His name is Bond, James Bond, right?
Well, maybe his name really was "Biffy" instead.
According to a new book on the history of the famous british spy organization MI6, the inspiration for James Bond may have come from the exploits of a spy named Wilfred Dunderdale, or "Biffy" to his friends.
When Sir Keith Jeffrey researched his book "The Secret History of MI6" he was given unrestricted access to top secret documents dating from 1909 to 1949.
"There's a story, of course there's a question about the real James Bonds. No, the real James Bonds are in fact more interesting than the fictional James Bonds because they are real people, names and addresses as supplied," according to Keith Jeffrey, Author. "There's a character, Wilfred Dunderdale, "Biffy" Dunderdale, and "Biffy" Dunderdale came from Odessa, an english family living in russia, spoke russian like a native and was engaged by the service in 1919.
According to the book, Dunderdale was a tough guy who loved fast cars, fast women, and a good drink.
"He ends up as the head of station in paris in the 1930's. I have a picture of "Biffy" Dunderdale's false passport. John Green, much less interesting name, but two syllables, John Green, James Bond. Who knows which he uses to go to Lisbon in the 1940s to strike up a liaison, to renew a liaison with the Vichy french intelligence," according to Keith Jeffrey, Author. "So, "Biffy" Dunderdale ended up as a terrific raconteur in this old age, and used to sit in the pub wherever it was. He was a friend of Fleming's, and kept recognizing stories he had told in the novels," according to Keith Jeffrey, Author.
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Bond's creator, Ian Fleming, worked with british naval intelligence during world war two, so he knew a thing or two about how the spy business worked.
"I am an avid reader of Ian Fleming's novels. Fleming himself had an inside track on intelligence during the second world war. He was the personal assistant for most of the war to the director of naval intelligence, so he knew a lot about the whole area," according to Keith Jeffrey, Author.
Jeffrey said if you want to hear more about the real James Bonds, both male and female, just pick up a copy of his book, "The Secret History of MI6."
