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A significant Fleming manuscript, his notebook filled with observations, questions, and ideas from his observation of the 23rd annual conference for the International Criminal Police Commission in Turkey, gathering material which had a clear influence on From Russia, With Love and the remainder of the Bond series. The manuscript was studied and cited by Pearson in his biography of Fleming. The 1955 conference of the ICPC - the precursor to Interpol - drew together government representatives, agents, and related stakeholders from around the world. Fleming was sent to cover the conference for the Sunday Times, travelling in the company of Sir Ronald Howe, the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, and was introduced to a number of important businessmen and government officials. "The elaborately embossed blue pads which the Turks had distributed were ideal for a thriller-writer's notes and queries, and he brought several pages of these back with him" (Pearson, p. 272). Fleming was disappointed with the people he met at the conference. "The idea of an Interpol Conference sounds like a thriller-writer's private gold-mine. The reality must have given Fleming on more reminder that fiction is stranger and infinitely more satisfactory than truth. For the truth about the Interpol Conference was that it was a very serious, very unspectacular convention of dedicated professional men, and it needed all Fleming's ingenuity to discover sufficient news for an article on the A significant Fleming manuscript, his notebook filled with observations, questions, and ideas from his observation of the 23rd annual conference for the International Criminal Police Commission in Turkey, gathering material which had a clear influence on From Russia, With Love and the remainder of the Bond series. The manuscript was studied and cited by Pearson in his biography of Fleming. The 1955 conference of the ICPC - the precursor to Interpol - drew together government representatives, agents, and related stakeholders from around the world. Fleming was sent to cover the conference for the Sunday Times, travelling in the company of Sir Ronald Howe, the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, and was introduced to a number of important businessmen and government officials. "The elaborately embossed blue pads which the Turks had distributed were ideal for a thriller-writer's notes and queries, and he brought several pages of these back with him" (Pearson, p. 272). Fleming was disappointed with the people he met at the conference. "The idea of an Interpol Conference sounds like a thriller-writer's private gold-mine. The reality must have given Fleming on more reminder that fiction is stranger and infinitely more satisfactory than truth. For the truth about the Interpol Conference was that it was a very serious, very unspectacular convention of dedicated professional men, and it needed all Fleming's ingenuity to discover sufficient news for an article on the conference agenda for that week's Sunday Times... all this left Fleming rather stunned, and he gave his private verdict on the Interpol Conference in a letter to Admiral Godfrey. It sums up the curious contempt which the man who dreams about crime must always feel when he meets the men who merely deal with it. 'The trouble with these policemen', he wrote, 'is that they have no idea what is really interesting in their jobs and regard criminal matters as really a great bore'" (Pearson, p. 270). Nonetheless, the manuscript notes show Fleming paying close attention to the intelligence community and especially the Russians, evidently with an eye to material for his novels. He jots down subjects on which information is needed including "types of cigarettes, cigars... is tea brought into meetings?... Russian girls love Englishman - what for - what dislikes". He questions "Types of cigarettes, cigars, Black Sea villa - where, description, swear-words. In conversation-polite? Harsh?". He notes of Russian women "no women smoke not well regarded. Hair very important. Puritanical sexually. No lipstick. Good clean nails... girls must have scent". Fleming makes numerous comments regarding the operations of various global intelligence services, Russian language, and culture - "Colours of folders. Top Secret, etc. SMERSH. Show passes - what color - photo taken again... Use numbers? Or letters! for spies?". Aside from the conference, Fleming travelled around Istanbul, and witnessed a riot after news broke that the birthplace of Kemal Ataturk had been bombed by Greek terrorists. This, Pearson notes, was Fleming's first sight of real violence (p. 271). Most important was Fleming's guide for the trip, the Oxford-educated shipowner Nazim Kalkavan, who regaled Fleming with thrilling tales of Soviet spies and vengeful belly-dancers. Though Fleming notes in his personal copy of this title (held in the Lilly Library, University of Indiana) that the character of Darko Kerim was entirely fictional, Gilbert and Pearson both note that the number of similarities between the character and Kalkavan suggest otherwise. Another note "popular gold in teeth. Steel caps = service teeth" - seems a foreshadowing of the character Sol 'Horror' Horowitz in the Spy Who Loved Me, further adapted as the character of Jaws in later Bond films. Provenance: Sotheby's, London, July 20, 1989, lot 176. READ MORE Top-bound notepad (275 x 198 mm), emblems of the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC) and the Turkish Criminal Police Commission printed in dark blue to front paper wrapper and at head of each leaf, 3 initial leaves with autograph notes in blue ink (rectos only). Together with a bifolium (336 x 210 mm), 4 lined pages, pp. 1, 2 and 4 featuring autograph notes in red and blue ink. Housed in a black quarter morocco solander box by the Chelsea Bindery. Notepad: a few light marks to wrappers, minor creasing at head of block, couple of horizontal creases to wrappers, and to a few initial leaves where previously folded over, two short closed tears in margin of front wrapper corresponding with creases, first leaf detaching slightly from block on the upper left side but holding firm. Bifolium: mild toning, minor creasing to corners, central horizontal crease, leaves with short split starting along the fold at edge, just touching three letters on one page, light foxing to outer margins, tiny mark from adhesion of p. 2 and 3 in the upper inner corner, small spots to p. 4. Some pencilled notes to the documents from John Pearson's prior research, clippings and printouts on the notes also included. A number of initial leaves of this notebook were excised at a previous time and are now held in the Lilly Library. Overall in very good condition. Gilbert A5. John Pearson, The Life of Ian Fleming, 1966.

"From Russia, with Love" by Ian Fleming is a spy thriller featuring James Bond, the iconic British Secret Service agent. In this novel, Bond is assigned a perilous mission by MI6 to acquire a Soviet encoding machine, the Spektor, and to discern the true intentions behind the offering of this seemingly valuable device. The story begins with a depiction of the intricate planning by the clandestine Soviet agency SMERSH, which devises an elaborate plot to discredit and assassinate James Bond. Their strategy involves using a beautiful Russian cipher clerk, Tatiana Romanova, to lure Bond into a web of deceit. Bond is dispatched to Istanbul, where he is tasked with making contact with Tatiana and retrieving the Spektor. As Bond arrives in Istanbul, he becomes embroiled in a dangerous game of espionage and deceit. Tatiana, seemingly defecting from the Soviets, offers to provide the Spektor to the British, seeking asylum in return. However, Bond soon realizes that this apparent defection is part of a meticulously crafted scheme. His mission turns perilous as he discovers that Tatiana's involvement is orchestrated by SMERSH, aiming to eliminate Bond as part of their intricate plan to damage British intelligence. The novel follows Bond's encounters with various adversaries, including Red Grant, a skilled and ruthless assassin tasked with eliminating him. Bond faces life-threatening situations and engages in daring maneuvers to outwit his enemies, relying on his resourcefulness and skills to survive. Fleming's narrative is filled with suspenseful twists and turns, intricate plotting, and Bond's characteristic blend of charm, intelligence, and bravery. The story builds to an intense climax aboard the Orient Express, where Bond confronts Grant in a thrilling and deadly showdown. "From Russia, with Love" is a classic espionage novel that showcases the danger, intrigue, and high-stakes world of Cold War espionage. It remains a beloved entry in the James Bond series, celebrated for its gripping storyline, intricate plotting, and the depiction of Bond's cunning and resilience in the face of formidable adversaries.