All you ever wanted to know about Bond – his earliest memory, his most treasured possession, his most unappealing habit. Don't miss William Boyd's interview with 007
James Bond was born in 1924. His father was Andrew Bond, a Scottish engineer who worked for the Vickers armament firm, and his mother, Monique, was Swiss, née Delacroix. Bond was initially educated abroad and became fluent in German and French. His parents, however, died in a tragic climbing accident when Bond was 11 years old. He was sent to Eton, and spent only two terms there before being expelled. The rest of his secondary education took place in Scotland, at Fettes College, Edinburgh, his father's old school. Bond left school at the age of 17 in 1941, and, lying about his age, joined a branch of what would become the Ministry of Defence. He ended the war with the rank of commander in the Special Branch of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and continued to work with the ministry. In 1962 he was briefly married to Teresa di Vicenzo. Since 1953 he has lived in Wellington Square, Chelsea, in south west London. He has no living relatives.
When were you happiest?
When I lived with a young woman called Tiffany Case for some months in 1954. It's as close as I've come to being settled domestically.
What went wrong?
She left me for an American soldier, a marine officer.
What is your greatest fear?
Dying in a plane crash.
What is your earliest memory?
Sunlight on snowy mountains in Switzerland.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
Admiral Sir Miles Messervy. He knows me better than I know myself.
Who is he?
Consider the first letters of his names.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
For a man in my profession I shed tears far too easily.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Snobbery.
Aside from a property, what's the most expensive thing you've ever bought?
A Mark VI Continental Bentley.
What is your most treasured possession?
My flat in Chelsea.
Where would you like to be now?
Having breakfast on the terrace of the Blue Hills Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I have this lock of hair that keeps falling across my forehead. It drives me mad.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
A combination of Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn.
What is your most unappealing habit?
I smoke far too much.
What is your favourite smell?
Guerlain's Shalimar. The perfume my mother used to wear.
What is your favourite word?
"Goose" as in "Don't be a goose."
What is your favourite book?
Currently The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene.
What is your fancy dress costume of choice?
I detest fancy dress.
What is the worst thing anyone's ever said to you?
"You're going to die, Mr Bond."
Cat or dog?
Dog.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
A cocktail I invented called the Vesper. Three parts gin, one part vodka, one half measure of Kina Lillet.The gin and the vodka to come straight from the freezer. Add a slice of lemon peel. It's extremely powerful.
What do you owe your parents?
I was too young when they died to have learned anything from them.
To whom would you most like to say sorry and why?
Je ne regrette rien.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Teresa di Vicenzo, known as "Tracy". Our marriage lasted only a few hours.
Which living person do you most despise and why?
There's a mercenary soldier called Kobus Breed whom I particularly dislike. He killed a very dear friend of mine in an extremely cruel way.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Ben Hogan, Lafcadio Hearn, Giacomo Casanova, Nell Gwyn, Greta Garbo and Mary, Queen of Scots.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"Same again, please."
What is the worst job you've ever done?
Japanese fisherman.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
What cannot be avoided must be accepted.
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
I'd go to 17th-century France, to the court of Louis XIV, the Sun King.
How do you relax?
Gambling, drinking, smoking, driving.
What is the closest you've ever come to death?
Is this some kind of joke?
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
A Jensen Interceptor II.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
That the show is still on the road.
What keeps you awake at night?
Noises.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
"After You've Gone" by Layton and Creamer, sung by Judy Garland or Ella Fitzgerald.
How would you like to be remembered?
Posterity is not our business.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Seize the day.
Tell us a secret.
The last thing you know about yourself is your self.
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/28/william-boyd-q-a-james-bond
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