title: Los Angeles Rams

text: In 1964, concurrent with a major remodeling of the team's Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum home, the colors were changed to a simpler blue and white. The new helmet horns were white, wider, and separated at the helmet center front. The blue jersey had white numerals with two white sleeve stripes. The white jersey featured blue numerals and a wide blue crescent shoulder stripe. A 1964 league rule allowed teams to wear white jerseys for home games and the Rams were among several teams to do so (the Dallas Cowboys, who introduced their blue-white-silverblue uniform that season, have worn white at home ever since), as owner Dan Reeves felt it would be more enjoyable for fans to see the various colors of the rest of the league as opposed to always having the Rams in blue and the visiting team in white. The pants were white with a thick blue stripe. In 1970, in keeping with the standards of the newly merged NFL, names appeared on the jersey backs for the first time. The sleeve "TV numbers", quite large compared to those of other teams, were made smaller in 1965. From 1964 to early 1972 the Rams wore white jerseys for every home league game and exhibition, at one point not wearing their blue jerseys at all from the 10th game of 1967 through the 1971 opener, a stretch of 48 games; it was a tradition that continued under coaches Harland Svare, George Allen, and Tommy Prothro. But new owner Carroll Rosenbloom did not particularly like the Rams' uniforms, so in pursuit of a new look the team wore its seldom-used blue jerseys for most home games in 1972. During that season Rosenbloom's Rams also announced an intention to revive the old blue and gold colors for 1973, and asked fans to send in design ideas.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: Yellow-gold was restored to the team's color scheme in 1973. The new uniform design consisted of yellow-gold pants and curling rams horns on the sleeves—yellow-gold horns curving from the shoulders to the arms on the blue jerseys, which featured golden numerals (a white border around the numerals, similar to the 1957 style, appeared for two preseason games and then disappeared). Players' names were in contrasting white. The white jersey had similarly shaped blue horns, numerals and names. The white jerseys also had yellow gold sleeves. The gold pants included a blue-white-blue tri-stripe, which was gradually widened through the 1970s and early 1980s. The blue socks initially featured two thin golden stripes in the middle of the blue section; they disappeared upon their move to St. Louis in 1995. From 1973 to 1976 the Rams were the only team to wear white cleats on the road and royal blue cleats at home; since 1977, they have worn white ones. The new golden helmet horns were of identical shape, but for the first time the horn was not factory-painted but instead a decal applied to the helmet. The decal was cut in sections and affixed to accommodate spaces for face-mask and chin-strap attachments, and so the horn curved farther around the ear hole. The jersey numerals were made thicker and blunter in 1975. The Rams primarily wore blue at home with this combination, but after 1977 occasionally wore white at home. The team wore its white jerseys for most of its 1978 home dates, including its postseason games with the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys—the latter is the only postseason game the Cowboys have ever won while outfitted in their blue jerseys. The gray face masks became navy blue in 1981. The Rams wore white jerseys exclusively in the 1982 and 1993 seasons, as well as other selected occasions throughout their 15 seasons in Anaheim.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: On April 12, 2000, the St. Louis Rams debuted new logos, team colors and uniforms. The Rams' primary colors were changed from royal blue and yellow to "Millennium Blue" and "New Century Gold". A new logo of a charging ram's head was added to the sleeves and gold stripes were added to the sides of the jerseys. The new gold pants no longer featured any stripes. Blue pants and white pants with a small gold stripe (an extension off the jersey stripe that ended in a point) were also an option with the Rams electing to wear the white set in a pre-season game in San Diego in 2001. The helmet design essentially remained the same as it was in 1948, except for updates to the coloring, navy blue field with gold horns. The 2000 rams' horn design featured a slightly wider separation at the helmet's center. Both home and away jerseys had a gold stripe that ran down each side, but that only lasted for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Additionally, the "TV numbers" on the jerseys, which had previously been on the sleeve, moved up to the shoulder pad.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: In 2003, the Rams wore blue pants with their white jerseys for a pair of early-season games, but after losses to the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks, the Rams reverted to gold pants with their white jerseys. In 2005, the Rams wore the blue pants at home against Arizona and on the road against Dallas. In 2007, the Rams wore all possible combinations of their uniforms. They wore the blue tops and gold pants at home against Carolina, San Francisco, Cleveland, Seattle, and on the road against Dallas. They wore the blue tops and blue pants at home against Arizona, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh on Marshall Faulk night. They wore the blue tops and white pants on the road in Tampa Bay and at home against Green Bay. They wore white tops and gold pants at New Orleans and San Francisco. They wore white tops and white pants at Seattle and Arizona. And they wore white tops and blue pants at Baltimore and Cincinnati. In 2008, the Rams did away with the gold pants after they were used for only one regular-season game at Seattle. The blue jerseys with white pants and white jerseys with blue pants combinations were used most of the time. For the 2009 season, the Rams elected to wear the white pants with both jerseys for the majority of the time except the games against the Vikings and Texans (see below) where they wore the throwback jerseys from the 1999 season, week 2 in Washington when they wore gold pants with the blue jersey, and week 12 against Seattle when they wore blue pants with the blue jersey. The Rams ceased wearing the New Century gold pants after Nike took over as the NFL's uniform supplier in 2012.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: During their time in St. Louis, the Rams had worn blue at home. Like most other teams playing in a dome, the Rams did not need to wear white to gain an advantage with the heat. The Rams wore their white jerseys and blue pants in St. Louis against the Dallas Cowboys, on October 19, 2008, forcing the Cowboys to wear their "unlucky" blue uniforms, and won the game 34–14. On October 21, 2012, the Rams wore white jerseys and white pants against the Green Bay Packers.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: The NFL approved the use of throwback uniforms for the club, during the 2009 season, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 1999 Super Bowl championship. The Rams wore the throwback uniforms for two home games in 2009, on October 11 against the Minnesota Vikings and on December 20 against the Houston Texans. The Rams wore their 1999 throwbacks again on October 31, 2010, when they beat the Carolina Panthers 20–10. The throwbacks have since then seen action for two select regular-season games each year since. In 1994, the team's last season in Southern California, the Rams wore jerseys and pants replicating those of their 1951 championship season for their September games with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: Four days after the NFL approved their return to Los Angeles, the team made slight changes to its branding. The only change to the team's wordmark logo was the location name, from St. Louis to Los Angeles, to reflect the team's move. The team's colors were retained. The Rams also announced there would be no significant changes to the team's uniforms, apart from the newly updated logos with the Los Angeles location name.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: In a March 21, 2016 interview with the "Los Angeles Times", team chief operating officer Kevin Demoff said that there would be no uniform change for the team until 2019 (the year that the new stadium was originally planned to open). However, the stadium completion was pushed back one year into 2020 in May 2017, pushing the rebrand back to 2020 along with it. On August 11, 2016, the team announced on Twitter that it would wear its all-white uniforms for five of the team's eight home games during the 2016 season as a nod to the Fearsome Foursome era; the Rams wore their alternative royal blue and gold throwback uniforms for the other two games at the Coliseum and wore their midnight blue jerseys at their international game at Twickenham Stadium.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: Throughout the 2016 season, the Rams' signage around the stadium, end zones, and other uses of the logo showed a variation that was only colored in blue and white, leading some fans to believe the team's upcoming rebrand would involve gold being completely dropped from the color scheme. For the 2017 season, the Rams announced they would be wearing helmets similar to the Fearsome Foursome era: Millennium blue helmets with white helmet horns and, voted on by fans, a white face mask. Fans also voted for a new pants design, which was a single blue stripe down the side of white pants, as well as an inverse design for road games. The team also began using the blue and white logo as their primary logo, confirming that they would be phasing out gold from their color scheme, although gold remained on the jerseys due to an NFL rule that teams must have the same jersey design for at least a minimum of five seasons. The Rams also announced a fan vote via Twitter to decide which two home games they would wear throwback uniforms. Fans selected the October 8, 2017, game against the Seahawks and the December 31, 2017, game against the 49ers, the same two opponents the Rams wore throwbacks against the prior season. In their Week 3 road game against the 49ers, the Rams also participated in NFL Color Rush, wearing throwback-style all-yellow uniforms with blue detailing and blue numbers, as well as yellow horns on the helmets and white stripes outlined in blue on the pants.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: On July 27, 2018, the Rams announced that they would wear their throwback royal blue and yellow primary color uniform for home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the 2018 season. In conjunction with the change, the team retired its navy blue and metallic gold uniform. The Rams' white uniform remained unchanged, and its one alternate uniform is the yellow Color Rush uniform. Additionally, the team confirmed their new rebrand would take place in 2020 to coincide with the opening of their new home stadium, SoFi Stadium.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: On March 23, 2020, the Rams officially unveiled a new logo set and color scheme. The new primary logo features stylized "LA" lettering with a ram's horn forming and spiraling out of the top of the "A," with gradients to show curvature similar to a real ram's horn. A website showcasing the new look says the letters were included "ensuring that the Rams are forever tied to the city of Los Angeles." The secondary logo is a ram's head that combines several elements from previous logos of the team. New wordmarks were introduced as well, and the team's new colors were revealed as "Rams Royal" (royal blue) and "Sol" (yellow). Despite the optimism of the Rams' design team; the logo was very poorly received by a majority of the fanbase. COO Kevin Demoff stated that the two key elements the team kept in mind were the horns, which had long been symbolic of the team, and the royal blue and yellow color scheme. Demoff stated that the team had studied every single previous look for inspiration, and the goal was to "weave together this history into a new, modern look...respecting our past and representing our future."


