That said, three James Bond movies have scenes filmed in Jamaica. As time went on, perhaps partly due to the popularity of Ian Flemings books and the James Bond films, more tourists became aware of Fleming’s paradise island. In the 1950s, Jamaica was known more for its agriculture, mainly sugar and banana products, than as a tourist attraction. Also, in a promotional on-set photo, for the 2015 Bond film Spectre, there was a copy of Birds of the West Indies however, this didn’t appear in the released version. In the 2002 Bond film, Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan, who plays James Bond, glances through a copy of Birds of the West Indies in an early scene in Havana, Cuba. Ian Fleming pays homage to the original James Bond by referencing his work in his Doctor No (1958) book, where he mentions a large ornithological sanctuary in The Bahamas. Fleming, a keen bird watcher, wanted a name that was “as ordinary as possible,” and James Bond (now iconic) fit the bill. The original fourteen, though, written by Ian Fleming solidify Jamaica as the undisputed birthplace of James Bond.įun Fact: Ian Fleming named his much-loved main character James Bond after American ornithologist and Caribbean birds expert James Bond, who wrote the definitive field guide Birds of the West Indies, first published in 1936.
It should be noted that after Ian Fleming died in 1964, with approval from his estate and publisher, over 30 additional James Bond books have been written by other authors, including Christopher Wood, Jonathan Cape, Raymond Benson, Anthony Horowitz, etc. All fourteen James Bond books by Ian Fleming have been made into feature films starting with Dr. Not only is Jamaica where Ian Fleming wrote the James Bond books, but the island is prominently featured in several of his books including Live and Let Die (1954), Doctor No (1958), The Man with the Golden Gun (1965), and Octopussy and The Living Daylights (1966). Ian Fleming wrote 14 James Bond Books from 1953 to 1966.
It was at this Jamaican home he named Goldeneye that Ian Fleming wrote his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. Just 20 minutes from Ocho Rios, a popular resort town, the land overlooked a small cove in Oracabessa, and he built a three-bedroom villa on a cliff with a private beach at the bottom. He fell in love with the island and decided right then and there that he would return and make it his home.Īfter leaving the military, Ian Fleming returned to Jamaica in 1946, purchasing 15 acres of land previously a donkey racetrack. Fleming first visited Jamaica in 1943 while on a mission to investigate U-boat activities in the Caribbean. James Bond, a fictional MI6 Secret Agent, and his creator Ian Fleming, a British Naval Intelligence Officer during WWII, are inextricably linked to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. But did you know that while the character is quintessentially British, Jamaica is the birthplace of James Bond 007? Below I provide insight. With code name 007, James Bond, who has a “license to kill” to complete any mission, has crisscrossed the globe, saving humanity from all types of evil, always acting smooth, suave, and sophisticated. This is due to the success of the books and all the other derivative products, including 25 Bond films, the latest ‘No Time To Die’ starring Daniel Craig. The allure and intrigue of James Bond, the fictional British Secret Service Intelligence Officer created by Ian Fleming, have lasted 60+ years.