“The name’s Bond…James Bond”; a tagline that even those unfamiliar with the novels and films have surely heard at least once in their lives. The level of popularity and success that the fictional James Bond has reached is truly nothing less than iconic. The character, created by Ian Fleming, made his literary debut more than seven decades ago in Fleming’s 1953 novel ‘Casino Royale’. The novel’s protagonist reached higher levels of stardom when he was lifted off pages and inserted onto screens in the 1962 film Dr. No.
Since then, it has only been onwards and upwards for the fictional character. Ian Fleming authored 14 James Bond novels and the character has spawned multiple non-Fleming authored novels, short-stories, films, and spinoffs. Seven actors, ranging from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, have portrayed the iconic character on screen. Despite the many changes that have affected the Bond-narrative, having switched hands time and time again, the name “James Bond” has always remained iconic and steadfast. However, something that is lesser known about this powerful name is that it has its roots in a real person, a person who is as far away from the fictional James Bond’s career choice as one can be.
The Real James Bond Was a Legendary… Birder?
Ian Fleming found the name for the ruthless MI6 agent James Bond in a Pennsylvanian exotic ornithologist, a scientist who studies birds. As reported by the Smithsonian Magazine, Fleming confessed to Rogue Magazine that “there really is a James Bond, you know, but he’s an American ornithologist, not a secret agent.” The author found the name in a book written by the real James Bond, titled ‘Birds of the West Indies’. Speaking to The New Yorker in 1962, Fleming said:
“One of the bibles of my youth was ‘Birds of the West Indies,’ by James Bond, a well-known ornithologist, and when I was casting about for a name for my protagonist I thought, My God, that’s the dullest name I’ve ever heard, so I appropriated it. Now the dullest name in the world has become an exciting one.”
While the real James Bond may not have been a secret agent with the most dangerous skillset, he was an expert in his respective field. As an ornithologist, James Bond was accomplished in his field of study and a pioneering conservationist. His, now ever-famous, book, Birds of the West Indies, was published in 1936 after Bond had done a decade’s worth of research in the Caribbean islands. The 460-page illustrious guide then went on to become a resource for Fleming. In an apt coincidence, Fleming wrote his novels in Jamaica, a Caribbean island, making the connection between the fictional Bond and the real Bond all the more intertwined.
The Real Bond and His Wife Shared a Relationship with Ian Fleming
Despite his confessions of lifting Bond’s name outright, this did not mean that Ian Fleming slighted the real James Bond. The author maintained a connection with the ornithologist and his wife. However, prior to their connection with the Bond author, the couple went through a period of confusion. James Bond and his wife Mary started getting late-night prank calls when President John F. Kennedy claimed that From Russia with Love was one of his favorite books and Fleming made it public that James Bond’s character had real life roots. The Smithsonian Magazine reports that many of the calls took the route of sultry female voices asking “Is James there?” before the line clicked with a giggle.
While the real James Bond had little care for the Fleming-authored novels, his wife Mary reportedly loved the connection. Writing to Fleming, she accused the author of stealing her husband’s name: “It came to [Jim] as a surprise when we discovered in an interview in Rogue magazine that you had brazenly taken the name of a real human being for your rascal!” However, the letter was well-received, with Fleming writing back and giving the Bonds full permission to use his name, Ian Fleming, for any purpose that they saw fit, including naming a “horrible new species” that Bond found as “a way of getting back!”
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The Bonds also visited the Goldeneye villa in Jamaica, where Fleming created the fictional James Bond, upon the author’s invitation. It is reported that the two authors got along quite well, although the ornithologist did confess to the secret agent author that he didn’t read Fleming’s books, and it was only his wife, Mary, that did. Fleming famously gifted the couple a first edition of You Only Live Twice, signing it “To the real James Bond from the thief of his identity, Ian Fleming, Feb.5, 1964 (a great day!).” upon their departure.
Other James Bond Characters Who Were Inspired by Real People
The protagonist of the novels is not the only character who has his roots in real life individuals. ‘M’, the Chief of the British M16 and the individual who assigns Bond his mission, and ‘Q’, the individual responsible for ensuring that Bon is well-prepared for his mission, also have real-life inspirations.
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While no confirmation has been confirmed by the author himself, fans speculate that M is likely a culmination of people that Fleming knew from the British intelligence. The author himself served in the British Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War. Accordingly, Maxwell Knight, a BBC History broadcaster, who reportedly led undercover operations for MI5 for decades, and Colin Gubins, in charge of the Special Operations Executive during WWII are frontrunners for M’s real-life inspiration.
Q, on the other hand, was inspired by Geoffrey Boothroyd, a weapons expert. Boothroyd is reported to have written to Fleming telling him to stop making the Beretta Bond’s signature weapon as there were better firearms available. The character Major Boothroyd, who morphed into Q in subsequent films, is a tribute to the real-life Geoffrey Boothroyd. Another individual who reportedly provided inspiration for the character is Charles Fraser-Smith, an individual reputed for building spy-gadgets, named Q-devices’ for the Special operations Executive.
