Nicholas Shakespeare was born in 1957. The son of a diplomat, much of his youth was spent in the Far East and South America. His books have been translated into twenty-two languages. They include The Vision of Elena Silves (winner of the Somerset Maugham Award), Snowleg, The Dancer Upstairs, Inheritance, Priscilla and Six Minutes in May. He has been longlisted for the Booker Prize twice, was a Visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Written with Fleming-esque brio and insouciance, with a feeling for the tragic aspects of his life as well as the ironic comedy of it..elegant...the research here is impeccable. * Telegraph * This excellent biography is as worldly and clever as one could wish. -- Philip Hensher * Spectator * Magisterial.... Shakespeare knows Fleming’s world intimately and the intricate portrait of this complex individual is unsurpassable. -- William Boyd * Daily Express, Books of the Year * Elegant and painstakingly researched * Observer * This is a marvellous book about Ian Fleming, but it's also one of the most engaging portraits of a particular period of British history that I have read in a long time -- Antonia Fraser A must-read * Evening Standard * The Complete Man is packed with women, their characters and stories carefully filled in...highly accomplished and readable * New Statesman * A revealing insight into postwar, post-Empire Britain...A terrific read -- Michael Wood * BBC History Magazine * Fascinating, well researched, neatly written -- D.J. Taylor * Literary Review * Shakespeare has the rare ability to reinvigorate subjects that had seemed exhausted. If, like me, you thought you knew all there was to be known about Ian Fleming, prepare for a surprise...written with such brio that the pace never slackens -- Adam Sisman