0070 Interview Nicholas Rankin

In 1942, during World War II, lieutenant commander Ian Fleming, personal assistant to Director of Naval Intelligence Admiral John Godfrey, suggested that the British really needed a new and special kind of commando to steal secrets from the Germans. It was the beginning of 30AU, a group of intelligence pinching commandos, operating behind enemy lines. Author Nicholas Rankin describes in his book Ian Fleming’s Commandos (published in 2011) the journey 30AU went on: from just an idea, to their first mission, through North Africa and South Europe, to freeing France and destroying Nazi Germany. Don interviews Nicholas on his book and they discuss some of the key elements that led to 30AU’s successes. They explore how Fleming’s war time experiences have influenced his James Bond novels and how 007 himself is the epitome of British heroism. The podcast starts and ends with an audio clip from Nicholas’ book narrated by Nicholas himself. https://www.faber.co.uk/author/nicholas-rankin If you like our podcast, please share it with others. If you want to get in touch, you can send an email to [email protected], via social media or visit our website www.the00files.com