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For Your Eyes Only

Ian Fleming and James Bond

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About this listen

 Bloomsbury presents For Your Eyes Only, written and read by Ben Macintyre

The official history of Ian Fleming and James Bond by the bestselling author of Operation Mincemeat

'Marvellously entertaining and informative' Spectator

'Thrilling' Sunday Times

'An entertaining mix of history, espionage, biography, and post-war sociology' Literary Review
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‘I am going to write the spy story to end all spy stories.'

One morning in February 1952, a journalist called Ian Fleming sat down at his desk and set about creating a fictional secret agent. James Bond was born and would go on to become one of the most successful, enduring and lucrative creations in literature. But Bond's world of glamour and romance, gadgets and cocktails, espionage and villainy wasn't entirely drawn from imagination: Fleming's background and his experiences as an intelligence officer during the Second World War were all formative parts in the creation of the world's most famous spy.

Packed with astonishing detail and written in Macintyre's inimitable style, For Your Eyes Only is the most enlightening, enlivening book on the creator of the spy who not only lived twice, but proved to be immortal.©2025 Ben Macintyre (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Art & Literature Authors Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts European Film & TV Journalists, Editors & Publishers Literary History & Criticism World Literature Espionage War

Critic reviews

'Everything that makes Bond interesting with relation to the real world, in fact, is explored here. Ben Macintyre's skill, in this entertaining mix of history, espionage, biography, and post-war sociology, is to make you see clearly where Ian Fleming's world ended and the fantasy of James Bond began' (Tom Fleming)
All stars
Most relevant
Such insight from one brilliant author into the writings of another. Loved it. A great listen.

Unputdownable

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excellent story,very interesting views of the author and character. Good to hear the truth about ian Fleming. A must read

007

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Ben MacIntyre narrates very well.
The book is well written and interesting. If you like James Bond and/or Ian Fleming, you are going to like this book.
I listened in one sitting, which is rare for me.

Really good!

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nothing very good very interesting like all audio books Ben McIntyre is involved with a great listen.

like all good authors the fine detail and obvious research about the subject.

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