IAN FLEMING

Not that many authors can be said to have created a sub-genre but Mr. Fleming with the creation of James Bond, the phenomenal success that came later and the dozens of copy-cat series it spawned is one such man. Born in England just before the First World War to a wealthy family, Mr. Fleming was educated at the best schools that country had to offer as well as being able to study at universities in both Germany and Switzerland. He was very active with British Intelligence during WWII and was a major planner of several operations. One of them, Operation Goldeneye, gave him the idea for the name of the estate he would later buy in Jamaica and which would be used as the title to one of the many Bond movies. A heavy smoker and drinker throughout his adult life, Mr. Fleming died of a heart attack in 1964 at age 56 but he left behind a legacy few authors can hope to match.