 |
| |
Ian Fleming Publications celebrates the man
who created James Bond with the publication of two
of his rarer titles...
|
|
Thrilling Cities & The Diamond Smugglers
24th June 2009
Press Release
Ian Fleming Publications Ltd celebrates the man
who created James Bond with the publication of two of his rarer
titles
-
Thrilling Cities and The Diamond Smugglers. Unavailable for many
years, these works of non-fiction are reissued with introductions
by Jan Morris and Fergus Fleming. Publication date 25th June 2009.
Ian Fleming’s richly fascinating life was not only the
backdrop for the adventures of the world’s most famous
spy, but also led him to travel through many of the world’s
most exotic cities. After his wartime work in the Admiralty,
where he drew up memos mapping out the creation of the CIA, Ian
Fleming worked for Kelmsey Newspapers, perfecting the sharp journalistic
style so evident in his much-loved Bond books. His carefully
honed writing skills also led him to create these two books,
both originally published in his lifetime, and now lovingly reprinted
by the company he founded.
THRILLING CITIES is a collection of travel pieces originally
written in 1959 and 1960 for The Sunday Times. In it, Fleming
turns his inimitable eye on 14 separate cities. The fleshpots
of Macao, Tokyo and Hamburg feature alongside explorations of
the Mafia culture in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. At every stop
he uncovers fresh nuggets of interest. In Naples, for example,
he wangles an introduction to Lucky Luciano, the notorious Chicago
gangster of Capone-era fame. Written in the days when a De Havilland
Comet took 12 hours to fly from London to Beirut, this is a rich
and enjoyable tapestry of the world as it once was - a must for
lovers of travel and great writing.
As Jan Morris writes, in a masterly introduction: “He
travelled in the spirit of 007, with an eye always for the slinky
and the significant, in places where martinis were shaken not
stirred, and all life could be viewed with a cool raised eyebrow.”
Thrilling Cities gives you a glorious glimpse of the world as
it once was - a must for lovers of travel and great writing.
THE DIAMOND SMUGGLERS is a book that starts with a phone call.
'One day in April 1957,' Fleming writes, 'I had just answered
a letter from an expert in unarmed combat writing from a cover
address in Mexico City, and I was thanking a fan in Chile, when
my telephone rang...” The voice at the other end asks if
he’d like an assignment. Within weeks he is in Tangier
speaking to “John Blaize”, an ex-MI5 agent now contracted
by a diamond firm to break an international smuggling ring. Fleming
picks up the trail in a unique piece of investigative journalism
that combines treasure and travel, cunning and criminality -
the elements that had always attracted the creator of James Bond.
This new edition is presented with an introduction by Fleming’s
nephew, Fergus Fleming, himself an acclaimed writer of travel
and exploration.
Kate Grimond, Ian Fleming’s niece and Chairman of Ian
Fleming Publications, comments, ‘It is great to see Thrilling
Cities and The Diamond Smugglers back in print. Fleming’s
writing never fails to provide enjoyment and readers will find
much to enjoy in these two books.’ Corinne Turner, Managing
Director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, said ‘We are
extremely proud to be able to continue the literary legacy of
Ian Fleming, the creator of the world’s best-loved spy,
with the publication of these non-fiction books. It is exciting
to see Thrilling Cities and The Diamond Smugglers back in print
and under Ian Fleming Publications’ own imprint as well.
These two books are a tribute to the enduring style and sophistication
of Fleming’s writing.’
THRILLING CITIES and THE DIAMOND SMUGGLERS can be purchased
through Ian Fleming Publications Ltd online at www.ianfleming.com
Related Articles
Ian
Fleming Biography
Ian
Fleming Literary Coverage
