Category - Books
James Bond Author's Lost Writing Will Finally Be Published This Year
In terms of fiction, Ian Fleming only ever published one book that wasn't a James Bond book; the 1964 children's book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. But, as a journalist and essayist, Fleming was prolific. In fact, his career as a journalist in the 1930s predated much of his other work in both the military, and later, as an author. But, outside of the 1963 collection Thrilling Cities, Fleming's nonfiction has been basically impossible to find.
Until now. Just announced by Ian Fleming Publications, a new nonfiction collection of the author's writing is coming in May 2025. The title is Talk of the Devil, and the book will feature Fleming's reviews and journalism for The Sunday Times, his travel journalism not previously featured in Thrilling Cities, WWII reporting, plus, unpublished letters between Fleming and Raymond Chandler. An official press release also confirmed that Talk of the Devil will "feature newly-unearthed articles that have not been available for over half a century."
The detail is in the devil as TALK OF THE DEVIL's collection of Ian Fleming's writings across his career - his authorship, SUNDAY TIMES reviews, WW2 documents, his travel writing, letters, articles and rare works of fiction - is published in May 2025.#TalkoftheDevil #IanFleming pic.twitter.com/WVEhsCUKYb
— MARK O'CONNELL - Writer, Author, Bond fan (@Mark0Connell) January 28, 2025
Casual Bond fans might wonder why a collection of Ian Fleming nonfiction is such a big deal. The reason why is simple: Because Fleming's output of books was dominated by his James Bond writing, there's sometimes an incomplete picture of what Fleming was capable of as a more relatable writer and man. Yes, Fleming strove to make James Bond a relatable figure, but 007 didn't exist in the real world. Fleming did. Excellent biographies like Nicholas Shakespeare's Ian Fleming: The Complete Man, are great. But the world of this seminal author is still, after over 70 years, still somewhat elusive.
With Talk of the Devil, the layers and details of Fleming will be pulled back more than ever before. And for serious Bond fans, or readers who love real-world history mysteries and thrillers, this book could be full of huge revelations. Or, at the very least, it will make an excellent, under-the-radar gift