Ian Fleming The Complete Man with Biographer Nicholas Shakespeare
Feb 29, 2024
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Explore the enigmatic life of Ian Fleming with his latest biographer Nicholas Shakespeare. Dive into Fleming's naval intelligence work, family legacy, and unpublished works. Discover insights on spy fiction, potential Bond novels, and the impact of the pandemic on research methods.
Ian Fleming's unpublished book about Kuwait remains a mystery due to potential controversial content about the royal family.
Ian Fleming's privately printed poetry collection 'The Black Daffodil' poses a valuable enigma as surviving copies are unknown, holding potential significance for collectors.
The Fleming family archive in Nettlebed offers insights into Fleming's life but has yet to reveal any major revelations, including an unexplored film plot proposal.
Deep dives
Ian Fleming's Biography of Kuwait
Ian Fleming was commissioned to write a nonfiction book about Kuwait in 1960, funded by the Kuwaiti oil company. However, the book was never published due to possible critical content about the royal family. The manuscript remains largely unseen, residing in the Fleming archives and the Lily Library.
The Black Daffodil Volume of Poetry
Ian Fleming supposedly privately printed a volume of poetry named 'The Black Daffodil' in 1928 but destroyed every copy. The existence of any surviving copies remains a mystery, and if one were to surface, it could hold significant value for Fleming collectors.
Fleming Archive in Nettlebed
The Fleming family archive in Nettlebed contains correspondence, business records, reviews of Fleming's books, scrapbooks, and legal papers like the McClory trial and the litigation involving Eve Fleming. While it offers insights into Fleming's personal and professional life, no major revelations have emerged from this archive.
Two page proposal for a new film
The archive also includes a two-page proposal for a film plot by Ian Fleming, centered on big business, which had not been extensively explored before. This proposal provides an interesting glimpse into Fleming's unmaterialized creative ideas beyond his renowned James Bond series.
Insight into Ian Fleming's Charismatic Persona and Writing Focus
Despite the vast scope of potential topics surrounding Ian Fleming's life, the speaker highlights the need to focus on specific areas of interest to prevent being overwhelmed by Fleming's multifaceted character. Fleming's ability to engage experts for information is compared to journalistic practices, emphasizing his depth of research and writing approach.
Exploring Fleming's Lost Manuscript and Legacy Through Casper's Tragic Story
The podcast delves into the intriguing revelation of a lost Fleming novel, 'Tititien He Bang Bang,' discovered by Thomas Hennage but tragically burnt before its potential realization. Delving into Casper's tumultuous life and its reflection on Ian's complexity, the narrative unveils parallels between their experiences and suggests a deeper understanding of Ian Fleming's enigmatic character.
Today, we are thrilled to present a very special 90-minute episode titled "Ian Fleming: The Complete Man" with the esteemed novelist and Iatest Ian Fleming biographer Nicholas Shakespeare. For this interview, Spybrary host and founder Shane Whaley recruited James Bond and Ian Fleming scholars Ajay Chowdhury and Jeremy Duns, to dive deep into the life and works of the legendary creator of James Bond, Mr. Ian Fleming with biographer Nicholas Shakespeare. With unrivaled access to the Fleming family, archives, and a trove of new material, Shakespeare presents a new, nuanced portrait of Ian Fleming's life. So place your devices on do not disturb and enjoy this in depth interview with Ian Fleming biographer Nicholas Shakespeare. Support us on Patreon Join the free Spybrary Community
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