Photos: Ian Fleming and how he forged a Bond

Ian Fleming often wrote at his desk in the master bedroom at Goldeneye. He created the character of James Bond in February 1952 when he began work on the book he had been planning to write since the war. It became Casino Royale. (His desk and chair from Goldeneye are on display at the Imperial War Museum London.)

Fleming's first paying job was as a journalist for Reuters, where he said he learned to "write fast, and above all to be accurate." He left Reuters because he wanted to earn "real money." He spent some time as a banker and a stockbroker, then came the war.