Bond, James T.L.S. Bond

The creator of James Bond, I have learnt, was a devoted TLS reader.

The TLS has received many commendations in its 106 years of publication  - or promotional endorsements as we know them now.

But that from Ian Fleming, mentioned in an article by Andrew Lycett, which we are getting ready for this week's paper, is a sentence to warm any marketer's heart.

"An essential item in my desert island library would be The Times Literary Supplement, dropped to me every Friday by a well-trained albatross".

I won't spoil the story by revealing how this work of literary ornithology came about.

Strange to relate, we have also dug up a letter to us from Fleming, commending the TLS for criticising the illicit use of his name for advertising purposes in France.

We made a mistake in that piece - and he criticises us for that too.

But I'm sure his spirit would not mind our using his albatross for advertising ourselves now.

We are also republishing this week Fleming's only review for the TLS.

Everything will be up on the website on Wednesday.