Fleming’s first biographer, John Pearson, wrote: ‘James Bond is not really a character in the books. When Forster told Fleming that the first two names from his school register had been James Aitken and Harry Bond, Fleming apparently became hugely excited. However, the most likely inspiration came from a real-life James Bond, the author of Field Guide To Birds Of The West Indies. In return for the use of the name ‘James Bond’, Fleming offered the ornithologist the unlimited use of the name ‘Ian Fleming’ when he discovered a particularly ugly species of bird. Years later, Dalzel-Job said: ‘Someone said that I gave the germ of the idea of James Bond,’ but he dismissed the suggestion.

Source: Daily Mail May 17, 2020 01:01 UTC