{"product_id":"ian-fleming-the-complete-man-isbn-9780063012240","title":"Ian Fleming: The Complete Man","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fresh portrait of the man behind James Bond, and his enduring impact, by an award-winning biographer with unprecedented access to the Fleming family papers.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIan Fleming's greatest creation, James Bond, has had an enormous and ongoing impact on our culture. What Bond represents about ideas of masculinity, the British national psyche and global politics has shifted over time, as has the interpretation of the life of his author. But Fleming himself was more mysterious and subtle than anything he wrote.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIan's childhood with his gifted brother Peter and his extraordinary mother set the pattern for his ambition to be “the complete man,” and he would strive for the means to achieve this “completeness'”all his life. Only a thriller writer for his last twelve years, his dramatic personal life and impressive career in Naval Intelligence put him at the heart of critical moments in 20th-century history, while also providing rich inspiration for his fiction. Exceptionally well connected, and widely travelled, from the United States and Soviet Russia to his beloved Jamaica, Ian had access to the most powerful political figures at a time of profound change.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNicholas Shakespeare is one of the most gifted biographers working today. His talent for uncovering material that casts new light on his subjects is fully evident in this masterful work. His unprecedented access to the Fleming archive and his nose for a story make this the definitive biography of the James Bond creator, a fresh and eye-opening picture of the man and his famous creation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut who was the man behind the icon?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eEspionage Biography:\u003c\/b\u003e Explore Fleming’s crucial work in Naval Intelligence, where his real-life experiences with spies and secret missions shaped the world of 007.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Man Behind the Icon:\u003c\/b\u003e Go beyond the character of Bond to understand Fleming’s lifelong quest to become ‘the complete man,’ driven by a complex and extraordinary family dynamic.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eLiterary History:\u003c\/b\u003e Discover how Fleming’s extensive travels, high-level connections, and personal adventures were masterfully woven into his iconic thriller novels.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eUnprecedented Access:\u003c\/b\u003e Drawn from previously unseen family papers and archives, this is the most intimate and revealing portrait of Fleming ever written.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\"Monumental . . . . Mr. Shakespeare is so adept . . . at distilling complex history and conjuring cinematic images.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Prodigiously researched . . . . Shakespeare’s surely definitive account [is] . . . . a rich and fully fleshed portrait.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAir Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This is a marvellous book about Ian Fleming, but it’s also one of the most engaging portraits of a particular period of British history that I have read in a long time.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAntonia Fraser\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A book so buoyant and delicious that you feel it will be a friend for life.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTelegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This excellent biography is as worldly and clever as one could wish.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpectator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Elegant and painstakingly researched.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"While Fleming has been the subject of several biographies, they seem slight in comparison with Shakespeare’s study, which has the depth and texture typically associated with literary fiction. In Shakespeare’s hands, Fleming’s world comes vividly to life.\"  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSalon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"In this outstanding biography . . . . Shakespeare constructs an exhaustive portrait of the author’s life and influences. Clocking in at just under nine hundred pages, \u003cem\u003eIan Fleming: The Complete Man\u003c\/em\u003e leaves no stone unturned. It’s the definitive biography of an endlessly fascinating subject.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEsquire\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[Shakespeare] is the first Fleming biographer to get his hands on just about everything Fleming wrote, which helps to make this biography somehow both capacious and breathlessly entertaining . . . . This is certainly the most three-dimensional portrait of [Fleming].” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Shakespeare . . . was given unprecedented access to Fleming’s papers. Out of his research, he’s written a highly detailed, generally very admiring portrait of a cultured, problematic, creative man from a different era.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBloomberg\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eIan Fleming: The Complete Man\u003c\/em\u003e attempts to peel back the layers, debunk the myths, and make sense of the contradictions . . . . [Shakespeare] has produced the most thorough biography of Fleming yet . . . . Hugely compelling . . . a bold reassessment of an intriguing person.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Examiner\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Exemplary . . . . This will stand as the definitive biography of [Ian Fleming].\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Immensely detailed . . . . A dazzling, even dizzying achievement.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Magisterial . . . . Shakespeare's hugely compelling biography is a bold reassessment of an intriguing person.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Examiner\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Shakespeare has the rare ability to reinvigorate subjects that had seemed exhausted. If, like me, you thought you knew all there was to be known about Ian Fleming, prepare for a surprise . . . . Written with such brio that the pace never slackens.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAdam Sisman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"What a masterful and definitive study this is, enhanced by a novelist’s skill in making it so eminently readable and page-turning. I learned a great deal that I did not know. It is compulsively absorbing.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDavid Stafford\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Fresh . . . . Insightful . . . . Shakespeare leaves no stone unturned in this exhaustive, highly readable biography.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Nicholas Shakespeare’s magisterial \u003cem\u003eIan Fleming: The Complete Man\u003c\/em\u003e will surely be the last word on James Bond’s creator. Shakespeare’s intimate grasp of Fleming’s social milieu makes this superb biography even more authoritative.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Spectator (US)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Using rare access to the Fleming archive, Shakespeare fashions an exciting and often sad portrait of the man. It is rich in detail . . . . The book is terrific.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eIan Fleming: The Complete Man\u003c\/em\u003e takes a deep dive into the life of the author who created James Bond . . . . Drawing on never-before-accessed private archives, the book contains new insights into Fleming’s career, friendships, and love affairs.”  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMovieMaker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A monumental record of Fleming’s life. The completeness of the book is beyond doubt. Shakespeare leaves no future biographer much to discover. Fleming’s place in history is assured.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday Times (London)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A sustained and engrossing homage to the Olympic icon of a beleaguered Britain, and a writer damned to fame. With scarcely a dull page, it’s a chip off the old block . . . . steeped in exceptional research . . . . stitches up the loose ends of Fleming’s story into a satisfying 21st-century biography.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Independent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A definitive biography that deepens and reshapes previous versions of Fleming’s life . . . . light-footed and swift-moving despite its copious research . . . . Shakespeare’s Fleming rises from these richly textured pages as a more substantial and sympathetic figure than the preening snob of myth.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eIan Fleming: The Complete Man\u003c\/em\u003e is packed with women, their characters and stories carefully filled in . . . . highly accomplished and readable.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew Statesman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The most comprehensive picture yet of Bond’s creator . . . . Definitive.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Fascinating, well researched, neatly written.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLiterary Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890586972389,"sku":"NP9780063012240","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063012240.jpg?v=1730233639","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/ian-fleming-the-complete-man-isbn-9780063012240","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}