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: The Rams officially revealed the club's new uniform designs on May 13, 2020. The team initially introduced three combinations, two of which included a royal blue jersey with yellow and white gradient numbers, as well as yellow sleeve striping similar to the new shape of the horns. Blue pants with similar gradient stripes were introduced, alongside yellow pants with solid white and blue stripes. The road jersey was given a new "bone grey" color, which featured white and yellow sleeve patterns and blue numbers. Bone grey pants were featured alongside the road jersey, which included a white stripe with a thinner yellow stripe. All three combinations used a brand new metallic blue helmet design, featuring blue facemasks and the new styling of the horns similar to the team's logos. Later, however, the Rams wore three additional combinations: blue jerseys and bone grey pants, bone grey jerseys and blue pants and bone grey jerseys and yellow pants. They also wore bone grey socks as a variation to their all-bone grey look.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: On July 13, 2021, the Rams unveiled a white alternate uniform. This set was a modernized version of the team's 1973–1999 road uniform set, complete with blue rounded numbers and "Rams" patch on the left shoulder. Initially, the Rams wore yellow pants with the alternate white uniforms, but in Week 10 of the 2021 season, they wore blue pants with this set. The Rams chose the white alternates with yellow pants as their Super Bowl LVI uniform.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: On July 30, 2022, the Rams announced that the white uniform would supplant the bone uniform as its primary road uniform.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: The table below shows the five most recent NFL regular season records along with their respective finish in the NFL playoffs. The Los Angeles Rams appeared in the postseason in four of the five last seasons, including a Super Bowl championship in the 2021 NFL season and an appearance in the Super Bowl–the first since 2001–after the 2018 NFL season. Recent notable honors with current members of the Los Angeles Rams include NFL Coach of the Year in 2017 for Sean McVay, Super Bowl MVP for Cooper Kupp in 2021, and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, 2018, and 2020 for Aaron Donald.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: Former Rams in the Pro Football Hall of Fame include Joe Namath (12), Marshall Faulk (28), Ollie Matson (33), Orlando Pace (76), Andy Robustelli (84), Dick "Night Train" Lane (81), Kurt Warner (13), and coach Earl "Dutch" Clark. Three other figures associated with the Rams are members of the Hall of Fame, but were elected more on the basis of their accomplishments outside the Rams:


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: Former Rams were included in the St. Louis Football Ring of Fame, which was located in The Dome at America's Center. All players included are Hall of Famers, but there have been a few exceptions for team executives and coaches.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: The Rams were the first NFL team to televise their home games; in a sponsorship arrangement with Admiral television, all home games of the 1950 NFL season were shown locally. The Rams also televised games in the early 1950s. The 1951 NFL Championship Game was the first championship game televised coast-to-coast (via the DuMont Network). During the team's original stint in Los Angeles all games were broadcast on KMPC radio (710 AM); play-by-play announcers were Bob Kelley (who accompanied the team from Cleveland and worked until his death in 1966), Dick Enberg (1966–1977), Al Wisk (1978–1979), Bob Starr (1980–1989, 1993), Eddie Doucette (1990), Paul Olden (1991–1992), and Steve Physioc (1994). Analysts included Gil Stratton, Steve Bailey, Dave Niehaus (1968–1972), Don Drysdale (1973–1976), Dick Bass (1977–1986), Jack Youngblood (1987–1991), Jack Snow (1992–1994), and Deacon Jones (1994).


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: During the team's stint in St. Louis it had a few broadcast partners. From 1995 to 1999 the Rams games were broadcast on KSD 93.7 FM. From 2000 to 2008 KLOU FM 103.3 was the Rams' flagship station with Steve Savard as the play-by-play announcer. Until October 2005, Jack Snow had been the color analyst since 1992, dating back to the team's original stint in Los Angeles. Snow left the booth after suffering an illness and died in January 2006. Former Rams offensive line coach Jim Hanifan joined KLOU as the color analyst the year after Jack Snow's departure. From 2009 until 2015, the Rams' flagship radio station was 101.1 FM WXOS, a sports station in St. Louis affiliated with ESPN Radio. Savard served as the play-by-play man with D'Marco Farr in the color spot and Brian Stull reporting from the field. Preseason games not shown on a national broadcast network were seen on KTVI in St. Louis; preseason games are produced by the Kroenke-owned Denver-based Altitude Sports and Entertainment, which shares common ownership with the Rams.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: Months after the Rams returned to Los Angeles, it was announced on June 9, 2016, that their anchor station would be CBS' O&O station KCBS-TV will air pre-season games that are not on national television. The KCBS broadcasting team includes Andrew Siciliano (play-by-play announcer), Pro Football Hall of Fame former running backs Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk providing color commentary. In 2017 NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah replaced Dickerson. KCBS's Jill Arrington and Rams reporters Dani Klupenger and Myles Simmons also provide insight; a pre-game show airs a half-hour before each game in addition former Rams quarterback Jim Everett and former defensive back and sports anchor/director Jim Hill provides an inside look into each upcoming game with player profiles, live interviews from booth and sideline updates and a 30-minute postgame that provides game breakdown, film analysis, and press conference look-ins with head coach Sean McVay and select players. Spanish-language game coverage is provided by Spanish-language sister stations Univision 34 (one home game) and UniMás 46 (two away games) in Spanish.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: In 2016, the Rams' news and highlights where shown on "Rams Primetime Live" on KABC-TV on Saturday nights after college football games during the regular season, hosted by sports anchor Rob Fukuzaki, sports reporter Ashley Brewer and traffic reporter Alysha Del Valle. Starting with the 2021 preseason, KABC-TV is televising Rams preseason games, along with the weekly Rams 360 show.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: Under the league's current national TV contracts for regular-season games, Fox O&O KTTV carries the bulk of the team's games due to Fox holding the rights to the NFC contract, along with "Thursday Night Football". KCBS carries Sunday afternoon games in which the Rams host an AFC team (pending any Rams Sunday game that the league later decides in mid-season to "cross-flex" between Fox and CBS). KNBC airs "NBC Sunday Night Football" and some selected Thursday night games produced by NBC. As for games that air on ESPN's "Monday Night Football", KABC simulcasts these cable games carries those games as the two channels share common ownership. The league's blackout policy is not currently in effect, meaning that besides road games, all Rams home games are televised in the Los Angeles market, regardless of attendance. If the Chargers and Rams are both playing at the same time on Sunday afternoons on a certain network (for instance, a Rams road game against an AFC opponent at the same time as a Charger home game with an NFC opponent with both on Fox, or the reverse where the Rams are on the road against an AFC opponent and the Chargers are at home against an AFC opponent on CBS), in the Los Angeles market, Fox and CBS have authorization to carry the additional game on their secondary sister stations; Fox games air on KCOP-TV, while CBS games are aired on KCAL-TV.


title: Los Angeles Rams

text: On June 20, 2016, the Rams announced their Los Angeles-area radio broadcasting rights agreements. As of 2016, the Rams' official flagship radio station is KSPN-AM, while the team's official FM radio station is KCBS-FM (owned by Entercom). On July 19, 2016, the Rams announced that they had reached an agreement with KWKW for Spanish-language coverage of the team. The Rams' radio English broadcast team is J.B. Long (play-by-play voice announcer), Maurice Jones-Drew (color analyst), and D'Marco Farr (sideline reporter) with Mario Solis and Troy Santiago comprising the Spanish broadcast team. ESPN 710 also broadcasts a three-hour pre-game broadcast show featuring Steve Mason, Kirk Morrison (former NFL linebacker) and Eric Davis as well as a two-hour post-game show with Travis Rodgers, Morrison, and Davis, Jeff Biggs will cover the Rams during halftime.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar "James Bond" series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his father was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley from 1910 until his death on the Western Front in 1917. Educated at Eton, Sandhurst, and, briefly, the universities of Munich and Geneva, Fleming moved through several jobs before he started writing.


title: Ian Fleming

text: While working for Britain's Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War, Fleming was involved in planning Operation Goldeneye and in the planning and oversight of two intelligence units, 30 Assault Unit and T-Force. He drew from his wartime service and his career as a journalist for much of the background, detail, and depth of his James Bond novels.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, "Casino Royale", in 1952. It was a success, with three print runs being commissioned to cope with the demand. Eleven Bond novels and two collections of short stories followed between 1953 and 1966. The novels revolve around James Bond, an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. Bond is also known by his code number, 007, and was a commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children's story "Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang" and two works of non-fiction. In 2008, "The Times" ranked Fleming 14th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming was married to Ann Charteris. She had divorced her husband, the second Viscount Rothermere, because of her affair with the author. Fleming and Charteris had a son, Caspar. Fleming was a heavy smoker and drinker for most of his life and succumbed to heart disease in 1964 at the age of 56. Two of his James Bond books were published posthumously; other writers have since produced Bond novels. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-seven times, portrayed by seven actors.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Ian Lancaster Fleming was born on 28 May 1908, at 27 Green Street in the wealthy London district of Mayfair. His mother was Evelyn "Eve" Fleming, "" Rose, and his father was Valentine Fleming, the Member of Parliament for Henley from 1910 to 1917. As an infant he briefly lived with his family at Braziers Park in Oxfordshire. Fleming was a grandson of the Scottish financier Robert Fleming, who co-founded the Scottish American Investment Company and the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co.


