Posted by Mark Kirk I began reading MacLean's books back in junior high in the 60s. I've read all of his works (excepting Captain Cook and some of the "outline" books). As a kid I re-read the books (I had all of them in paperback) until they literally fell apart. Now I'm searching used book stores to rebuild my collection for my sons when they become readers. MacLean was particularly powerful when writing about men facing the ugliest of not only human antagonists, but of the weather and sea themselves. While Night Without End and Ice Station Zebra are great depictions of arctic survival, don't forget HMS Ulysses - perhaps one of the most beautifully written of his career. Here, the men of a British warship must face not only the German wolfpacks and Luftwaffe as they escort a convoy along the Murmansk Route, but they must also contend with the most bitter weather imaginable. One can really see Maclean's education, culture, and naval experience in this one. South By Java Head is another of my favorites. Here we get vintage MacLean - a collection of allied nationals fleeing the Japanese after the fall of Singapore, betrayal, rescues, and survival in the ocean in an open life boat. Great story telling. As far as any writers who have a style that "compares" with MacLean's I'd suggest the works of Colin Forbes, though his books are also hard to find. Among his great novels: Tramp in Armor - a lone British tank tries to survive behind German lines after being cut off during the early days of WW II. The Heights of Zervos - A British agent and a couple of escaped British soldiers try to evade capture and defeat a German unit spearheading a Falschirmjager attack on a Greek mountain monastery. Think: Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare. Target Five - An agent (American I think) struggles to evacuate a handful of survivors from an arctic ice station (US research bases were called "targets"). The group is fleeing a Soviet force attempting to recapture some sort of valuable espionage information ( I don't remember exactly what; it's been a while). Over the course of their exodus the survivors travel by snowcat, sledge, icebreaker, and on foot, racing a deadline and the agressors. Compares favorably to Ice Station Zebra and Night Without End. The Palermo Affair - A small group of British agents and a Mafia guide drive across German occupied Sicily on a critical sabotage mission. It's a good solid story. If you liked Guns of Navarone, Force 10 From Navarone, or Partisans, you'll like this one. The Year of the Golden Ape - A group of arab terrorists, aided by a French and an English mercenary, plan to smuggle a nuclear weapon into San Francisco aboard a hijacked oil tanker.The British mercenary, betrayed by the others, ends up working with US intelligence agents to prevent the terrorists from destroying the city. It's a great story with a nuclear countdown and a very suspenseful climax. These books will satisfy you. You might also want to try a book by Dean Koontz. That's my contribution to the Alistair MacLean quest. It's great to see there are other fans out there. I hope to see his books reprinted ome day. MEK
on 1/15/2003, 8:11 am, in reply to "Who Else Compares?"
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I know this message thread is rather old, but I thought I'd add to it.
It's called Icebound (or something such) It's about a group of researchers trapped on a large iceberg attempting to survive a mishap. It's an OK story, nothing great, but kind of fun. In his forward Koontz explains he wrote it as a break from his usual horror stuff. He wrote it with the goal of imitating the style of MacLean, one of his favorite authors.
By The Way: Did anybody know that in the late 60s there was a plan to make Night Without End into a "major motion picture"? It was to star Debby Reynolds - as the stewardess, I guess. To my knowledge it was never made.
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