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Learn about the life and works of Roald Dahl

Learn about the life and works of Roald Dahl

A brief biography of Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and many other children's stories.
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Transcript

NARRATOR: Little Roald was born on the 13th of September, 1916. As a kid, he wasn't particularly known for his writing. But many of his childhood experiences came to inspire his stories years later. For instance, a chocolate maker used to taste test their new products at Roald's school, and he used to dream of inventing a new chocolate bar. Hmm, sound familiar?

But before becoming an author, Roald Dahl was actually a fighter pilot in World War II and later, a spy for MI6-- working alongside Ian Fleming, the man who created James Bond.

ROALD DAHL: Oh hello, Ian.

IAN FLEMING: Hello, Roald.

NARRATOR: It wasn't until 1943 that Dahl put pencil to his favorite yellow paper and published his first kid's book, The Gremlins, a tale of naughty creatures that cause mechanical problems on planes. Dahl went on to write 16 other kids books, selling more than 200 million copies worldwide.