His talent for writing fast and engaging prose, along with his knowledge of espionage and his fertile imagination led to the creation of James Bond, arguably one of the most-famous fictional characters of all time. In the 1930s he worked at Reuters news agency before joining Naval Intelligence as an officer during the Second World War. Both Fleming and his fictional counterpart have become synonymous with style, glamour and thrilling adventures, as well as universally recognised phrases such as “My name’s Bond, James Bond” and “shaken and not stirred”.įleming was born in London in 1908. Beginning with the movie adaptation of Dr No in 1961, the series also sparked the longest-running film franchise in history. It was the first of fourteen James Bond books which have gone on to sell over 60 million copies worldwide and be translated into 20 languages. His first novel, Casino Royale (1953), introduced spy hero, James Bond, agent 007, to the world. Ian Fleming was a British author and journalist.

The text in this edition has been restored by the Fleming family company Ian Fleming Publications, to reflect the work as it was originally published. Taut, tense, and effortlessly stylish, Ian Fleming’s inaugural James Bond adventure has all the hallmarks that made the series a touchstone for a generation of readers. But what if the cards won’t cooperate? After a brutal night at the gaming tables, Bond soon finds himself dodging would-be assassins, fighting off brutal torturers, and going all-in to save the life of his beautiful female counterpart, Vesper Lynd. If Bond can wipe out his bankroll, Le Chiffre will likely be “retired” by his paymasters in Moscow. One of SMERSH’s most deadly operatives, the man known only as “Le Chiffre,” has been a prime target of the British Secret Service for years.

His mission? Bankrupt a ruthless Russian agent who’s been on a bad luck streak at the baccarat table. In the novel that introduced James Bond to the world, Ian Fleming’s agent 007 is dispatched to a French casino in Royale-les-Eaux.

Casino royale audio book