Nigel West is currently the European Editor of the International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence and teaches the history of postwar intelligence at the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies in Alexandria, VA. He is the author of many books, including the Historical Dictionary of British Intelligence (Scarecrow Press, 2005), Historical Dictionary of International Intelligence (Scarecrow Press, 2006), Historical Dictionary of Cold War Counterintelligence (Scarecrow Press, 2007), and Historical Dictionary of Sexspionage (Scarecrow Press, 2009). In October 2003 he was awarded the U.S. Association of Former Intelligence Officers' first Lifetime Literature Achievement Award.
A fascinating read. This work is an excellent resource.
*American Reference Books Annual*
Ian Fleming's life was nearly as eventful as the one he created for
James Bond in 12 novels and nine short stories. West here makes the
point that Fleming used people, organizations, and events in his
life as fodder for his tales of the fictional British secret agent.
Most of the entries are on people and organizations, both real and
imagined, major players and the barely mentioned, from Fleming's
real life and Bond's fictional one. Entries range in length from
three sentences to 16 pages and include cross-references. The
longest one is on Mark Chalmers, hero of The Lifeline, a 1946 spy
novel written by Fleming's teacher Phyllis Bottome (Bond and
Chalmers bear striking resemblances). A chronology, general index,
and bibliography are included. West, real name Rupert Allason, is a
real character in his own right—a former Tory member of Parliament,
a frequent litigant, and an espionage historian who has compiled
several other historical dictionaries on the subject for Scarecrow.
BOTTOM LINE: There is intriguing material here, but the title will
appeal primarily to specialized library collections. Buy where
demand warrants.
*Library Journal, April 2010*
Nigel West examines the fascinating double life of spy and writer
Ian Fleming, who will forever be known for creating James Bond, one
of the most intriguing fictional spies in modern history—as well as
the most lucrative; the Bond movies have been seen by more than
half of the world's population. The volume consists of a
chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, and hundreds of
cross-referenced entries on actual cases of espionage and real-life
spies, along with entries on Fleming's novels, his family and
friends, his employers and colleagues, and other notable characters
from his work.
*Library Journal, December 2009*
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