16. Fleming’s vacations in Jamaica became the period when he added to the Bond canon
Although Casino Royale was a success, Fleming retained his position with the newspaper syndicate, and used his annual winter vacation at Goldeneye to write additional Bond stories. From 1953 to 1966 a Bond novel or short story collection appeared annually, though the last two were published following Fleming’s death. The second novel, Live and Let Die, was written before Casino Royale was published, and when it was released in 1954 its sales surpassed those of its predecessor. It too earned mostly favorable reviews from critics, as did the next three works; Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever, and From Russia With Love.
While researching Diamonds Are Forever Fleming gathered the information he used to write a non-fiction book, The Diamond Smugglers. The book grew out of several articles Fleming wrote for The Sunday Times in 1957. It too earned positive reviews for the most part. By the time the book appeared Fleming was well known for the Bond series, and had a steadily growing fan base in the United Kingdom. His books did not sell as well in the United States. Fleming enjoyed financial success, the accolades of critics, and the attachments of celebrity in Great Britain, Jamaica, and while on his travels. In the American market, he was relatively unknown. One American who was a devoted fan was a Massachusetts Senator, John F. Kennedy.