Origin of source of Bond's name
007Downunder
Hobart, Australia Posts: 373MI6 Agent
Just read an article in standpointmag.co.uk "the names Bond counterpoint " with an alternate source for Bond's name ( named after an Aussie) .
Anthony
Comments
Bond: “I must be dreaming.”
However, there is only one source that has been documented, and that is the ornithologist that ED mentions above. The proof comes in the form of at least two interviews that Fleming did, and also in at least two letters/book inscriptions to the "real" James Bond thanking him for the use of his name and apologising for any inconvenience it may have caused. Since Fleming has attributed it to the ornithologist on multiple occasions, the case rests.
Any other theories are pure bunkum.
http://www.standpointmag.co.uk/counterpoints-november-2016-clarissa-pryce-jones-the-names-bond-ww2-battle-greece
(1) the "story" Fleming himself provided about the origins of Bond's name happened very early, at the latest before the publication of LALD, at a point when Fleming had 1st editions of CR to give away; yes, it's his debut novel that in itself is significant a makes for a "novel" curio to give away, but I think he would have given out whichever book was his latest as it was his practice; how is this significant? Yes, Fleming has been known to embellish anecdotal accounts about Bond, just as some sloppy journalists have done (e.g., the Scottish trait of Bond attributed to Connery), but these usually happen after a passage of time that allows spin to take place and less likely early on.
(2) The likelihood of Fleming being familiar with the author, Terence James Bond is very high, considering that his book's subject matter (a) birds, and (b) the "West Indies," (or the Caribbean and Jamaica) are ones very close to Fleming's personal interests; a nice example of this is from the passage about birds at the very beginning of FYEO.
(3) If there were any other sources of inspiration that for whatever reason Fleming didn't wish to emphasize, the contrivance of the Terence James Bond story would have been too complex and fantastic...so, the simpler and more plausible solution ala Occam's Razor is that the Terence James Bond angle is the truth.
Yes, I was wondering where the name Terance James Bond was coming from in that short article. Thanks for clarifying this. It is all rather confused if you ask me. I still go with Ian Fleming's version of events regarding the naming of his world-famous creation, James Bond. Indeed, why would he lie about this?
That would be a fantastic piece of history to own for sure! Lucky is the person that owns it now.
Bond: “I must be dreaming.”
My bad...yes, I created this false assumption by carrying over that error over from Simon's AJB article. However, it should not take away from my observations. I also thought it was a convenient way to differentiate the American ornithologist from our favorite fictional character.