James Bond

Lore & Background

Ian Fleming created the fictional character of James Bond as the central figure for his works. Bond is an intelligence officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. Bond is known by his code number, 007, and was a Royal Naval Reserve Commander. Fleming based his fictional creation on a number of people he came across during his time in the Naval Intelligence Division and 30 Assault Unit during the Second World War. The name James Bond came from that of the American ornithologist James Bond, a Caribbean bird expert. Fleming decided that Bond should resemble both American singer Hoagy Carmichael and himself. It was not until the penultimate novel, You Only Live Twice, that Fleming gave Bond a sense of family background, giving Bond Scottish antecedents and a dry sense of humour influenced by Sean Connery's depiction.

In Their Own Story

The cold Siberian wind whips across the dam as Bond adjusts his silenced Walther PPK. Ahead, armed guards patrol the perimeter of the secret facility. He moves silently, dispatching sentries with precision, each kill a whisper in the dark. The GoldenEye satellite is out there, and Trevelyan will stop at nothing to use it. Bond checks his watch: 00:37. Time is running out. The mission is simple: infiltrate, neutralize, and get the hell out before the whole place goes up in a fireball.

Reader's Guide

The Bond films are renowned for a number of features, including their soundtracks; three of the movies' theme songs have received Academy Awards and others have received nominations. Other important elements which run through most of the films include Bond's cars, his guns, and the gadgets with which he is supplied by Q Branch. The films are also noted for Bond's relationships with various women, who are popularly referred to as 'Bond girls'.

Did You Know?

• The James Bond franchise is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
• The films have grossed over US$7.04 billion in total at the box office, making James Bond the fifth-highest-grossing film series to date.
• The most recent Bond film, No Time to Die (2021), stars Daniel Craig in his fifth and final portrayal of Bond; he is the sixth actor to play Bond in the Eon series.
• There have been two independent Bond film productions: Casino Royale (a 1967 spoof starring David Niven) and Never Say Never Again (a 1983 remake of Thunderball, both starring Connery).