Cassandra Szklarski • The Canadian Press • Published Nov 03, 2015
TORONTO – One of the world’s greatest spies was an operative for England with an affinity for martinis, a suave rapport with elite power players, and an uncanny ability to infiltrate and eliminate threats.
This isn’t the fictional James Bond we’re talking about, but the real-life Sir William Stephenson — a quiet Canadian code-named Intrepid who many believe inspired author Ian Fleming to create his over-the-top British spy hero.
“Without doubt, Fleming’s idea of James Bond is based on Sir William,” says Cord Hart, a former CIA operative and U.S. Army colonel who got to know Stephenson through intelligence circles in the early ’80s.
