Goldfinger by Ian Fleming

Goldfinger by Ian Fleming

A suave secret agent, a gold-obsessed villain, and the most daring heist of all--to steal all the gold in Fort Knox

James Bond has faced his fair share of villains bent on world destruction or domination, but now he is challenged by a maniacal superfiend: the world's cleverest, cruelest criminal. Auric Goldfinger likes everything in gold--from his money to his women. When Bond is assigned to put a stop to Goldfinger's gold-smuggling operation, before long a beautiful golden girl turns up dead and a friendly game of two-handed canasta turns into a deadly game of survival with ever-rising stakes--15 billion dollars' worth of US government bullion. But 007 knows that Auric Goldfinger's rules remain brutally simple: heads I win, tails you die.

One of Ian Fleming's most popular Bond adventures, this thrilling tale of action and espionage is the basis for one of the most beloved Bond films starring Sean Connery.

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.