Diamonds are Forever by Ian Fleming

Diamonds are Forever by Ian Fleming

An international diamond-smuggling pipeline has opened up and the British Treasury wants to know who's controlling it. Impersonating a captured courier named Peter Franks, Bond infiltrates the criminal ring and finds an unlikely ally in Tiffany Case, a gorgeous American with a dark past. As the ring's stateside go-between, she may be just another link in the chain, but Tiffany is also Bond's best shot at finding the elusive figure at the head of the operation--a syndicate boss known only by the initials ABC. But if Bond's cover gets blown, he'll find that the only thing harder than a diamond is surviving the payback of a pair of murderous henchmen.

With a sparkling trail of smuggled gems as bait, Diamonds Are Forever leads Bond on a globe-hopping mission where deadly assassins lurk behind every corner.

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.

Ian Fleming was born on May 28, 1908, in London. He attended Eton College and afterwards spent a crucial spell in Europe studying languages. He worked as an assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence during WWII and was a major figure in Allied espionage activities. After the war, he worked for the Sunday Times as the international manager, which permitted him to spend two months each year in Jamaica.

In 1952, he created a book called Casino Royale at his residence Goldeneye, and James Bond was born. Within a month, the first print run was sold out. Fleming continued to write a novel a year for the next twelve years, featuring Special Agent 007, the most famous spy of the century. The Bond novels have sold over a hundred million copies worldwide, thanks to the highly successful film franchise that began with the release of Doctor No in 1962.

What he wrote was backed up by his travels, interests, and wartime experience. He wrote two nonfiction works based on his experiences: Thrilling Cities and The Diamond Smugglers. In 1952, he married Anne Rothermere. In 1961, he wrote a narrative about a magical automobile for their only son, Caspar, which became the popular novel and film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

On August 12, 1964, at the age of 56, Fleming died of heart failure.