Fergus Fleming Books

On 16 August 1952, Ian Fleming wrote to his wife, Ann, 'My love, This is only a tiny letter to try out my new typewriter and to see if it will write golden words since it is made of gold'. He had bought the gold-plated typewriter as a present to himself for finishing his first novel, Casino Royale. It marked in glamorous style the arrival of James Bond, agent 007, and the start of a career that saw Fleming become one of the world's most celebrated thriller writers. And he did write golden words. Before his death in 1964 he produced fourteen bestselling Bond books, two works of non-fiction and the famous children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. Fleming's output was matched by an equally energetic flow of letters. He wrote constantly, to his wife, publisher, editors, fans, friends and critics, charting 007's progress with correspondence that ranged from badgering Jonathan Cape about his quota of free copies -- a coin was tossed; Fleming lost - to apologising for having mistaken a certain brand of perfume and for equipping Bond with the wrong kind of gun. His letters also reflect his friendships with contemporaries such as Raymond Chandler, Noel Coward and Somerset Maugham. Before the world-famous films came the world-famous novels. This books tells the story of the man who wrote them and how he created spy fiction's most compelling hero.

Focusing on John Barrow, Second Secretary to the Admiralty, the narrative unfolds his adventurous quest for uncharted territories following the Napoleonic Wars. Over three decades, Barrow meticulously assembled teams of elite naval officers to explore the globe, driven by a passion for discovery. The book is enriched with photos, illustrations, and four maps, enhancing the historical context of his expeditions and the significance of his contributions to navigation and exploration.

On 16 August 1952, Ian Fleming wrote to his wife, Ann, 'My love, This is only a tiny letter to try out my new typewriter and to see if it will write golden words since it is made of gold'. He had bought the gold-plated typewriter as a present to himself for finishing his first novel, Casino Royale. It marked in glamorous style the arrival of James Bond, agent 007, and the start of a career that saw Fleming become one of the world's most celebrated thriller writers. And he did write golden words. Before his death in 1964 he produced fourteen bestselling Bond books, two works of non-fiction and the famous children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. Fleming's output was matched by an equally energetic flow of letters. He wrote constantly, to his wife, publisher, editors, fans, friends and critics, charting 007's progress with correspondence that ranged from badgering Jonathan Cape about his quota of free copies - a coin was tossed; Fleming lost - to apologising for having mistaken a certain brand of perfume and for equipping Bond with the wrong kind of gun. His letters also reflect his friendships with contemporaries such as Raymond Chandler, Noël Coward and Somerset Maugham. Before the world-famous films came the world-famous novels. This books tells the story of the man who wrote them and how he created spy fiction's most compelling hero.

Killing Dragons is the story of the first British mountaineers to tackle the Alpine summits of Switzerland during the late 18th century, originally quite poorly equipped. The title of dragons refers to the legendary creatures of these parts. schovat popis

In a riveting narrative of daredevils and eccentrics, Fergus Fleming gives us the breathtaking story of some of history's greatest explorers as they conquer the soaring peaks of the Alps. Fleming recounts the incredible exploits of the men whose centuries-old fear of the mountain range turned quickly to curiosity, then to obsession, as they explored Europe's frozen wilderness. In the late eighteenth century French and Swiss scientists became interested in the Alps as a research destination, but in the 1850s the focus changed: the icy mountains now offered an all-out competition for British climbers who wanted to conquer ever higher and more impossible heights, and explorers fought each other on the peaks and in the press, entertaining a vast public smitten with their bravery, delighted by their personal animosities, and horrified by the disasters that befell them. "...excellent popular history, with its proper share of mad dogs and Englishmen....Fleming's rendition is dramatic and masterful." -- Anthony Brandt, National Geographic Adventure

An illustrated collection of first-hand accounts by key scientific explorers offers insight into how they worked and what they saw as photographed or sketched, in a volume that features the writings of such figures as Robert Peary, Jacques Cousteau, and Neil Armstrong.

'Spies' is a collection of chilling tales from the world of espionage - from the glittering domain of Mata Hari in turn of the century Paris, to the clinical Cold War professionals of Washington and Moscow.

Desde el siglo XIX, el Polo Norte ha fascinado a exploradores y aventureros que buscaban conquistar sus misterios. Esta crónica sigue a figuras como John Franklin y Robert Peary, quienes enfrentaron peligros extremos y desafíos mortales en sus expediciones. Fergus Fleming reconstruye estas epopeyas llenas de heroísmo y rivalidades.

Ist der Nordpol eine Insel, ein offenes Meer oder einfach ein großes Loch, in das man womöglich hineinfallen kann? Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts machte man sich auf, das herauszufinden. Kapitäne und Abenteurer, italienische Adlige und amerikanische Zeitungsbarone erlagen der magischen Anziehungskraft dieses Orts – aber bis 1948 scheiterten letztlich alle. Hervorragend recherchiert und voller Wortwitz erzählt Fergus Fleming die packende Geschichte von der Suche des Menschen nach dem nördlichsten Punkt der Erde. 'Fleming gliedert den ausufernden Stoff souverän und einprägsam, sein Sinn für Komik und Absurdität ist erfreulich gut entwickelt.' Neue Zürcher Zeitung

Im 19. Jahrhundert ist fast alles auf der Welt entdeckt, erfasst und aufgezeichnet. Aber inmitten Europas erhebt sich ein Gebiet, auf dessen Gipfel noch kein Mensch vorgedrungen ist: die Eisbarriere der Alpen. Man erzählt sich, dort oben hausten Drachen und andere gefährliche Schneewesen, die ganze Dörfer mit Lawinen ausradierten, wenn man sie verärgerte oder störte. Naturforscher und Abenteurer machen sich auf den Weg. Die Briten erklären Bergsteigen zum Sport: In Crickethosen, ausgerüstet mit gebratenem Geflügel und zahlreichen Flaschen französischen Weins, begleitet von widerwilligen Einheimischen, klettern sie los. Und schon bald fürchten die Ortskundigen die Fremden mehr als die Drachen …