title: Ian Fleming

text: In 1914, with the start of the First World War, Valentine Fleming joined "C" Squadron, Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars, and rose to the rank of major. He was killed by German shelling on the Western Front on 20 May 1917; Winston Churchill wrote an obituary that appeared in "The Times". Because Valentine had owned an estate at Arnisdale, his death was commemorated on the Glenelg War Memorial.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming's elder brother Peter (1907–1971) became a travel writer and married actress Celia Johnson. Peter served with the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War, was later commissioned under Colin Gubbins to help establish the Auxiliary Units, and became involved in behind-the-lines operations in Norway and Greece during the war.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming also had two younger brothers, Michael (1913–1940) and Richard (1911–1977). Michael died of wounds in October 1940 after being captured at Normandy while serving with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Fleming also had a younger maternal half-sister born out of wedlock, the cellist Amaryllis Fleming (1925–1999), whose father was the artist Augustus John. Amaryllis was conceived during a long-term affair between John and Evelyn which had started in 1923, six years after the death of Valentine.


title: Ian Fleming

text: In 1914 Fleming attended Durnford School, a preparatory school on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. He did not enjoy his time at Durnford; he suffered unpalatable food, physical hardship and bullying.


title: Ian Fleming

text: In 1921 Fleming enrolled at Eton College. Not a high achiever academically, he excelled at athletics and held the title of "Victor Ludorum" ("Winner of the Games") for two years between 1925 and 1927. He also edited a school magazine, "The Wyvern". His lifestyle at Eton brought him into conflict with his housemaster, E. V. Slater, who disapproved of Fleming's attitude, his hair oil, his ownership of a car and his relations with women. Slater persuaded Fleming's mother to remove him from Eton a term early for a crammer course to gain entry to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He spent less than a year there, leaving in 1927 without gaining a commission, after contracting gonorrhea.


title: Ian Fleming

text: In 1927, to prepare Fleming for possible entry into the Foreign Office, his mother sent him to the Tennerhof in Kitzbühel, Austria, a small private school run by the Adlerian disciple and former British spy Ernan Forbes Dennis and his novelist wife, Phyllis Bottome. After improving his language skills there, he studied briefly at Munich University and the University of Geneva. While in Geneva, Fleming began a romance with Monique Panchaud de Bottens and the couple became engaged just before he returned to London in September 1931 to take the Foreign Office exam. He scored an adequate pass standard, but failed to get a job offer. His mother intervened in his affairs, lobbying Sir Roderick Jones, head of Reuters News Agency, and in October 1931 he was given a position as a sub-editor and journalist for the company. In April 1933 Fleming spent time in Moscow, where he covered the Stalinist show trial of six engineers from the British company Metropolitan-Vickers. While there he applied for an interview with Soviet premier Joseph Stalin, and was amazed to receive a personally signed note apologising for not being able to attend. Upon returning from Moscow he ended the engagement to Monique after his mother threatened to cut off his trust fund allowance.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming bowed to family pressure again in October 1933, and went into banking with a position at the financiers Cull & Co. In 1935 he moved to Rowe and Pitman on Bishopsgate as a stockbroker. Fleming was unsuccessful in both roles. The same year, Fleming met Muriel Wright whilst skiing in Kitzbuhel, Austria, and began a long-term relationship with her. After her death during a bomb raid in 1944, Fleming was overcome with guilt and remorse, and it is generally thought that she provided the inspiration for the girls he was to create for his future novels. Early in 1939 Fleming began an affair with Ann O'Neill, "" Charteris, who was married to the 3rd Baron O'Neill; she was also having an affair with Esmond Harmsworth, the heir to Lord Rothermere, owner of the "Daily Mail".


title: Ian Fleming

text: In May 1939 Fleming was recruited by Rear Admiral John Godfrey, Director of Naval Intelligence of the Royal Navy, to become his personal assistant. He joined the organisation full-time in August 1939, with the codename "17F", and worked out of Room 39 at the Admiralty, now known as the Ripley Building. Fleming's biographer, Andrew Lycett, notes that Fleming had "no obvious qualifications" for the role. As part of his appointment, Fleming was commissioned into the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in July 1939, initially as Lieutenant, but was promoted to Lieutenant Commander a few months later.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming proved invaluable as Godfrey's personal assistant and excelled in administration. Godfrey was known as an abrasive character who made enemies within government circles. He frequently used Fleming as a liaison with other sections of the government's wartime administration, such as the Secret Intelligence Service, the Political Warfare Executive, the Special Operations Executive (SOE), the Joint Intelligence Committee and the Prime Minister's staff.


title: Ian Fleming

text: On 29 September 1939, soon after the start of the war, Godfrey circulated a memorandum that, "bore all the hallmarks of ... Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming", according to historian Ben Macintyre. It was called the Trout Memo and compared the deception of an enemy in wartime to fly fishing. The memo contained several schemes to be considered for use against the Axis powers to lure U-boats and German surface ships towards minefields. Number 28 on the list was an idea to plant misleading papers on a corpse that would be found by the enemy; the suggestion is similar to Operation Mincemeat, the 1943 plan to conceal the intended invasion of Italy from North Africa, which was developed by Charles Cholmondoley in October 1942. The recommendation in the Trout Memo was titled: "A Suggestion (not a very nice one)", and continued: "The following suggestion is used in a book by Basil Thomson: a corpse dressed as an airman, with despatches in his pockets, could be dropped on the coast, supposedly from a parachute that has failed. I understand there is no difficulty in obtaining corpses at the Naval Hospital, but, of course, it would have to be a fresh one."


title: Ian Fleming

text: In 1940 Fleming and Godfrey contacted Kenneth Mason, Professor of Geography at Oxford University, about the preparation of reports on the geography of countries involved in military operations. These reports were the precursors of the "Naval Intelligence Division Geographical Handbook Series" produced between 1941 and 1946.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Operation Ruthless, a plan aimed at obtaining details of the Enigma codes used by the German Navy, was instigated by a memo written by Fleming to Godfrey on 12 September 1940. The idea was to "obtain" a Nazi bomber, man it with a German-speaking crew dressed in Luftwaffe uniforms, and crash it into the English Channel. The crew would then attack their German rescuers and bring their boat and Enigma machine back to England. Much to the annoyance of Alan Turing and Peter Twinn at Bletchley Park, the mission was never carried out. According to Fleming's niece, Lucy, an official of the Royal Air Force pointed out that if they were to drop a downed Heinkel bomber in the English Channel, it would probably sink rather quickly.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming also worked with Colonel "Wild Bill" Donovan, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's special representative on intelligence co-operation between London and Washington. In May 1941 Fleming accompanied Godfrey to the United States, where he assisted in writing a blueprint for the Office of the Coordinator of Information, the department that turned into the Office of Strategic Services and eventually became the CIA.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Admiral Godfrey put Fleming in charge of Operation Goldeneye between 1941 and 1942; Goldeneye was a plan to maintain an intelligence framework in Spain in the event of a German takeover of the territory. Fleming's plan involved maintaining communication with Gibraltar and launching sabotage operations against the Nazis. In 1941 he liaised with Donovan over American involvement in a measure intended to ensure the Germans did not dominate the seaways.


title: Ian Fleming

text: In 1942 Fleming formed a unit of commandos, known as No. 30 Commando or 30 Assault Unit (30AU), composed of specialist intelligence troops. 30AU's job was to be near the front line of an advance—sometimes in front of it—to seize enemy documents from previously targeted headquarters. The unit was based on a German group headed by Otto Skorzeny, who had undertaken similar activities in the Battle of Crete in May 1941. The German unit was thought by Fleming to be "one of the most outstanding innovations in German intelligence".


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming did not fight in the field with the unit, but selected targets and directed operations from the rear. On its formation the unit was 30 strong, but it grew to five times that size. The unit was filled with men from other commando units, and trained in unarmed combat, safe-cracking and lock-picking at the SOE facilities. In late 1942 Captain (later Rear-Admiral) Edmund Rushbrooke replaced Godfrey as head of the Naval Intelligence Division, and Fleming's influence in the organisation declined, although he retained control over 30AU. Fleming was unpopular with the unit's members, who disliked his referring to them as "his" "Red Indians".


title: Ian Fleming

text: Before the 1944 Normandy landings, most of 30AU's operations were in the Mediterranean, although it is possible that it secretly participated in the Dieppe Raid in a failed pinch raid for an Enigma machine and related materials. Fleming observed the raid from HMS "Fernie", 700 yards offshore. Because of its successes in Sicily and Italy, 30AU became greatly trusted by naval intelligence.


title: Ian Fleming

text: In March 1944 Fleming oversaw the distribution of intelligence to Royal Navy units in preparation for Operation Overlord. He was replaced as head of 30AU on 6 June 1944, but maintained some involvement. He visited 30AU in the field during and after Overlord, especially following an attack on Cherbourg for which he was concerned that the unit had been incorrectly used as a regular commando force rather than an intelligence-gathering unit. This wasted the men's specialist skills, risked their safety on operations that did not justify the use of such skilled operatives, and threatened the vital gathering of intelligence. Afterwards, the management of these units was revised. He also followed the unit into Germany after it located, in Tambach Castle, the German naval archives from 1870.


title: Ian Fleming

text: In December 1944 Fleming was posted on an intelligence fact-finding trip to the Far East on behalf of the Director of Naval Intelligence. Much of the trip was spent identifying opportunities for 30AU in the Pacific; the unit saw little action because of the Japanese surrender.


title: Ian Fleming

text: The success of 30AU led to the August 1944 decision to establish a "Target Force", which became known as T-Force. The official memorandum, held at The National Archives in London, describes the unit's primary role: "T-Force = Target Force, to guard and secure documents, persons, equipment, with combat and Intelligence personnel, after capture of large towns, ports etc. in liberated and enemy territory."


