Editing Ian Fleming (section)

=== 1960s ===
In 1960 Fleming was commissioned by the [[Kuwait Oil Company]] to write a book on the country and its oil industry. The Kuwaiti government disapproved of the typescript, ''State of Excitement: Impressions of Kuwait'', and it was never published. According to Fleming: "The Oil Company expressed approval of the book but felt it their duty to submit the typescript to members of the Kuwait Government for their approval. The [[Sheikh]]s concerned found unpalatable certain mild comments and criticisms and particularly the passages referring to the adventurous past of the country which now wishes to be 'civilised' in every respect and forget its romantic origins."<ref name="Lilly Library" />

Fleming followed the disappointment of ''For Your Eyes Only'' with [[Thunderball (novel)|''Thunderball'']], the [[novelization|novelisation]] of a film script on which he had worked with others. The work had started in 1958 when Fleming's friend Ivar Bryce introduced him to a young Irish writer and director, [[Kevin McClory]], and the three, together with Fleming and Bryce's friend [[Ernest Cuneo]], worked on a script.{{sfn|Benson|1988|p=17}} In October McClory introduced experienced screenwriter [[Jack Whittingham]] to the newly formed team,{{sfn|Pearson|1967|p=374}} and by December 1959 McClory and Whittingham sent Fleming a script.{{sfn|Benson|1988|p=231}} Fleming had been having second thoughts on McClory's involvement and, in January 1960, explained his intention of delivering the screenplay to [[Music Corporation of America|MCA]], with a recommendation from him and Bryce that McClory act as producer.{{sfn|Pearson|1967|p=381}} He additionally told McClory that if MCA rejected the film because of McClory's involvement, then McClory should either sell himself to MCA, back out of the deal, or file a suit in court.{{sfn|Pearson|1967|p=381}}

Working at Goldeneye between January and March 1960, Fleming wrote the novel ''Thunderball'', based on the screenplay written by himself, Whittingham and McClory.{{sfn|Benson|1988|p=20}} In March 1961 McClory read an advance copy, and he and Whittingham immediately petitioned the [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] in London for an injunction to stop publication.{{sfn|Benson|1988|p=21}} After [[Thunderball (novel)#Controversy|two court actions]], the second in November 1961,<ref name="Sellers (2007)" /> Fleming offered McClory a deal, settling out of court. McClory gained the literary and film rights for the screenplay, while Fleming was given the rights to the novel, provided it was acknowledged as "based on a screen treatment by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham and the Author".{{sfn|Lycett|1996|p=432}}

Fleming's books had always sold well, but in 1961 sales increased dramatically. On 17 March 1961, four years after its publication and three years after the heavy criticism of ''Dr. No'', an article in ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' listed ''From Russia, with Love'' as one of [[President of the United States|US President]] [[John F. Kennedy]]'s 10 favourite books.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sidey |first=Hugh |title=The President's Voracious Reading Habits |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]] |date=17 March 1961 |volume=50 |issue=11 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vUUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 |access-date=10 December 2011 |issn=0024-3019}}</ref> Kennedy and Fleming had previously met in Washington.<ref name="Hellman (1962)" /> This accolade and the associated publicity led to a surge in sales that made Fleming the biggest-selling crime writer in the US.{{sfn|Lycett|1996|p=383}}{{sfn|Fleming|Higson|2006|p=vi}} Fleming considered ''From Russia, with Love'' to be his best novel; he said "the great thing is that each one of the books seems to have been a favourite with one or other section of the public and none has yet been completely damned."{{sfn|Chancellor|2005|p=97}}

In April 1961, shortly before the second court case on ''Thunderball'',<ref name="Lycett (DNB)" /> Fleming had a heart attack during a regular weekly meeting at ''The Sunday Times''.{{sfn|Lycett|1996|p=384}} While he was convalescing, one of his friends, Duff Dunbar, gave him a copy of [[Beatrix Potter]]'s ''[[The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin]]'' and suggested that he take the time to write up the bedtime story that Fleming used to tell to his son Caspar each evening.{{sfn|Lycett|1996|p=384}} Fleming attacked the project with gusto and wrote to his publisher, Michael Howard of Jonathan Cape, joking that "There is not a moment, even on the edge of the tomb, when I am not slaving for you";{{sfn|Macintyre|2008|p=194}} the result was Fleming's only children's novel, ''[[Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang]]'', which was published in October 1964, two months after his death.{{sfn|Benson|1988|p=27}}

In June 1961 Fleming sold a six-month option on the film rights to his published and future James Bond novels and short stories to [[Harry Saltzman]].{{sfn|Benson|1988|p=21}} Saltzman formed the production vehicle [[Eon Productions]] along with [[Albert R. Broccoli|Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli]], and after an extensive search, they hired [[Sean Connery]] on a six-film deal, later reduced to five beginning with ''[[Dr. No (film)|Dr. No]]'' (1962).{{sfn|Benson|1988|p=22}}<ref name="documentary" /> Connery's depiction of Bond affected the literary character; in ''[[You Only Live Twice (novel)|You Only Live Twice]]'', the first book written after ''Dr. No'' was released, Fleming gave Bond a sense of humour that was not present in the previous stories.{{sfn|Macintyre|2008|p=205}}

Fleming's second non-fiction book was published in November 1963: ''[[Thrilling Cities]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Hope |first=Francis |title=Purple Trail |newspaper=[[The Observer]] |location=London |date=10 November 1963 |page=24}}</ref> a reprint of a series of ''Sunday Times'' articles based on Fleming's impressions of world cities{{sfn|Pearson|1967|p=375}} in trips taken during 1959 and 1960.{{sfn|Fleming|1963|p=7}} Approached in 1964 by producer [[Norman Felton]] to write a spy series for television, Fleming provided several ideas, including the names of characters [[Napoleon Solo]] and [[The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.|April Dancer]], for the series ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]''{{sfn|Benson|1988|p=26}} However, Fleming withdrew from the project following a request from Eon Productions, who were keen to avoid any legal problems that might occur if the project overlapped with the Bond films.{{sfn|Britton|2004|p=36}}

In January 1964 Fleming went to Goldeneye for what proved to be his last holiday and wrote the first draft of ''The Man with the Golden Gun''.{{sfn| DelFattore |1989|p=108}} He was dissatisfied with it and wrote to [[William Plomer]], the copy editor of his novels, asking for it to be rewritten.{{sfn|Benson|1988|p=30}} Fleming became increasingly unhappy with the book and considered rewriting it, but was dissuaded by Plomer, who considered it viable for publication.{{sfn|Lycett|1996|p=438}}