Fleming once told an interviewer that his favorites included Graham Greene, Georges Simenon, and his personal friend and book editor William Plomer.

His favourite novel was supposedly “The Magic Mountain” by Thomas Mann (author of “Death In Venice”). “All Night At Mr Stanyhurst`s”, by Hugh Edwards, was another fave. Fleming convinced his British publisher, Jonathan Cape, to reprint it; Fleming wrote an introduction to the novel.

Fleming may have read “Appointment in Samarra” before including it as a chapter title to “You Only Live Twice”. “Samarra” in its first edition fetches $5,000 a copy today.