The Diamond Smugglers is a non-fiction book by Ian Fleming published in November 1957. The book is based on two weeks of interviews Fleming undertook with John Collard, a member of the International Diamond Security Organisation (IDSO) and a former member of MI5; the IDSO was headed by Sir Percy Sillitoe(pictured), the ex-head of MI5 who worked for the diamond company De Beers. The IDSO was formed by Sillitoe to combat the smuggling of diamonds from Africa; it was estimated that £10 million worth of gems were being smuggled every year out of South Africa alone. The book expands upon a series of articles that Fleming wrote for The Sunday Times in 1957. The Diamond Smugglers is one of two non-fiction books written by Fleming. It received mixed reviews, although critics thought the subject was interesting and that the facts were as interesting as works of fiction. There was interest in turning the book into a film, but the plans did not come to fruition. (Full article...)
... that Queen Melisende wanted to get rid of her husband's friend Elias, so she made him an offer that he could not refuse?
... that the joint-most successful team in the Indian Premier League finished last in 2025?
... that Bishop Anselm, Abbot Geoffrey, and Viscount Rohard were sent in 1142 to delicately inform the Byzantine emperor that he was welcome in Jerusalem—just not with an army?
1695 – The foundation for what is now known as the Wren Building, the oldest surviving college building in the United States, was laid in a ceremony at Middle Plantation, Virginia.
1991 – The Warsaw radio mast(pictured), then the tallest structure ever built, at 646.38 metres (2,120.7 ft), collapsed due to an error in exchanging the guys on the highest telecommunications equipment of the mast.
Cognac is a type of brandy named after the commune of Cognac in western France. Cognac production falls under French appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) designation, which stipulates that it must be grown in a specific wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. The AOC also mandates that particular grapes (of which St. Émilion is the most common) be used, and that the drink be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in oak barrels from designated surrounding areas of France. Close to 200 cognac producers exist, of which the largest producers are Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell and Rémy Martin. This photograph shows cognac in a snifter, a glass with a large tapered bowl and a short stem that allows the drinker to enjoy the aroma by placing their hand underneath the bowl and warming the cognac.
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