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming sat on the committee that selected the targets for the T-Force unit, and listed them in the "Black Books" that were issued to the unit's officers. The infantry component of T-Force was in part made up of the 5th Battalion, King's Regiment, which supported the Second Army. It was responsible for securing targets of interest for the British military, including nuclear laboratories, gas research centres and individual rocket scientists. The unit's most notable discoveries came during the advance on the German port of Kiel, in the research centre for German engines used in the V-2 rocket, Messerschmitt Me 163 fighters and high-speed U-boats. Fleming would later use elements of the activities of T-Force in his writing, particularly in his 1955 Bond novel "Moonraker".


title: Ian Fleming

text: In 1942 Fleming attended an Anglo-American intelligence summit in Jamaica and, despite the constant heavy rain during his visit, he decided to live on the island once the war was over. His friend Ivar Bryce helped find a plot of land in Saint Mary Parish where, in 1945, Fleming had a house built, which he named Goldeneye. The name of the house and estate where he wrote his novels has many possible sources. Fleming himself mentioned both his wartime Operation Goldeneye and Carson McCullers' 1941 novel "Reflections in a Golden Eye", which described the use of British naval bases in the Caribbean by the American navy.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming was demobilised in May 1945, but remained in the RNVR for several years, receiving a promotion to substantive lieutenant-commander (Special Branch) on 26 July 1947. In October 1947, he was awarded the King Christian X's Liberty Medal for his contribution in assisting Danish officers escaping from Denmark to Britain during the occupation of Denmark. He ended his service on 16 August 1952, when he was removed from the active list of the RNVR with the rank of lieutenant-commander.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Upon Fleming's demobilisation in May 1945, he became the foreign manager in the Kemsley newspaper group, which at the time owned "The Sunday Times". In this role he oversaw the paper's worldwide network of correspondents. His contract allowed him to take three months' holiday every winter, which he took in Jamaica. Fleming worked full-time for the paper until December 1959, but continued to write articles and attend the Tuesday weekly meetings until at least 1961.


title: Ian Fleming

text: After Ann Charteris's first husband died in the war, she expected to marry Fleming, but he decided to remain a bachelor. On 28 June 1945, she married the second Viscount Rothermere. Nevertheless, Charteris continued her affair with Fleming, travelling to Jamaica to see him under the pretext of visiting his friend and neighbour Noël Coward. In 1948 she gave birth to Fleming's daughter, Mary, who was stillborn. Rothermere divorced Charteris in 1951 because of her relationship with Fleming, and the couple married on 24 March 1952 in Jamaica, a few months before their son Caspar was born in August. Both Fleming and Ann had affairs during their marriage, she with Hugh Gaitskell, the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition. Fleming had a long-term affair in Jamaica with one of his neighbours, Blanche Blackwell, the mother of Chris Blackwell of Island Records.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming was also friends with British Prime Minister Anthony Eden whom he allowed to stay at Goldeneye in late November 1953 due to Eden's deteriorating health.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming had first mentioned to friends during the war that he wanted to write a spy novel, an ambition he achieved within two months with "Casino Royale". He started writing the book at Goldeneye on 17 February 1952, gaining inspiration from his own experiences and imagination. He claimed afterwards that he wrote the novel to distract himself from his forthcoming wedding to the pregnant Charteris, and called the work his "dreadful oafish opus". His manuscript was typed in London by Joan Howe (mother of travel writer Rory MacLean), and Fleming's red-haired secretary at "The Times" on whom the character Miss Moneypenny was partially based. Clare Blanchard, a former girlfriend, advised him not to publish the book, or at least to do so under a pseudonym.


title: Ian Fleming

text: During "Casino Royale's" final draft stages, Fleming allowed his friend William Plomer to see a copy, and remarked "so far as I can see the element of suspense is completely absent". Despite this, Plomer thought the book had sufficient promise and sent a copy to the publishing house Jonathan Cape. At first, they were unenthusiastic about the novel, but Fleming's brother Peter, whose books they managed, persuaded the company to publish it. On 13 April 1953 "Casino Royale" was released in the UK in hardcover, priced at 10s 6d, with a cover designed by Fleming. It was a success and three print runs were needed to cope with the demand.


title: Ian Fleming

text: The novel centres on the exploits of James Bond, an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. Bond is also known by his code number, 007, and was a commander in the Royal Naval Reserve. Fleming took the name for his character from that of the American ornithologist James Bond, an expert on Caribbean birds and author of the definitive field guide "Birds of the West Indies". Fleming, himself a keen birdwatcher, had a copy of Bond's guide, and later told the ornithologist's wife, "that this brief, unromantic, Anglo-Saxon and yet very masculine name was just what I needed, and so a second James Bond was born". In a 1962 interview in "The New Yorker", he further explained: "When I wrote the first one in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened; I wanted him to be a blunt instrument ... when I was casting around for a name for my protagonist I thought by God, [James Bond] is the dullest name I ever heard."


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming based his creation on individuals he met during his time in the Naval Intelligence Division, and admitted that Bond "was a compound of all the secret agents and commando types I met during the war". Among those types were his brother Peter, whom he worshipped, and who had been involved in behind-the-lines operations in Norway and Greece during the war. Fleming envisaged that Bond would resemble the composer, singer and actor Hoagy Carmichael; others, such as author and historian Ben Macintyre, identify aspects of Fleming's own looks in his description of Bond. General references in the novels describe Bond as having "dark, rather cruel good looks".


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming also modelled aspects of Bond on Conrad O'Brien-ffrench, a spy whom Fleming had met while skiing in Kitzbühel in the 1930s, Patrick Dalzel-Job, who served with distinction in 30AU during the war, and Bill "Biffy" Dunderdale, station head of MI6 in Paris, who wore cufflinks and handmade suits and was chauffeured around Paris in a Rolls-Royce. Sir Fitzroy Maclean was another possible model for Bond, based on his wartime work behind enemy lines in the Balkans, as was the MI6 double agent Duško Popov. Fleming also endowed Bond with many of his own traits, including the same golf handicap, his taste for scrambled eggs, his love of gambling, and use of the same brand of toiletries.


title: Ian Fleming

text: After the publication of "Casino Royale", Fleming used his annual holiday at his house in Jamaica to write another Bond story. Twelve Bond novels and two short-story collections were published between 1953 and 1966, the last two ("The Man with the Golden Gun" and "Octopussy and The Living Daylights") posthumously. Much of the background to the stories came from Fleming's previous work in the Naval Intelligence Division or from events he knew of from the Cold War. The plot of "From Russia, with Love" uses a fictional Soviet Spektor decoding machine as a lure to trap Bond; the Spektor had its roots in the wartime German Enigma machine. The novel's plot device of spies on the Orient Express was based on the story of Eugene Karp, a US naval attaché and intelligence agent based in Budapest who took the Orient Express from Budapest to Paris in February 1950, carrying papers about blown US spy networks in the Eastern Bloc. Soviet assassins already on the train drugged the conductor, and Karp's body was found shortly afterwards in a railway tunnel south of Salzburg.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Many of the names used in the Bond works came from people Fleming knew: Scaramanga, the principal villain in "The Man with the Golden Gun", was named after a fellow Eton schoolboy with whom Fleming fought; Goldfinger, from the eponymous novel, was named after British architect Ernő Goldfinger, whose work Fleming abhorred; Sir Hugo Drax, the antagonist of "Moonraker", was named after Fleming's acquaintance Admiral Sir Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax; Drax's assistant, Krebs, bears the same name as Hitler's last Chief of Staff; and one of the homosexual villains from "Diamonds Are Forever", "Boofy" Kidd, was named after one of Fleming's close friends—and a relative of his wife—Arthur Gore, 8th Earl of Arran, known as Boofy to his friends.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming's first work of non-fiction, "The Diamond Smugglers", was published in 1957 and was partly based on background research for his fourth Bond novel, "Diamonds Are Forever". Much of the material had appeared in "The Sunday Times" and was based on Fleming's interviews with John Collard, a member of the International Diamond Security Organisation who had previously worked in MI5. The book received mixed reviews in the UK and US.


title: Ian Fleming

text: For the first five books ("Casino Royale", "Live and Let Die", "Moonraker", "Diamonds Are Forever" and "From Russia, with Love") Fleming received broadly positive reviews. That began to change in March 1958 when Bernard Bergonzi, in the journal "Twentieth Century", attacked Fleming's work as containing "a strongly marked streak of voyeurism and sado-masochism" and wrote that the books showed "the total lack of any ethical frame of reference". The article compared Fleming unfavourably with John Buchan and Raymond Chandler on both moral and literary criteria. A month later, "Dr. No" was published, and Fleming received harsh criticism from reviewers who, in the words of Ben Macintyre, "rounded on Fleming, almost as a pack". The most strongly worded of the critiques came from Paul Johnson of the "New Statesman", who, in his review "Sex, Snobbery and Sadism", called the novel "without doubt, the nastiest book I have ever read". Johnson went on to say that "by the time I was a third of the way through, I had to suppress a strong impulse to throw the thing away". Johnson recognised that in Bond there "was a social phenomenon of some importance", but this was seen as a negative element, as the phenomenon concerned "three basic ingredients in "Dr No", all unhealthy, all thoroughly English: the sadism of a schoolboy bully, the mechanical, two-dimensional sex-longings of a frustrated adolescent, and the crude, snob-cravings of a suburban adult." Johnson saw no positives in "Dr. No", and said, "Mr Fleming has no literary skill, the construction of the book is chaotic, and entire incidents and situations are inserted, and then forgotten, in a haphazard manner."


title: Ian Fleming

text: Lycett notes that Fleming "went into a personal and creative decline" after marital problems and the attacks on his work. "Goldfinger" had been written before the publication of "Dr. No"; the next book Fleming produced after the criticism was "For Your Eyes Only", a collection of short stories derived from outlines written for a television series that did not come to fruition. Lycett noted that, as Fleming was writing the television scripts and the short stories, "Ian's mood of weariness and self-doubt was beginning to affect his writing", which can be seen in Bond's thoughts.


title: Ian Fleming

text: 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 Sheikhs 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."


