The failed British invasion of Suez in 1957 represents the end of Britain's reign of military, commercial and imperial domination over the world. British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden resigned following this humiliating defeat; soon after, he traveled to Jamaica to visit the home of James Bond novelist Ian Fleming (Winder, 135). A few months later, Fleming wrote what is perhaps his most acclaimed novel, From Russia With Love, in which a British spy in the Middle East steals a device from the Soviets for use by British intelligence. This seems like a clear response to Suez, especially given the timing of Eden's visit. This novel is just one example of how Fleming, an aristocrat of the pre-war order, responded to Britain's loss of prestige during the Cold War. Through the analysis of the characters, the setting and the representation of the villains, this article will show that Fleming's James Bond indeed constitutes an important literary effort to enable Britain to cope with its reduced role in the war. cold post-imperial. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essay Ian Fleming transforms James Bond into a distinct and exemplary British character, starting with his name. The word connection suggests that the spy was linked or connected to something. His identification number, 007, was the one by which Elizabeth I's personal spy signed her letters; the zeros represented that he was the Queen's eyes, and the sevens represented luck (On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 19). Bond is therefore bound to a code of honor and is meant to act as the loyal eyes of Britain. With his Elizabethan reference, Fleming evokes a British golden age, an age that produced remarkable literature and marked the beginning of England's rise to become the world's first superpower (Collinson). James Bond represents this era by traveling through the former British colonies and playing an important role in the Cold War. Bond's relationship with England's past is important, as Fleming, himself jaded enough by England to move to Jamaica, is probably not promoting a call to reinvigorate the empire, but rather offering an entertaining fantasy, an escape for the British to relive what cannot be (Winder, 14). Bond's imperialistic attitude and global exploits are also reminiscent of the British era of old. Bond was educated, like Fleming, at one of the best schools in the country; this and his keen intelligence give him a certain measure of respect for the past (Lycett, 16-22, 358). He carries an attitude of judgment and antipathy towards others, an attitude also tinged with racism. For example, in one novel Bond glances briefly at a gang of potential adversaries and remarks: "It was not difficult to boil them down to three Corsicans, three Germans, three vaguely Balkan faces, Turks, Bulgarians and three obvious Slavs” (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, 96). Bond does not view strangers as individuals; rather, he groups them together to claim a certain superiority of lordly right over them – the “right” or “power” to identify and subjugate them. At a time when Britain was losing influence over India and China, Bond argued that Britain could not exercise control (McKay, 989-992). In several novels, Bond also saves the powerful United States from itself, certainly an unlikely role reversal in favor of Britain (Lycett, 382-383). Furthermore, Bond 78,, 416).