tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post8272917989424463686..comments2024-03-28T02:29:37.413-05:00Comments on Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: FFB: Four by Alistair MacLeanmybillcriderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-18349035151908590702016-10-30T20:20:25.075-05:002016-10-30T20:20:25.075-05:00I'm very fond of The Golden Rendezvous. And I...I'm very fond of <i>The Golden Rendezvous</i>. And I like Bagley and Jenkins a lot.mybillcriderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-28810215590180038002016-10-30T20:15:38.156-05:002016-10-30T20:15:38.156-05:00I think I've read all the Macleans, The Golden...I think I've read all the Macleans, The Golden Rendezvous getting my nod as the best of them. He was my favourite writer of thrillers followed closely by Desmond Bagley and Geoffrey Jenkins.Ron Smythhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00575735524072816238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-75073836708182496012016-10-30T19:58:41.149-05:002016-10-30T19:58:41.149-05:00Enjoyed your reviews!Enjoyed your reviews!mybillcriderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-27895309847707070722016-10-30T19:34:02.651-05:002016-10-30T19:34:02.651-05:00You reviewed several of my favorite MacLean novels...You reviewed several of my favorite MacLean novels, but The Secret Ways is my #1. (It spends some time on Cold War politics rather than just slam-bang action; I think that adds flavor.) See my reviews of all his novels - and of many of the films based on them - at my fan site, AlistairMacLean.com.Big Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06070711870235631052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-72411026621143576082016-10-29T02:59:22.186-05:002016-10-29T02:59:22.186-05:00Never been an adventure reader, but enjoyed most o...Never been an adventure reader, but enjoyed most of the films made from the books, especially Where Eagles Dare. Great review, as Jeff said!RHovey, CAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06538956266834299222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-40889938770293005032016-10-28T18:07:26.051-05:002016-10-28T18:07:26.051-05:00Of course, Howard Hughes loved Ice Station Zebra.Of course, Howard Hughes loved <a href="https://www.wired.com/2015/12/howard-hughess-screening-room/" rel="nofollow">Ice Station Zebra</a>.<br />Jeff Meyersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00093411926030586355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-77408006343785133032016-10-28T17:21:37.464-05:002016-10-28T17:21:37.464-05:00I like Bagley a lot, too. And Jack Higgins and a ...I like Bagley a lot, too. And Jack Higgins and a number of others.mybillcriderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-18883191695806470822016-10-28T17:16:59.132-05:002016-10-28T17:16:59.132-05:00Of the six MacLean novels I've read to date--a...Of the six MacLean novels I've read to date--and those decades ago--<i>Where Eagles Dare</i> is my favorite, as is the film based upon this of his novels. I once saw the film version of <i>Ice Station Zebra</i> and thought it sluggish and lame. <br /><br />Dust-gathering is <i>Bear Island</i>, a hard-copy of which maybe someday I'll get to.<br /><br />As I mentioned in a recent review of <i>The Tightrope Men </i>(https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2016/08/ffb-review-tightrope-men-1973-by.html, I've long given the edge to Desmond Bagley over MacLean for a faster-moving descriptive style. Neither author, however, should be overlooked by fans of high-action thillers.<br /><br />Barry Erganghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04305184548497082776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-30184273722267438932016-10-28T11:39:50.063-05:002016-10-28T11:39:50.063-05:00I read a lot of McLean back in the 1960s/early 197...I read a lot of McLean back in the 1960s/early 1970s, at the same time I was reading a bunch of books by Andrew Garve (http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/G_Authors/Garve_Andrew.html). At some point they sort of fused in my mind, and I had trouble remembering which of them wrote which books. Been years--probably 40--since I've read anything by either of them.Don Coffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07198988872512792834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-15793658271671308082016-10-28T10:53:52.471-05:002016-10-28T10:53:52.471-05:00I love THE SECRET WAYS. It was the first one I re...I love THE SECRET WAYS. It was the first one I read, and I bought it immediately after seeing the