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming followed the disappointment of "For Your Eyes Only" with "Thunderball", the 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. In October McClory introduced experienced screenwriter Jack Whittingham to the newly formed team, and by December 1959 McClory and Whittingham sent Fleming a script. Fleming had been having second thoughts on McClory's involvement and, in January 1960, explained his intention of delivering the screenplay to MCA, with a recommendation from him and Bryce that McClory act as producer. 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.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Working at Goldeneye between January and March 1960, Fleming wrote the novel "Thunderball", based on the screenplay written by himself, Whittingham and McClory. In March 1961 McClory read an advance copy, and he and Whittingham immediately petitioned the High Court in London for an injunction to stop publication. After two court actions, the second in November 1961, 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".


title: Ian Fleming

text: 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" listed "From Russia, with Love" as one of US President John F. Kennedy's 10 favourite books. Kennedy and Fleming had previously met in Washington. This accolade and the associated publicity led to a surge in sales that made Fleming the biggest-selling crime writer in the US. 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."


title: Ian Fleming

text: In April 1961, shortly before the second court case on "Thunderball", Fleming had a heart attack during a regular weekly meeting at "The Sunday Times". 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. 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"; the result was Fleming's only children's novel, "Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang", which was published in October 1964, two months after his death.


title: Ian Fleming

text: 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. Saltzman formed the production vehicle Eon Productions along with 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" (1962). Connery's depiction of Bond affected the literary character; in "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.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming's second non-fiction book was published in November 1963: "Thrilling Cities", a reprint of a series of "Sunday Times" articles based on Fleming's impressions of world cities in trips taken during 1959 and 1960. 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 April Dancer, for the series "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." 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.


title: Ian Fleming

text: 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". He was dissatisfied with it and wrote to William Plomer, the copy editor of his novels, asking for it to be rewritten. Fleming became increasingly unhappy with the book and considered rewriting it, but was dissuaded by Plomer, who considered it viable for publication.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming was a heavy smoker and drinker throughout his adult life, and suffered from heart disease. In 1961, aged 53, he suffered a heart attack and struggled to recuperate. On 11 August 1964, while staying at a hotel in Canterbury, Fleming went to the Royal St George's Golf Club for lunch and later dined at his hotel with friends. The day had been tiring for him, and he collapsed with another heart attack shortly after the meal. Fleming died at age 56 at Kent and Canterbury Hospital in the early morning of 12 August 1964—his son Caspar's 12th birthday. His last recorded words were an apology to the ambulance drivers for having inconvenienced them, saying "I am sorry to trouble you chaps. I don't know how you get along so fast with the traffic on the roads these days." Fleming was buried in the churchyard of Sevenhampton, near Swindon. His will was proved on 4 November, with his estate valued at £302,147 (equivalent to £ in ).


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming's last two books, "The Man with the Golden Gun" and "Octopussy and The Living Daylights", were published posthumously. "The Man with the Golden Gun" was published eight months after Fleming's death and had not been through the full editing process by Fleming. As a result, the novel was thought by publishing company Jonathan Cape to be thin and "feeble". The publishers had passed the manuscript to Kingsley Amis to read on holiday, but did not use his suggestions. Fleming's biographer Henry Chandler observes that the novel "received polite and rather sad reviews, recognising that the book had effectively been left half-finished, and as such did not represent Fleming at the top of his game". The final Bond book, containing two short stories, "Octopussy and The Living Daylights", was published in Britain on 23 June 1966.


title: Ian Fleming

text: In October 1975 Fleming's son Caspar, aged 23, committed suicide by drug overdose and was buried with his father. Fleming's widow, Ann, died in 1981 and was buried with her husband and their son.


title: Ian Fleming

text: The author Raymond Benson, who later wrote a series of Bond novels, noted that Fleming's books fall into two stylistic periods. Those books written between 1953 and 1960 tend to concentrate on "mood, character development, and plot advancement", while those released between 1961 and 1966 incorporate more detail and imagery. Benson argues that Fleming had become "a master storyteller" by the time he wrote "Thunderball" in 1961.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Jeremy Black divides the series based on the villains Fleming created, a division supported by fellow academic Christoph Lindner. Thus the early books from "Casino Royale" to "For Your Eyes Only" are classed as "Cold War stories", with SMERSH as the antagonists. These were followed by Blofeld and SPECTRE as Bond's opponents in the three novels "Thunderball", "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and "You Only Live Twice", after the thawing of East–West relations. Black and Lindner classify the remaining books—"The Man with the Golden Gun", "Octopussy and The Living Daylights" and "The Spy Who Loved Me"—as "the later Fleming stories".


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming said of his work, "while thrillers may not be Literature with a capital L, it is possible to write what I can best describe as 'thrillers designed to be read as literature. He named Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Eric Ambler and Graham Greene as influences. William Cook in the "New Statesman" considered James Bond to be "the culmination of an important but much-maligned tradition in English literature. As a boy, Fleming devoured the Bulldog Drummond tales of Lieutenant Colonel H. C. McNeile (aka "Sapper") and the Richard Hannay stories of John Buchan. His genius was to repackage these antiquated adventures to fit the fashion of postwar Britain ... In Bond, he created a Bulldog Drummond for the jet age." Umberto Eco considered Mickey Spillane to have been another major influence.


title: Ian Fleming

text: In May 1963 Fleming wrote a piece for "Books and Bookmen" magazine in which he described his approach to writing Bond books: "I write for about three hours in the morning ... and I do another hour's work between six and seven in the evening. I never correct anything and I never go back to see what I have written ... By following my formula, you write 2,000 words a day." Benson identified what he described as the "Fleming Sweep", the use of "hooks" at the end of chapters to heighten tension and pull the reader into the next. The hooks combine with what Anthony Burgess calls "a heightened journalistic style" to produce "a speed of narrative, which hustles the reader past each danger point of mockery".


title: Ian Fleming

text: Umberto Eco analysed Fleming's works from a Structuralist point of view, and identified a series of oppositions within the storylines that provide structure and narrative, including:


title: Ian Fleming

text: Eco also noted that the Bond villains tend to come from Central Europe or from Slavic or Mediterranean countries and have a mixed heritage and "complex and obscure origins". Eco found that the villains were generally asexual or homosexual, inventive, organisationally astute, and wealthy. Black observed the same point: "Fleming did not use class enemies for his villains instead relying on physical distortion or ethnic identity ... Furthermore, in Britain foreign villains used foreign servants and employees ... This racism reflected not only a pronounced theme of interwar adventure writing, such as the novels of Buchan, but also wider literary culture." Writer Louise Welsh found that the novel "Live and Let Die" "taps into the paranoia that some sectors of white society were feeling" as the civil rights movements challenged prejudice and inequality.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Fleming used well-known brand names and everyday details to support a sense of realism. Kingsley Amis called this "the Fleming effect", describing it as "the imaginative use of information, whereby the pervading fantastic nature of Bond's world ... [is] bolted down to some sort of reality, or at least counter-balanced."


title: Ian Fleming

text: The Bond books were written in post-war Britain, when the country was still an imperial power. As the series progressed, the British Empire was in decline; journalist William Cook observed that "Bond pandered to Britain's inflated and increasingly insecure self-image, flattering us with the fantasy that Britannia could still punch above her weight." This decline of British power was referred to in several of the novels; in "From Russia, with Love", it manifested itself in Bond's conversations with Darko Kerim, when Bond admits that in England, "we don't show teeth any more—only gums." The theme is strongest in one of the later books of the series, the 1964 novel "You Only Live Twice", in conversations between Bond and the head of Japan's secret intelligence service, Tiger Tanaka. Fleming was acutely aware of the loss of British prestige in the 1950s and early 60s, particularly during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, when he had Tanaka accuse Britain of throwing away the empire "with both hands".


title: Ian Fleming

text: Black points to the defections of four members of MI6 to the Soviet Union as having a major impact on how Britain was viewed in US intelligence circles. The last of the defections was that of Kim Philby in January 1963, while Fleming was still writing the first draft of "You Only Live Twice". The briefing between Bond and M is the first time in the twelve books that Fleming acknowledges the defections. Black contends that the conversation between M and Bond allows Fleming to discuss the decline of Britain, with the defections and the Profumo affair of 1963 as a backdrop. Two of the defections had taken place shortly before Fleming wrote "Casino Royale", and the book can be seen as the writer's "attempt to reflect the disturbing moral ambiguity of a post-war world that could produce traitors like Burgess and Maclean", according to Lycett.


title: Ian Fleming

text: By the end of the series, in the 1965 novel, "The Man with the Golden Gun", Black notes that an independent inquiry was undertaken by the Jamaican judiciary, while the CIA and MI6 were recorded as acting "under the closest liaison and direction of the Jamaican CID": this was the new world of a non-colonial, independent Jamaica, further underlining the decline of the British Empire. The decline was also reflected in Bond's use of US equipment and personnel in several novels. Uncertain and shifting geopolitics led Fleming to replace the Russian organisation SMERSH with the international terrorist group SPECTRE in "Thunderball", permitting "evil unconstrained by ideology". Black argues that SPECTRE provides a measure of continuity to the remaining stories in the series.


