The brainchild of Ian Fleming, Bond was named after the author of an obscure reference book, The Birds of the West Indies, but any resemblance to an ornithologist ends there.
James Bond has been a stalwart of English culture since the 1950s. He’s been in the papers, in the form of comic strips and free samplers; he’s even featured on stamps. Recently he’s been the subject of a major exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London. And that’s not to mention starring in the second most successful film series of all time, after Harry Potter.
So what makes Bond worthy of being an icon? Is it the nostalgia we Brits associate with the styles and foreign affairs of the 1960s, when the first Bond films came out? Does Bond provide an escape to a fictional world where Britain is still a major player on the world stage, albeit behind the scenery? Or is it that Bond represents an English gentleman for modern times – the ultimate savoir-faire?
Whatever the reason, Bond’s combination of supreme ability, distinguished style and unflappable charm has proven irresistible down the decades.
Biography
Find out how to emulate, or steal the heart of, the Englishman whom “all young boys want to be as they grow up”, as one ICONS reader puts it…
Features
We take a look at the six actors who have played the secret agent from Sean Connery in Dr. No, to Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace. Learn about the infamous gadgets and cars, the soundtracks that accompanied the films and real Cold War spying…
