Ian Fleming

You only live twice:

Once when you're born 

And once when you look death in the face.

The epigraph to You Only Live Twice, the 11th of Fleming's 12 James Bond novels, and the last to be published prior to his death in 1964.  According to the book, these lines represent James Bond's unsuccessful attempt to write a haiku.  Fleming, who was born on this date in 1908, drew on his experiences as a British naval intelligence officer in World War II when he wrote his Bond novels.  Among other things, Fleming was the headquarters officer responsible for the activities of "30 Commando," a group of commandos who were trained to go behind enemy lines and secure documents or items of equipment with intelligence value.  The Age of Heroes is a movie about Fleming and 30 Commando that was recently released in the UK.