title: Ian Fleming

text: A theme throughout the series was the effect of the Second World War. "The Times" journalist Ben Macintyre considers that Bond was "the ideal antidote to Britain's postwar austerity, rationing and the looming premonition of lost power", at a time when coal and many items of food were still rationed. Fleming often used the war as a signal to establish good or evil in characters: in "For Your Eyes Only", the villain, Hammerstein, is a former Gestapo officer, while the sympathetic Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, Colonel Johns, served with the British under Montgomery in the Eighth Army. Similarly, in "Moonraker", Drax (Graf Hugo von der Drache) is a "megalomaniac German Nazi who masquerades as an English gentleman", and his assistant, Krebs, bears the same name as Hitler's last Chief of Staff. In this, Fleming "exploits another British cultural antipathy of the 1950s. Germans, in the wake of the Second World War, made another easy and obvious target for bad press." As the series progressed, the threat of a re-emergent Germany was overtaken by concerns about the Cold War, and the novels changed their focus accordingly.


title: Ian Fleming

text: Periodically in the series, the topic of comradeship or friendship arises, with a male ally who works with Bond on his mission. Raymond Benson believes that the relationships Bond has with his allies "add another dimension to Bond's character, and ultimately, to the thematic continuity of the novels". In "Live and Let Die", agents Quarrel and Leiter represent the importance of male friends and allies, seen especially in Bond's response to the shark attack on Leiter; Benson observes that "the loyalty Bond feels towards his friends is as strong as his commitment to his job". In "Dr. No", Quarrel is "an indispensable ally". Benson sees no evidence of discrimination in their relationship and notes Bond's genuine remorse and sadness at Quarrel's death.


title: Ian Fleming

text: From the opening novel in the series, the theme of treachery was strong. Bond's target in "Casino Royale", Le Chiffre, was the paymaster of a French communist trade union, and the overtones of a fifth column struck a chord with the largely British readership, as Communist influence in the trade unions had been an issue in the press and parliament, especially after the defections of Burgess and Maclean in 1951. The "traitor within" theme continued in "Live and Let Die" and "Moonraker".


title: Ian Fleming

text: Raymond Benson considered the most obvious theme of the series to be good versus evil. This crystallised in "Goldfinger" with the Saint George motif, which is stated explicitly in the book: "Bond sighed wearily. Once more into the breach, dear friend! This time, it really was St George and the dragon. And St George had better get a move on and do something"; Black notes that the image of St. George is an English, rather than British personification.


title: Ian Fleming

text: The Bond novels also dealt with the question of Anglo-American relations, reflecting the central role of the US in the defence of the West. In the aftermath of the Second World War, tensions surfaced between a British government trying to retain its empire and the American desire for a capitalist new world order, but Fleming did not focus on this directly, instead creating "an impression of the normality of British imperial rule and action". Author and journalist Christopher Hitchens observed that "the central paradox of the classic Bond stories is that, although superficially devoted to the Anglo-American war against communism, they are full of contempt and resentment for America and Americans". Fleming was aware of this tension between the two countries, but did not focus on it strongly. Kingsley Amis, in his exploration of Bond in "The James Bond Dossier", pointed out that "Leiter, such a nonentity as a piece of characterization ... he, the American, takes orders from Bond, the Britisher, and that Bond is constantly doing better than he".


title: Ian Fleming

text: For three of the novels, "Goldfinger", "Live and Let Die" and "Dr. No", it is Bond the British agent who has to sort out what turns out to be an American problem, and Black points out that although it is American assets that are under threat in "Dr. No", a British agent and a British warship, HMS "Narvik", are sent with British soldiers to the island at the end of the novel to settle the matter. Fleming became increasingly jaundiced about America, and his comments in the penultimate novel "You Only Live Twice" reflect this; Bond's responses to Tanaka's comments reflect the declining relationship between Britain and America—in sharp contrast to the warm, co-operative relationship between Bond and Leiter in the earlier books.


title: Ian Fleming

text: In the late 1950s the author Geoffrey Jenkins had suggested to Fleming that he write a Bond novel set in South Africa, and sent him his own idea for a plot outline which, according to Jenkins, Fleming felt had great potential. After Fleming's death, Jenkins was commissioned by Bond publishers Glidrose Productions to write a continuation Bond novel, "Per Fine Ounce", but it was never published. Starting with Kingsley Amis's "Colonel Sun", under the pseudonym "Robert Markham" in 1968, several authors have been commissioned to write Bond novels, including Sebastian Faulks, who was asked by Ian Fleming Publications to write a new Bond novel in observance of what would have been Fleming's 100th birthday in 2008.


title: Ian Fleming

text: During his lifetime Fleming sold thirty million books; double that number were sold in the two years following his death. In 2008 "The Times" ranked Fleming fourteenth on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". In 2002 Ian Fleming Publications announced the launch of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award, presented by the Crime Writers' Association to the best thriller, adventure or spy novel originally published in the UK.


title: Ian Fleming

text: The Eon Productions series of Bond films, which started in 1962 with "Dr. No", continued after Fleming's death. Along with two non-Eon produced films, there have been twenty-five Eon films, with the most recent, "No Time to Die", released in September 2021. The Eon Productions series has grossed over $6.2 billion worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing film series.


title: Ian Fleming

text: The influence of Bond in the cinema and in literature is evident in films and books including the "Austin Powers" series, "Carry On Spying" and the Jason Bourne character. In 2011 Fleming became the first English-language writer to have an international airport named after him: Ian Fleming International Airport, near Oracabessa, Jamaica, was officially opened on 12 January 2011 by Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding and Fleming's niece, Lucy. The Lilly Library at Indiana University houses a collection of Fleming manuscripts and first editions as well as his personal library of rare books.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a 2009 first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the sixth installment in the "Call of Duty" series and the direct sequel to "". It was released worldwide on November 10, 2009, for Microsoft Windows, the PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. A separate version for the Nintendo DS, titled "", was also released on the same day. A version for macOS was developed by Aspyr and released in May 2014, and the Xbox 360 version was made backward compatible for the Xbox One in 2018.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: The game's campaign follows Task Force 141, a multi-national special forces unit commanded by Captain Soap MacTavish as they hunt Vladimir Makarov, leader of the Russian Ultranationalist party, and U.S. Army Rangers from 1st Battalion/75th Ranger Regiment who are defending the Washington, D.C. area from a Russian invasion. The game's main playable characters are Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson, of the 141, and Private James Ramirez, of the Army Rangers, with Captain MacTavish becoming playable later in the campaign. An expansive multiplayer mode is featured in the game, with several new features and modes that were not seen in its predecessor.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Development for the game began in 2008, when it was still known as "Call of Duty 6". It uses the IW 4.0 engine, an improved version of "Call of Duty 4"s IW 3.0. Infinity Ward was inspired by real-life conflicts when developing the campaign mode. They initially tested the multiplayer mode by playing an in-house beta version of the game. "Modern Warfare 2" was officially announced in February 2009. Teasing of the game began in March, with short trailers being released for the game and, eventually, a full reveal trailer. The multiplayer mode was revealed shortly after. Two downloadable content packs were released for it post-release, each containing five new multiplayer maps, with some being remastered maps from "Call of Duty 4".


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: "Modern Warfare 2" received universal acclaim, with praise for its campaign, multiplayer, and amount of content, although it received some criticism for its short length and a lack of innovation. Within 24 hours of release, the game sold approximately 4.7 million copies in North America and the United Kingdom. As of 2013, the game had sold 22.7 million copies. In addition to its release, a comic book series based on character Simon "Ghost" Riley was also produced, titled "". Despite the game's success, it was subject to , with one surrounding a playable level that had the player carry out a terror attack on an airport. A sequel, "", was released in 2011 and finishes the original "Modern Warfare" storyline. A remaster of the game's campaign, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered", was released in March 2020 on the PlayStation 4 and on Microsoft Windows and Xbox One in April 2020.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" is a first person shooter, and its gameplay revolves around fast-paced gunfights against enemy combatants. The player controls a soldier who can perform several actions, including jump, sprint, crouch, lay prone, and aim down their gun's iron sights. When the player is shot by an enemy, blood will splatter their heads-up display (HUD), denoting that they have taken damage; if the player avoids gunfire by taking cover, their health will recover. The HUD also displays other information, such as a compass, a mini-map, and the player's current ammunition count. The game features traditional guns, including assault rifles, shotguns, handguns, and sniper rifles. The player will be given specific guns at the beginning of each level, but may switch them out with another gun they find. Some guns have attachments, such as suppressors, and heartbeat sensors. The player can use grenades and flashbangs when faced with a large group of enemies, as well as a knife for close quarters combat. In some levels, the player will be given special equipment, such as night vision goggles, or a laser designator.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" has three different game modes: Campaign, Spec Ops, and Multiplayer. Campaign is a single-player mode where the player completes eighteen levels connected by an overarching plot. Each level features a series of objectives to fulfill, and the player will often switch characters between levels. If the player dies during a level, they will respawn at the most recent checkpoint. Levels can be played on one of four difficulties, and each level can be replayed after it has been completed. Spec Ops mode features twenty-three additional levels that can be played individually or cooperatively with a partner. These levels provide specific challenges, such as defusing three bombs within a short period of time. If one player is shot down while playing cooperatively, they will begin crawling, and can shoot enemies with a handgun. If they are not revived by the other player, then they will die and fail the level. There are five tiers of Spec Ops levels, with each tier harder than the previous. Only the first tier is available from the beginning, as later tiers can be unlocked with enough stars. The player earns stars by completing the levels on one of three difficulties, with the number of stars earned corresponding to the difficulty chosen.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Multiplayer mode allows players to compete against each other in team-based and deathmatch-based game types on various maps. Each game type has an objective that requires unique strategies to complete. If the player kills three or more players in a row without dying, they achieve a "killstreak", which gives the player a tactical advantage during a match. These include a Predator missile, a sentry gun, and a "tactical nuke". Alternatively, if the player dies several times without a kill, they will be rewarded with a "deathstreak" bonus, which evens the match for the player. A match ends when either a team or player has reached a predefined number of points, or the allotted time expires in which case the team or player with the most points wins. The player's performance in multiplayer is tracked with experience points, which can be earned by killing opposing players, completing objectives, or by completing a match. As the player gains experience, they advance in level, unlocking new weapons. The player will also unlock perks, which modify gameplay elements such as unlimited sprint and increased bullet damage.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: During the single-player campaign, the player controls five different characters from a first-person perspective. The player primarily controls Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson, a British member of an international special forces unit named Task Force 141. In addition to Roach, the player will also assume control of Private First Class Joseph Allen (Troy Baker) and Private James Ramirez of the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion/75th Ranger Regiment. The now Captain John "Soap" MacTavish (Kevin McKidd) serves as a senior member of Task Force 141, acting as Roach's superior officer and becomes the playable character in the final three missions of the game. Lastly, the player briefly assumes the role of an astronaut stationed on the International Space Station during the height of the war between the United States and Russia.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: The game's non-playable characters (NPCs) feature prominently in the story: For Task Force 141, Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley (Craig Fairbrass), who conceals his face with a skull print balaclava serves as Soap's second in command. For the United States Army Rangers, Sergeant Foley (Keith David), along with his subordinate, Corporal Dunn (Barry Pepper), is initially Joseph Allen's squad leader, and becomes James Ramirez's squad leader later in the story. Lieutenant General Shepherd (Lance Henriksen) is the commander of the United States Army Rangers and Task Force 141. Other supporting characters returning from "Call of Duty 4" include Captain John Price (Billy Murray), MacTavish's former commanding officer in the British Special Air Service who was imprisoned in Russia, and Russian informant turned mercenary pilot "Nikolai" (Sven Holmberg).


