160 pp. Introduction by 'John Blaize,' formerly of the International Diamond Security Organization. Black-and-white frontispiece from cartoon by Bob Connolly, black-and-white photographs throughout. A nonfiction work about the illegal trade in what would now be called 'blood diamonds,' by the author of the popular James Bond series of spy novels. "In 1957, as the Cold War raged, Ian Fleming took a respite from writing James Bond to craft a work of nonfiction every bit as tense as a Bond adventure. Aided by an ex-MI5 agent and International Diamond Security Organization operative going by the alias "John Blaize," Fleming chronicled the IDSO's infiltration of the "million-carat network" - the world's most notorious diamond smuggling ring. Every year, a shadowy band of racketeers pirated a fortune in diamonds out of Africa, and the majority of the stolen gems wound up in the hands of Communist nations. In response, the IDSO commissioned a private army, led by legendary British spymaster Sir Percy Sillitoe, to penetrate and topple the ring. And when the operation was complete, the Sunday Times gave the story to Fleming, who had impressed Sillitoe with his 1956 Bond adventure Diamonds Are Forever. A remarkable feat of investigative journalism, The Diamond Smugglers is the thrilling true story behind one of the greatest spy operations in history."
