The Diamond Smugglers - The True Story of an International Crime Ring and Its Downfall, Told

From Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, comes the true story of an international smuggling ring and its downfall that rivals the most thrilling Bond adventures. In 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. Every 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. When 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.

About the author

Ian Lancaster Fleming was born in London in 1908. His first job was at Reuters news agency, after which he worked briefly as a stockbroker before working in Naval Intelligence during World War Two. His first novel, Casino Royale, was published in 1953 and was an instant success. Fleming went on to write thirteen other Bond books as well as two works of nonfiction and the children’s classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The Bond books have earned praise from figures such as Raymond Chandler, who called Fleming “the most forceful and driving writer of thrillers in England” and President Kennedy, who named From Russia with Love as one of his favorite books. The books inspired a hugely successful series of film adaptations that began in 1962 with the release of Dr. No. He was married to Ann O'Neill, with whom he had a son, Caspar. He died in 1964.

Product details

• Authors: Ian Fleming, Ian Fleming
• Publisher: William Morrow
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 10.07.2024
• EAN: 9780063299108
• ISBN: 978-0-06-329910-8
• No. of pages: 144
• Dimensions: 135 mm x 203 mm x 8 mm
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature > Letters, diaries; Humanities, art, music > History > Contemporary history (1945 to 1989); Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Law Enforcement, True Crime / Espionage, Espionage and secret services, The Cold War, c 1945 to c 2000 (Post-war period), Police and security services, c 1945 to c 1990 (the Cold War period), Cold wars and proxy conflicts, LITERATURE: GENERAL FICTION, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Law Enforcement, TRUE CRIME: Espionage, HISTORY / Modern / 20th Century / Cold War, HISTORY: Modern / 20th Century / Cold War