movie, which I also like a lot.mybillcriderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-26691159704113427032016-10-28T10:48:17.538-05:002016-10-28T10:48:17.538-05:00For my money, MacLean's two best are H.M.S. UL...For my money, MacLean's two best are H.M.S. ULYSSES and THE SECRET WAYS, but I remember enjoying many of his others, particularly NIGHT WITHOUT END, FEAR IS THE KEY, THE BLACK SHRIKE and THE SATAN BUG (another one originally published as by "Ian Stuart"). They started to get routine and formulaic in the '70s, probably with FORCE 10 FROM NAVARONE, but MacLean wrote a lot of terrific books.Mike Stammnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-10610474618475000392016-10-28T10:38:00.594-05:002016-10-28T10:38:00.594-05:00Some think HMS ULYSSES is MacLean's best novel...Some think HMS ULYSSES is MacLean's best novel.mybillcriderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-42194647046474573032016-10-28T10:34:09.162-05:002016-10-28T10:34:09.162-05:00I don't read many thrillers anymore, but I do ...I don't read many thrillers anymore, but I do read war novels written by veterans. I re-read "HMS Ulysses" a few years ago, and it's one of the best war novels I've ever picked up. I don't think I'll ever forget the final scene. "Ulysses" appeared to be drawn from MacLean's own World War II experiences in the British Navy, and, as a war novel, ranks right up there with Monsarrat's "The Cruel Sea."<br /><br />That led me to re-read "South by Java Head," which, like "Ulysses," I had enjoyed as a teenager. Unfortunately, it had not aged as well, being more of a traditional thriller than a realistic depiction of war. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-51490139755480494152016-10-28T10:28:25.052-05:002016-10-28T10:28:25.052-05:00I saw the film of ICE STATION ZEBRA at the (then n...I saw the film of ICE STATION ZEBRA at the (then new) Cinerama Theater in Hollywood just after it came out. The visuals were whiz-bang, of course, but I don't remember much (that happens a lot these days) about the plot.Rick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07978136287154214297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-63731660442605682842016-10-28T08:41:59.923-05:002016-10-28T08:41:59.923-05:00I see that Amazon has a lot of MacLeans on Kindle ...I see that Amazon has a lot of MacLeans on Kindle for $1.99 each.Jeff Meyersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00093411926030586355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-43380060633605551472016-10-28T08:40:18.370-05:002016-10-28T08:40:18.370-05:00Great review! I read a bunch of MacLeans early on...Great review! I read a bunch of MacLeans early on (and saw several movies) and remember getting some of his later books when I joined the Mystery Guild in the mid-1970s. After one of your previous reviews I picked up copies of NIGHT WITHOUT END and FEAR IS THE KEY, but they are still sitting on the shelf waiting to be read.Jeff Meyersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00093411926030586355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-79223606968437605512016-10-28T08:22:11.363-05:002016-10-28T08:22:11.363-05:00I read WHERE EAGLES DARE when I was in high school...I read WHERE EAGLES DARE when I was in high school and immediately set out to read everything else of Maclean's that had been published up until that time. I kept reading each new book as it came out for a number of years afterward, even when they weren't very good. There were still occasional flashes of what they once were. I thought SAN ANDREAS was the best of the later books. Eventually I did give up, and there are a few I never attempted. I'll bet I'd enjoy rereading those early ones, though. FEAR IS THE KEY is probably my favorite.James Reasonerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18049917964433932612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-89490151390308302662016-10-28T07:16:55.171-05:002016-10-28T07:16:55.171-05:00I'm with August West: Alistair MacLean and Ja...I'm with August West: Alistair MacLean and Jack Higgins first fired up my love for High Adventure fiction. When those two writers were on their game, High Adventure soared!Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04546161337366365635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-31305317875500714422016-10-28T05:27:31.111-05:002016-10-28T05:27:31.111-05:00My frenzy into reading adventure novels started wi...My frenzy into reading adventure novels started with Alistair MacLean and Jack Higgins.August Westhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11797743144228505958noreply@blogger.com