The Diamond Smugglers

The True Story of an International Crime Ring and Its Downfall, Told by the Creator of James Bond

By: Ian Fleming

Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards

THE TRUE STORY OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRIME RING AND ITS DOWNFALL

In 1957, as the Cold War raged, Ian Fleming took a respite from writing James Bond to craft a work of nonfiction every bit as tense as a Bond adventure. Aided by an ex-MI5 agent and International Diamond Security Organization operative going by the alias “John Blaize,” Fleming chronicled the IDSO’s infiltration of the “million-carat network”―the world’s most notorious diamond smuggling ring.

Every year, a shadowy band of racketeers pirated a fortune in diamonds out of Africa, and the majority of the stolen gems wound up in the hands of Communist nations. In response, the IDSO commissioned a private army, led by legendary British spymaster Sir Percy Sillitoe, to penetrate and topple the ring.

When the operation was complete, the Sunday Times gave the story to Fleming, who had impressed Sillitoe with his earlier Bond adventure Diamonds Are Forever. A remarkable feat of investigative journalism, The Diamond Smugglers is the thrilling true story behind one of the greatest spy operations in history.

Time capsule of diamond smuggling in the 50s.

A good additional read for the most diehard Fleming fans. The stories told by John Blaise could have made great short stories by Fleming.