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Despite the events preventing a nuclear war, the Ultranationalists ultimately seize control of Russia and Imran Zakhaev becomes a martyr. Diplomatic relations with the United States plummet as a result, while Vladimir Makarov, an Ultranationalist extremist and Zakhaev's protege, commits to a five-year campaign of vengeance against the West with acts of terrorism. In 2016, Private First Class Joseph Allen, whose actions in Afghanistan impress U.S. Army General Shepherd, is embedded into Makarov's team, who commit a mass shooting at an airport in Moscow, killing multiple Russian civilians. Makarov, aware of Allen's true identity, kills the American, leaving his body at the airport to implicate the United States in a false flag operation.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Meanwhile, Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson is sent with Captain John "Soap" MacTavish to secure an Attack Characterization System (ACS) module from a downed American satellite that has been retrieved by Russian forces and kept in a hangar at an airbase in the Tian Shan range of Kazakhstan. After learning of the airport massacre, Soap, Roach, and several other members of the multinational special forces outfit "Task Force 141" are sent to Rio de Janeiro and succeed in capturing Alejandro Rojas, Makarov's arms dealer. In retaliation for the airport massacre, Russia launches a surprise invasion of the United States's Eastern Coast, achieved by their earlier capture of the ACS module and disabling American satellites over North America, leaving NORAD blind to their attack.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Learning that Makarov's nemesis is imprisoned in the Russian Far East, Task Force 141 partakes in a counterattack there and rescues the prisoner: Captain John Price. Price rejoins Task Force 141, and in an effort to give the U.S. forces a much-needed advantage, boards a Russian nuclear submarine on their next mission and launches a ballistic missile which detonates above Washington in the upper atmosphere. During the counter-attack, the Americans save the White House from a United States Air Force bomb run to deny the city to the Russians, retaining control.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Task Force 141 are sent to two separate locations in search of Makarov; Roach is sent with Simon "Ghost" Riley and other members to a safehouse on the Georgian border, but are betrayed and killed by General Shepherd to tie up loose ends for his involvement in prolonging the Russian-American war. Meanwhile, Price and Soap are ambushed by Shepherd's own private forces battling Makarov's at an aircraft boneyard in Afghanistan but manage to escape. Makarov reveals Shepherd's location to the 141 over radio communications; Price and Soap launch a suicide mission to take revenge on Shepherd. After a lengthy pursuit, Soap attempts to kill Shepherd but is stabbed in the chest. Before Shepherd can execute Soap, Price intervenes and engages in a fistfight with Shepherd, giving Soap enough time to pull the knife from his chest and throw it at Shepherd, killing him. Nikolai arrives by helicopter and evacuates Price and Soap, leading them to a .


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: "Modern Warfare 2" was originally announced as "Call of Duty 6". The game was first announced under the title "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" by Activision on December 3, 2008. Activision subsequently retracted its announcement, stating that any information about an upcoming "Call of Duty" game was "speculative." Infinity Ward then asserted that it had not officially confirmed its latest project at that time. On February 11, 2009, Activision officially announced "Modern Warfare 2" and set a tentative release date for "Holiday 2009." The game was tested in an internal beta by the development team. While both "Call of Duty 4" and "" had been preceded by public multiplayer betas, no such beta was released for "Modern Warfare 2" because it was determined that, according to Community Manager Robert Bowling, no public beta was needed unless the internal beta did not provide adequate feedback. While Treyarch was able to port "Modern Warfare" to the Wii and release it on the same day "Modern Warfare 2" was released, Infinity Ward declined to make a Wii version of the sequel. According to Bowling, Infinity Ward determined that the Wii's technical limitations made it impossible to deliver the same cinematic experience that the sequel aspired to present.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Infinity Ward announced in October 2009 that the PC version of "Modern Warfare 2" would not support the use of user-run dedicated servers or in-game console commands. This announcement was received poorly by some members of the PC community, eventually instigating a response from Infinity Ward in an attempt to put the community at ease. During brainstorming sessions, an idea came forth on what if the ending of "Modern Warfare" was a loss, leading to the sequel. In an interview with Jesse Stern, he talked to producers of Infinity Ward with ideas such as "outbreaks, viruses, chemical warfare, and even outlandish things such as aliens and the living dead." Stern mentioned having the game based on real-life conflicts before they halted further planning at first due to events in the 2008 South Ossetia war and in the Mumbai terrorist attacks.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: The game utilizes the in-house IW 4.0 game engine, which is claimed to be a generation beyond the capabilities of the engine used in "Call of Duty 4". Although proprietary, the game is based on an unspecified id Tech engine, and can accommodate larger worlds, enhanced graphic detail, and more efficient rendering. Infinity Ward has addressed the issue of enemies that continually respawn at different points of a level. The developer demonstrated that the game engine uses a "dynamic AI", which has replaced the infinite respawn system and allows enemies to act more independently. These "smarter" enemies are designed to actively seek out and drive the player forward through a level, and can break away from set behaviors such as following a designated route in order to attack. The player cannot depend on enemies to be found in the same locations as a previous play-through because enemies will behave differently each time a level is played.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: On August 20, 2009, Robert Bowling revealed through Twitter that Kevin McKidd, Craig Fairbrass, Barry Pepper, Keith David, and Glenn Morshower were confirmed voice actors for the game. It was later confirmed that McKidd would voice the protagonist, "Soap" MacTavish. Fairbrass, who voiced Gaz in "Call of Duty 4", provided voice work for "Ghost". Billy Murray reprised his role as Captain Price from "Call of Duty 4". Rapper 50 Cent provided voice work for the Special Ops and multiplayer modes, portraying "one of the squad [member] voices." The main theme of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" was provided by Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer, while the rest of the score was composed by Lorne Balfe. The soundtrack was released on June 1, 2010. The iTunes page for the soundtrack incorrectly lists Zimmer as the soundtrack's only composer.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: On March 25, 2009, a teaser trailer for the game was revealed at the Game Developer Choice Awards ceremony in San Francisco. The teaser was posted on Infinity Ward's website, and released on the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Network a short time later. A second teaser was released on May 10, 2009, and showed gameplay features such as snowmobile driving and underwater actions. The teaser announced that the game would be "revealed" on TNT during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on May 24, 2009. The "reveal" was the first full-length trailer, which debuted extended sequences of actual in-game scenes and combat; the trailer was subsequently made available on the "Modern Warfare 2" official website, which was kept updated for the occasion. A fourth trailer was released on July 27, 2009, and showed the first footage of the game's multiplayer mode. On October 4, 2009, a second full-length cinematic trailer was released and revealed that part of the game would take place in a war-torn Washington, D.C.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: On July 21, 2009, Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling revealed through Twitter that a "Modern Warfare 2" controller was in the works. Peripherals manufacturer Mad Catz was contracted by Activision to create a line of "Modern Warfare 2" controllers and accessories for all platforms that the game would be available on. Activision stated, in its quarterly earnings report, that pre-orders for the game had broken a company record; more copies of "Modern Warfare 2" had been pre-ordered than any other game that the company had published before. In September 2009, Monster Energy teamed up with Activision to bring special redeemable codes on the Monster Energy website, where people may submit codes included in Monster Energy packs to redeem items such as Xbox 360 Premium Themes and a "Modern Warfare 2" Map Pack code.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: The original teaser trailer confirmed that the game's title of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" was officially shortened to just "Modern Warfare 2". After photographs of the official retail boxes were posted by Robert Bowling, Activision confirmed that the standard-edition "Modern Warfare 2" packaging would feature the "Call of Duty" brand logo in order to reflect the game's association with the "Call of Duty" franchise. It is speculated that the decision was influenced by findings that brand awareness for the game was significantly lower without the "Call of Duty" logo. However, the developers still prefer to simply call the game "Modern Warfare 2" as they consider it a new IP. The menus in the game also refer to the title as simply "Modern Warfare 2".


