include: GARBO: The Spy Who Saved D-Day; VENONA: The Greatest Secret of the Cold War; The Cambridge Five: The True Story of Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, Kim Philby. Anthony Blunt and John Cairncross; Double Agents of World War II; The History of the British Secret Intelligence Service; James Bond: The Fact and fiction of 007; Combatting Terrorism: How the IRA were beaten in Northern Ireland; Enigma: Bletchley Park and the Codebreakers; Molehunt: The Search for Soviet Spies.

In 2003 Nigel West was awarded the US Association of Former Intelligence Officers' first Lifetime Literature Achievement Award.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Different, December 14, 2009

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This review is from: Historical Dictionary of Ian Fleming's World of Intelligence: Fact and Fiction (Historical Dictionaries of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence) (Hardcover)

A rather strange (and not inexpensive) book. It is an incomplete mixture of Fleming's life, his family, the Bond books and characters as these things supposedly interrelate with real life spying and espionage events. There are some errors of fact (eg. the year of death of Hugh Gaitskell) along with a very long (15 pages) and totally out of place essay on the fictional character Mark Chalmers. I am still hoping for the day when someone can do justice to the books and produce an authoritative and definitive encyclopaedia.