Ian Fleming could party

And now apparently you can, too. Fleming's Jamaican retreat, called Goldeneye, at which he penned 14 Bond books that became 18 Bond movies, is reopening as a resort with Fleming's actual residence as its focal point. Below is an old shot of the original house. It looks pretty freaking relaxing.



Access the hotel's seriously, seriously underwhelming website here.

Because the website is so weak, I thought I'd make up for it on my own as a lifetime Bond fan and drop some Fleming/Bond knowledge bombs.

While it's reasonably well known that Fleming named the Bond character after ornithologist James Bond (whose family first brought Fleming to Jamaica), according to an article in the UK's "Telegraph" (JVining?) the character inspiration was a real life British spy in the 1500s named John Bond. The real Bond family motto was "The World is Not Enough." Sounds familiar. Fleming heard tales of olde John while a student at the Durnford School. Place sounds like a prison.

After school Fleming joined the Navy and was quickly promoted through the intelligence ranks. In WWII he planned Operation Goldeneye to ensure that communication with Gibralta could be maintained in the event that the Nazis invaded Spain.

The first Bond book was published in 1953, Casino Royale.

The book entitled For Your Eyes Only also contains the story lines for A View to a Kill and Quantum of Solace. Octopussy and the Living Daylights were also one book.

As for his partying? I'll let the olde boy have the final say...

"I have always smoked and drunk and loved too much. In fact I have lived not too long but too much. One day the Iron Crab will get me. Then I shall have died of living too much." - Ian Fleming