Alistair Maclean

I have been reading his "classics" - so far Fear Is the Key, The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, and Ice Station Zebra. The Golden Rendezvous is next on the list.

I understand that his writing suffered a noticeable decline in quality in from the 1970s. Does anyone disagree? Does anyone think these later works are worth reading? My local library has only a couple of them, and I am curious about whether they are worth the effort of an interlibrary loan or searches at second-hand bookstores.

My goodness! I haven't thought of him for many years. I think I read most of his during the late 60s and early 70s; definitely Zebra and Force 10 and Seawitch.

I think of him in the same breath as Hammond Innes and Desmond Bagley - have you read them?

We don't seem to get many pure adventure stories nowadays: they are mostly whodunnits of one forma or another.

I must add that I reread your namesake book (at least I assume it is a homage to Nevil Shute) every few years. It is one of my favourites.

It's one of mine too. I recently read the sole biography of Mr. Shute. One of the few agreeable statements the author makes about the man is that, even though mid-century he was one of the most popular English writers, he appears to have had no influence at all on any other writer.

At least Shute is well-served by the Nevil Shute Foundation; in my opinion the commentary on their website recognizes his literary value.

I've not read Innes and Bagley; may I ask what makes you think of them in the same breath as that of Maclean?

Interesting that you distinguish Maclean from whodunnits. "Zebra" arguably is one - at the climax, the protagonist collects all the suspects into the wardroom to announce the culprit's identity and the evidence supporting his accusation. But perhaps the real appeal of the story is in the setting of the nuclear submarine, a very new and exciting piece of technology when it was written in the early 60s.

Ooh! I didn't know about the Foundation. Thanks for the info.

> may I ask what makes you think of them in the same breath as that of Maclean?

Well, I'm looking back more than 30 years, but they all seemed to me to cover similar ground. I recently reread The Vivero Letter and didn't find it particularly great. Most of the others are at my mother's house (hence not in my catalogue) - I must try to borrow a few and have another look.

> you distinguish Maclean from whodunnits

I think it is because of the settings. To me, whodunnits are set in (a version of) normal life. Adventures are by (my) definition outside the normal.

Here is what I've read by MacLean:

2231. H.M.S. Ulysses, by Alistair MacLean (read 8 Sep 1989)
2380. Where Eagles Dare by Alistair MacLean (read 3 May 1991)
2775. The Guns of Navarone, by Alistair MacLean (read 14 Aug 1995)
3298. When Eight Bells Toll, by Alistair MacLean (read 14 Mar 2000)
4258. Fear Is the Key, by Alistair MacLean (read 14 Jan 2007)
4351. South by Java Head, by Alistair MacLean (read 10 Aug 2007)
4444. The Secret Ways, by Alistair MacLean (read 1 Jun 2008)

I think my favorite of these is Where Eagles Dare, but that view may be influenced by the movie, which I watch every chance I can

I also liked South by Java Head.

When Eight Bells Toll was the least appreciated.

A short review of each is posted on each book hereon.

Is there any MacLean book which anybody thinks is better that I have not read?