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: "Modern Warfare 2" was released in four different retail versions across the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms: Standard, Hardened, Veteran, and Prestige. The standard version consists of the game and an instructional manual, and is the only version available for the Microsoft Windows platform. The Hardened Edition consists of the game and manual (which are packaged in a steel book case), an art book, and a token that allows one to download "Call of Duty Classic", a hi-definition version of the original "Call of Duty" game, from Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Store ("Classic" was released individually on December 2, 2009). The Prestige Edition contains all of the elements of the Hardened Edition, but also includes a set of fully functioning night vision goggles, imprinted with the "Modern Warfare 2" logo, and a stand modeled after the head of the character "Soap" MacTavish. The goggles are powered by five AA batteries and can see up to 50 feet in absolute darkness.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: On September 15, 2009, Activision and Microsoft jointly announced a special, limited "Modern Warfare 2" version of the Xbox 360 with a 250 GB hard disk. The unit is highlighted by special game product branding and includes two black wireless controllers, a black wired headset, an ethernet cable, a standard definition composite A/V cable, and the standard edition version of the game. This is the first Xbox 360 to come with a 250 GB hard drive. On September 18, UK and rep of Ireland retailer GAME announced a Veteran Edition of "Modern Warfare 2" would be exclusive to rep of Ireland and UK. It will come with a 12" (30.5 cm) tall statue of "Soap" MacTavish with interchangeable arms and weapons; has the same contents as the Hardened Edition. In September 2009, a Veteran Statue Bundle of "Modern Warfare 2" was posted on the EB Games website and is available for all platforms.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: "Modern Warfare 2" was ported to the Nintendo DS with the title "" and a different storyline, released on November 10, 2009. It was also ported to macOS by Aspyr years after the game's original release. This version was released on May 20, 2014, alongside the macOS port for "". The Xbox 360 version of "Modern Warfare 2" was made backward compatible with the Xbox One on August 28, 2018.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Activision announced that two downloadable map packs would be released for "Modern Warfare 2". At E3 2009, Microsoft stated that these map packs would first be made available for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live before they would be released for other platforms. Robert Bowling stated that the community response to the game and the first ten downloadable map packs would be used in designing other potential map packs.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: The first map pack, titled the "Stimulus Package," was released first for Xbox Live on March 30, 2010 and for PlayStation Network and PC on May 4, 2010, in North America. The pack contains five maps: reincarnations of the "Crash" and "Overgrown" maps from "Call of Duty 4", and three new maps: "Bailout", a multi-level apartment complex; "Storm", an industrial park littered with heavy machinery; and "Salvage", an abandoned car junkyard in the middle of the snow. Within 24 hours of its release, it was downloaded over one million times. Within the first week it had been downloaded 2.5 million times, breaking Xbox Live DLC records. In addition to integrating the maps into all existing game types, the Stimulus Package adds two new game modes, randomizing the built-in game types in either normal or hardcore mode.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Activision released the second downloadable map pack, titled the "Resurgence Package", exclusively for Xbox Live on June 3, 2010, in North America. This release was followed by the PlayStation Network and PC versions on July 6 in North America and on July 7 worldwide. The package includes five new multiplayer maps: reincarnations of the "Strike" and "Vacant" maps from "Call of Duty 4", and three new maps: "Carnival", a desolated amusement park; "Trailer Park", a mobile home park; and "Fuel", an oil refinery. Both of the map packs were made available for purchase on macOS on May 20, 2014, when the macOS port of the game was released.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: A six-part comic book mini-series related to the game has also been produced. Announced by Robert Bowling on August 17, 2009, "" is focused on the backstory of the character Ghost, who appears in the video game as a member of Task Force 141. The series is published by WildStorm. The first issue of the series debuted on November 11, 2009.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: A fan-made prequel to "Modern Warfare 2", entitled "", premiered at . The video was produced by We Can Pretend, visual effects by The Junction, and was endorsed by Activision. The first film, Find Makarov, was a non-canon fan made film. Activision contacted We Can Pretend about the video and helped produce a second canon short film, Find Makarov: Operation Kingfish. The prequel tells the story of how Task Force 141 first tried to capture Vladimir Makarov, who was known then as Kingfish. It also tells how Soap got his facial scars, and how Price was captured and incarcerated in a gulag.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" received "universal acclaim" for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, and "generally positive" reviews for the PC version, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Reviewers praised the in-depth story mode, mini missions, and multiplayer.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: 1UP.com stated "Mixing real-world locations with bombastic set-pieces "MW2" continues the guided, thrill-ride experiences of its predecessor, and adds even more depth to its multiplayer offerings. It might not have fixed all the problems from the first game, but there's just so much quality content packed into this game that it will almost certainly be one of the most-played games in your library for a long time to come". "Game Informer" noted praised the game for its polish and iteration on the series, as well as its strong presentation and wealth of playable content. IGN called it a "no-brainer purchase", thanks to its online multiplayer, its co-op mode, and its campaign. GameTrailers stated "The air of unpredictability and the care that was paid to each separate element puts it in lofty company. The multiplayer hasn't received an overhaul, but considering most shooters are still playing catch-up with Call of Duty 4, the tweaks and twists make it the best multiplayer shooting experience in the industry. Few games manage to meet such high expectations". "Computer and Video Games" called the game "Loud, epic and incredibly polished, [and] this year's biggest must-have shooter".


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Criticism of the game focused on the short length of the single player campaign. IGN's Mark Bozon remarks that the single-player of ""Modern Warfare 2" is surprisingly short, and doesn't live up to the standard set by previous "Call of Duty" games." In addition, many reviewers have complained about the lack of innovation to the formula of the series.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: "Famitsu" named "Modern Warfare 2" as the number one game on the top 10 video games sold in 2009, beating games such as "", "", "Halo 3" and "Grand Theft Auto IV". It also gave the game a score of 39/40, being one of the few Western games released in Japan to have the same score as "Grand Theft Auto IV". In 2011, readers of "Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition" voted Simon "Ghost" Riley as the 40th-top video game character of all time.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: According to preliminary sales figures from Activision, "Modern Warfare 2" sold approximately 4.7 million units in the United States and the UK combined in the first 24 hours of its release. The total revenue from first day sales in the U.S. and the UK was $310 million, making "Modern Warfare 2" the biggest entertainment launch in history at the time, surpassing in revenue its predecessor, "", as well as items from other media types. After five days of sales, the game had earned revenue figures of $550 million worldwide. , it has taken over $1 billion in sales. Activision also claims that "Modern Warfare 2" had 8 million players online within the first five days, constituting the largest 'army' of players in the world. On March 8, 2010, Robert Bowling announced that the game had amassed 25 million unique players. In June 2010, Activision's CFO Thomas Tippl revealed that the game had sold 20 million copies. In August 2011, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg revealed that the game had sold 22 million copies. A month later in September 2011, "Modern Warfare 3" producer Mark Rubin, said that the game's number (not confirmed as players or sales) was between 28 and 29 million. In November 2013, IGN put the game's sales at 22.7 million.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: According to the NPD Group, "Modern Warfare 2" sold approximately 4.2 million units for the Xbox 360 and 1.87 million units for the PlayStation 3 in the U.S. during the month of November 2009. In Japan, "Modern Warfare 2" sold 64,000 copies for the PlayStation 3 and 42,000 copies for the Xbox 360 in its first week of sales. The game later sold 117,000 copies on the PlayStation 3 and 61,000 on the Xbox 360. Anita Frazier of the NPD Group reported in March 2010 that the game had sold slightly under 10 million copies in the U.S. alone. The game had also became the second best-selling game of all time in both the UK and the U.S.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: After it became backward compatible with the Xbox One, the NPD Group reported that "Modern Warfare 2" was the eighth-best selling video game in the United States during August 2018. It had sold more copies in that month than the then-most recent entry in the series, "", which came out in November 2017. During the previous month, before becoming backward compatible, "Modern Warfare 2" was at only number 321 on the best sellers list.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: "Modern Warfare 2" received awards from various gaming sites and publications, it gained high praise from some video game magazines. At the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards, "Modern Warfare 2" received the Best Shooter and Best Multiplayer awards. Both GameSpy and GameTrailers gave the game the "Best Overall Game of 2009" award and received from "GameTrailers" overall six awards. GameSpot and Metacritic, both gave it the "Best Xbox 360 Game" award, and from GameTrailers received the game the "Best Multiplayer" award including the "Best First-Person Shooter" award.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Various portions of the campaign have caused some controversy, including the depiction of a massacre carried out in a Russian airport, in the mission "No Russian", the fourth mission in the game. This mission can be skipped entirely before the player begins the single-player campaign.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: Anders Behring Breivik claimed in his manifesto that he used the game for training to prepare for the 2011 Norway attacks. Coop Norway, a chain of retail stores in Norway, removed the game from its shelves as a result of this attack.


title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

text: A YouTube user claimed that two paintings in the multiplayer map Favela offended Muslims. Activision removed the controversial paintings and apologized for its offense to Muslims. The amended Favela map was added back into the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game, however was permanently taken out of the PC version.