James Bond Biography

James Bond was created by author Ian Fleming and remains one of the most famous secret agents in modern fiction.

Bond is a cool, handsome, dangerous agent for British Intelligence; his code number, 007, indicates that he has a “license to kill” in the line of duty as a “double 0” agent. He travels the globe and uses his wits, fighting skills and a grab-bag of high-tech gadgets to battle super-villains often bent on world domination. (The gadgets, which played only a small role in Fleming’s early novels, became a Bond trademark in the movies.) A few of Bond’s personal traits have become famous, including his preference for martinis made with vodka and “shaken, not stirred,” his use of a Walther PPK handgun, and his habit of introducing himself as “Bond… James Bond.”

Fleming wrote about Bond in a series of novels that ran from 1953 to 1964, including Casino Royale (1953), From Russia With Love (1957) and Goldfinger (1959); later the series was carried on by authors John Gardner and Raymond Benson. The popular Bond movie series began with 1962’s Dr. No and extended into the 21st century, with Bond played by a string of actors including Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.