New exhibition reveals adventurous life of James Bond creator

London, April 17 : He worked for British intelligence and loved fast cars, dry martinis and beautiful women. Now, you can know about the man behind the world's most famous secret agent, James Bond.

On the centenary of Ian Fleming's birth, a new exhibition at London's Imperial War Museum looks at a writer whose life was almost as exciting as that of his most famous creation - Bond.

For Your Eyes Only, which explores the similarities between Fleming and James Bond, looks at Fleming's experiences working for intelligence during the Second World War and examines how they influenced 007.

On display will be rare material such as the author's desk and chair from his Jamaican home Goldeneye, where he wrote all the Bond novels, reports The Sun.

Fleming's annotated manuscripts, correspondence, clothes and photographs are displayed along with exhibits from the Bond films including Daniel Craig's bloodied shirt from Casino Royale and the bikini worn by Halle Berry in Die Another Day.

Other items on display include Rosa Klebb's flick knife shoes in From Russia With Love; the autogyro mini-helicopter from You Only Live Twice; and a working model of an Aston Martin DB5 made for Prince Andrew in 1966.

Fleming was born in London in 1908 and worked as a journalist and stockbroker before turning to writing after the war. He published his first work, "Casino Royale," when he was 45 and died at 56 in 1964.

He once revealed, the name of his secret agent came from a book on his desk in Jamaica. He wanted the "simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name" he could find and discovered it on the cover of Birds Of The West Indies.

The exhibition also features stills from the latest Bond film, Quantum Of Solace.

For Your Eyes Only runs from April 17 until March 1, 2009.

ANI