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Shortly after the outbreak of World War II, he was invited to join a junior British Government Minister, Robert Hudson, on a trade mission to Moscow and he was appointed Special Correspondent to "The Times" newspaper. It later transpired that Fleming, as with many other well-heeled young men, had been recruited by the Secret Service and this was low-level mission. This was perhaps not altogether surprising, as Fleming's older brother, Peter, worked in Military Intelligence. By June of the same year, he was working as Personal Assistant to the Admiral John H. Godfrey, Director of Naval Intelligence as the Admiralty, meeting with agents as they reported back from missions and liaising between his department and MI6. Later, his fictional spy would also share Fleming's background in Naval Intelligence.

He discovered that he had a flair for this line of work - his imagination helped him to devise elaborate intelligence operations and he was soon awarded greater responsibility. In 1941 he flew to the U.S. to advise them on Secret Service matters - indeed, Fleming is credited with helping the then inexperienced Americans form the basis of what is now the C.I.A. In contrast to his creation, however, Fleming spent most of his time behind an Admiralty desk, rather than on active service. It was during this period of time that he met his wife, Anne, who was at the time married to Lord Rothermere.

After the war Fleming was a foreign manager of Kemsley Newspapers, a post he held until the newspaper group became Thomson Newspapers in 1959. He had told friends that he intended to write the ultimate spy novel, but his first novel, "Casino Royale" would not be published until April 1953. From then on, he wrote roughly one a year, mostly at his Jamaican holiday retreat, "Goldeneye" (named after a Secret Service operation in which he had been involved). He had fallen in love with the country whilst on an overseas trip with the Admiralty. In between writing Fleming developed a passion for treasurehunting, both in the Caribbean Islands and Seychelles, where he followed old pirate's maps and tales, but also in England.

His health, however, was failing and he spent much time in  health spas and increasing periods of time at Goldeneye, whilst his wife stayed in England. In spite of doctors' warnings, Fleming continued to work tirelessly on his books and drove himself in his favourite outdoor activities. The final heart attack which ended his life came at the Royal St. George's Golf Course in Sandwich, Kent on 12 August, 1964.

Fleming's depiction of Bond's lifestyle was based on a combination of his own habits and those to which he aspired. "007" is a gastranomme, with impeccable manners and faultless knowledge of Vintage Wines and Champagnes. We see Bond playing Chemin de Fer at Casinos throughout the world. Fleming was a highly skilled gambler; his prose on the subject in the novels could only have been written by someone with an innate understanding of the sport. Similarly, Fleming's passion for Golf was transferred to his creation - we see Bond play a round at Stoke Poges Course against "Auric Goldfinger" (incidentally, that golfing bug would be passed on to Sean Connery during filming). The author certainly shared "007"s casual attitude towards women (in general) and sex (in particular).

Fleming's finely tuned characterisation of James Bond has stood the test of time, notwithstanding minor cosmetic changes in line with current fashion. He, more than possibly anyone else, had the vision of Bond on the big screen - indeed, his novels themselves were often written specifically for this purpose - and his writing style lends itself to this treatment. Whilst the secret agent may now have succombed to a degree of political correctness, most secretly admire Bond's lifestyle - even if it is an exaggeration of Fleming's own experiences.