Alistair MacLean
Alistair MacLean, the name itself conjures up many memories, of circulating libraries, musty paperbacks with their frayed covers, and covers of a dashing hero gun in hand, ready for action. My very first bestselling novelist, who drew me into a world of spies, double crossing, intrigues, action scenes, dangerous missions in war torn lands. Most McLean novels, had a standard template, a lone wolf hero, on a dangerous missions, up against a deadly criminal or an organization, dealing with intrigue, double crossing, betrayal. Just the kind of pulp thrillers, to relax with during those long summer breaks, or after exams. It also helped that his novels were essentially “clean”, no sex, matter of fact the heroines in his novel were essentially secondary, more a support to the hero. In a way McLean was the typical guy’s novelist, heavily male centric stories, with enough action, a rather fast paced narrative, wry, sardonic humour, and intrigues that kept the reader guessing till the end.
However MacLean backed up his fast paced narrative plot with some solid research and detailing of the backdrop, be it the Atlantic sea battles in his debut HMS Ulyssess, the Cold War politics in The Last Frontier, the submarine, space race between US and Soviet Union in Ice Station Zebra, the narcotic smuggling rings of Europe in Puppet on a Chain. He was at home in two genres, the War novel, based on his own experiences in the Royal Navy during World War II, and the Cold War thriller.
MacLean, joined the Royal Navy at the age of 19, and took part in three different theaters of the world, the Atlantic campaign, where he was part of the British shipping convoys, the Meditteranean campaign and the Far East campaign, during the Fall of Singapore. It was his experiences in the Royal Navy that would lead him to write his debut novel, HMS Ulysses, and his best to date, in my opinion, on par with other naval classics like The Cruel Sea. The story of a British convoy in the Atlantic heading to Murmansk, having to battle the Wolf Packs( German U-Boats), and the experiences of the crew make for a rivetting read. The detailed descriptions of the sea battle, the fight for survival by the crews in the stormy ocean, pull you into another world altogether. It would also showcase his love for the sea, where he spent a good part of his life.
The success of his debut novel, woud lead him to another War novel, set in Nazi occupied Greece, where a crack Allied team led by Capt Keith Mallory and explosives expert Miller, along with the Greek resistance fighter Andrea, embark on a dangerous mission of blowing up two mighty German guns that have been wreaking havoc on Allied convoys in the Meditteranean shipping lanes. The Guns of Navaronne remains an evergreen classic, not just for it’s action scenes, but also it’s characterization, the ego clashes between the lead characters and the constant intrigue, double crossing. The movie version remains one of the greatest war movies to date.
MacLean would follow the same pattern in his another war classic Where Eagles Dare, a crack Allied team that has to penetrate, the impregnable Scholl Alder, the Nazi mountaintop fortress that can only be accessed by cable car. The mission is to rescue a captured Allied general, the catch is that there is a mole in the mission, and one of the prisoners could actually be a double agent. Again the movie much like the novel, remains another classic.
His other War novel, South by Java Head, about a group of Allied officers and civiliians, making their escape to Australia after the fall of Singapore, having to deal with Japanese fighter planes on the hunt, was more a decent read.
The Last Frontier marked McLean’s foray into the Cold War thriller genre, about a British secret agent, Michael Reynolds, undertaking a dangerous mission into Hungary during the Cold War, to rescue a British scientist, Prof Jennings, held captive by the Communist Government there. Much unlike McLean’s other novels, this has a more slower paced narrative, with more emphasis on character development, and a slow build up, to an explosive climax. One of the best thrillers in the Cold War genre. that has an excellent description of the politics and the situation in Hungary.
Night Without End is a murder mystery set in the Arctic, among the survivors of a flight crash. Again a great thriller, with excellent detailing of the bleak Arctic backdrop, and a suspense that keeps the reader guessing till the end. As was Fear is the Key set against the backdrop of an oil rig, and a hero on the run. Fast paced thriller, that has it all, with car chases, intrigues, double crossing. There was a movie version too, decent flick.
Another of his popcorn thrillers was the Golden Rendezvous about a luxury cruise ship under attack by a bunch of terrorists who take it hostage, and there was an equally entertaining movie version too in 1977. The Satan Bug, another great thriller, which he wrote under the pseudonym of Ian Stuart, about a deadly virus, that could wipe out human life, in the hands of a criminal, with mysterious murders going on in a research lab. Quite spine chilling in many ways.
Ice Station Zebra, saw McLean back in the Cold War genre about a US Nuclear submarine on a mission to rescue the survivors of a meterological station in the Arctic, with some brilliant intrigues, double crossing and rivetting tension till the end.
The story was was based on many events of the Cold War, notably the exploits of US nuclear submarines Nautilius under the ice, as also the Space Race with Soviet Union. The movie version was good too, though changed in many ways from the original novel.
When 8 Bells Toll, set amidst the backdrop of his native Scotland, another of McLean's fast paced thrillers, about a group of cargo ships that have been hijacked in the Irish sea, and the hunt to rescue them.
Fun Fact- This is the novel that Sharmila Tagore reads in the train, or rather is seen reading, during the Mere Sapnon Ki Rani song in Aaradhana.
Puppet on a Chain, set in Netherlands, amidst the backdrop of Europe's drug smuggling rings, during that time, was another good, fast paced thriller, and in his typical style, keeps the reader guessing about the main culprit till the end. He once again returned to the Arctic with Bear Island, about a movie crew on the remote island, caught up in a series of mysterious murders. Another great thriller, where he keeps the reader guessing till the end.
His only period backdrop novel, set during the 19th century, Breakheart Pass, on a train travelling through the Rockies, which faces sabotage and a series of mysterious murders, along with shady characters. Made into an equally successful movie with Charles Bronson.
Circus was another great novel, by McLean, about a trapeze artist, recruited by the CIA to undertake a deadly misison on a castle where his family is held hostage, and a Communist agent in pursuit.
The Golden Gate was McLean's last truly great novel, about a master criminal, who holds the entourage of the US President and his guests from the Middle East, hostage on San Francisco's most iconic landmark. A brilliant thriller with an iconic villian in Peter Branson, the mastermind, who makes some delightfully witty, tongue in cheek quotes on the White House, American politics, and it's dependence on Middle East for Oil.
McLean's later novels ,Seawitch, Athabasca, Santorini, Partisans, post the Golden Gate, were just about decent, but nowhere in the league of his earlier works. In fact most seemed ghost written. Apart from his novels, he also wrote non fictional books on Lawrence of Arabia, Captain Cook, his native Scotland, and a collection of short stories titled the Lonely Sea. Alistair McLean's cold war thrillers, war novels, remain a great read to date, the best way to chill out with when you have spare time.