{"product_id":"the-diamond-smugglers-the-true-story-of-an-international-crime-ring-and-its-downfall-told-by-the-creator-of-james-bond-isbn-9780063299108","title":"The Diamond Smugglers: The True Story of an International Crime Ring and Its Downfall, Told by the Creator of James Bond","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE TRUE STORY OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRIME RING AND ITS DOWNFALL\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1957, as the Cold War raged, Ian Fleming took a respite from writing James Bond to craft a work of nonfiction every bit as tense as a Bond adventure. Aided by an ex-MI5 agent and International Diamond Security Organization operative going by the alias “John Blaize,” Fleming chronicled the IDSO’s infiltration of the “million-carat network”―the world’s most notorious diamond smuggling ring.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery year, a shadowy band of racketeers pirated a fortune in diamonds out of Africa, and the majority of the stolen gems wound up in the hands of Communist nations. In response, the IDSO commissioned a private army, led by legendary British spymaster Sir Percy Sillitoe, to penetrate and topple the ring.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen the operation was complete, the Sunday Times gave the story to Fleming, who had impressed Sillitoe with his earlier Bond adventure Diamonds Are Forever. A remarkable feat of investigative journalism, The Diamond Smugglers is the thrilling true story behind one of the greatest spy operations in history. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow did a private army of ex-spies dismantle an international crime ring stretching from Africa to the Iron Curtain?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eInternational Crime Ring:\u003c\/b\u003e Go inside the \"million-carat network,\" a shadowy organization pirating a fortune in diamonds out of Africa to fund Communist nations during the Cold War.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCold War History:\u003c\/b\u003e Discover the hidden geopolitical stakes as stolen industrial diamonds become a crucial resource in the arms race between East and West.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSpymaster vs. Smugglers:\u003c\/b\u003e Follow legendary British spymaster Sir Percy Sillitoe as he recruits an elite team of ex-MI5 operatives, including the enigmatic \"John Blaize,\" to infiltrate and topple the network.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eIan Fleming Nonfiction:\u003c\/b\u003e Experience a real-life intelligence operation recounted with the same narrative tension and eye for detail that made James Bond a global phenomenon.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“It is often difficult to remember that we are not listening to his old hero Mr. James Bond…Several yarns are worthy of the best spy-stories.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An exciting and richly fascinating account.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Fleming not only had a gift for gripping plots, but an abundantly moreish prose style with pin-sharp descriptions.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Fleming’s books are well-written, pacy, and hard-edged.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLee Child, Daily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"William Morrow Paperbacks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890700513509,"sku":"NP9780063299108","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063299108.jpg?v=1730233878","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-diamond-smugglers-the-true-story-of-an-international-crime-ring-and-its-downfall-told-by-the-creator-of-james-bond-isbn-9780063299108","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}