“Now we can also support primary research in the world of Cold War spy literature-and perhaps uncover some underlying reasons why the English have always been so good at spying, code-breaking, and undercover work.” “Prior to Mike VanBlaricum’s generous gift of his Bondiana collection, the Rare Book & Manuscript Library could boast of its substantial holdings in Elizabethan-era espionage,” said RBML Director Valerie Hotchkiss.

Now, my motto is ‘If it is printed and relates to Ian Fleming or James Bond, I want it!’” “Despite the fact that the Bond movies made me an over-the-top James Bond fan, I never read any of Fleming’s novels until I was nearly thirty. “I was first introduced to James Bond via the film Goldfinger when I was fourteen,” VanBlaricum explained. Through the gathering of exciting pieces from VanBlaricum’s personal collections, connections, and resources, the University is able to display objects rarely available to the public at the same time. The Birth of Bond is a collaboration of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, the Spurlock Museum, and the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music in conjunction with Illinois alumnus and Ian Fleming Foundation co-founder Michael L. Beginning in mid-April, the University of Illinois will celebrate the author and his favorite character through The Birth of Bond: Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale at 60. He collected, edited, and published books…and created one of the world’s most recognizable popular culture icons, James Bond. Ian Fleming was a journalist, a soldier, a spy, a playboy, an adventurer, and the son of a Member of Parliament.

Casino royale book published