While digging about in the loft recently I came upon several boxes of books. One of which was 'The Glasshouse Gang'. It's an absoolute age since I read this book but intend to make it the next non audiobook I read.
Set in WW2 it's about a British Army officer who gets sent to the military prison after deserting his post. There he is singled out for special treatment among the brutal regime. When he gets released he goes on the run again but this time gathers together some of the men whom he served time with. His rationale being that one absconder will soon be picked up but a platoons worth - acting as a military unit with a Captain (him) in charge will get left alone. They steal vehicles & equipment & set up camp close to the Nile & prepare to sit out the war but unfortunately things don't quite work out for them & they end up running from both the British & Germans!
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,644MI6 Agent
That sounds very interesting, stag! -{
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
But Sir Miles and I don't exactly see eye to eye on late-term Gardner. :007)
Does anyone, SM? The fall in quality of his later books is quite marked. I'll defend his earlier works but after (arguably) LTK there's a marked dropping off.
It is. As I recall the 'officer' has an agenda of his own. Apart from staying out of the war he takes revenge on the MPs who abused & beat him & his friends. They beat up several of these MPs without any repercussion. However a unit of hardened defaulters spell trouble & the glasshouse gang are forced to flee westwards to somewhere they think they will be safe however as soon as they arrive at the oasis in question, the Germans begin an all out attack,leaving them stranded behind enemy lines! They end up fighting it out with the enemy before attempting to make it back to British controlled territory.
But Sir Miles and I don't exactly see eye to eye on late-term Gardner. :007)
Does anyone, SM? The fall in quality of his later books is quite marked. I'll defend his earlier works but after (arguably) LTK there's a marked dropping off.
Probably not you know. I'm happy to be considered "The boy stood on the burning deck" when it comes to 90s Gardner! )
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 26,417Chief of Staff
But Sir Miles and I don't exactly see eye to eye on late-term Gardner. :007)
Does anyone, SM? The fall in quality of his later books is quite marked. I'll defend his earlier works but after (arguably) LTK there's a marked dropping off.
I love the early Gardners but I agree that his writing tailed off towards the end. And the introduction of Flicka was painful.. Was anyone else glad when she died?
As for what I'm reading now... I've just started The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 26,417Chief of Staff
The introduction of Flicka was an interesting development...something different anyway - exploring Bond in a relationship across several books...but we all knew it wasn't going to last...
It was cringe-inducing. I couldn't imagine someone like Bond living with someone his equal. And M sanctioning the two of them working together??? It went against everything that had gone before.
That said, her death was pretty much glossed over in COLD.
A bit over halfway through Colonel Sun. Really enjoying it. The characters, location and action is great. Solo arrived in the mail today so I will probably be on to that after CS.
"Mango, banana and tangerine. Sugar and ackee and cocoa bean!"
It is. As I recall the 'officer' has an agenda of his own. Apart from staying out of the war he takes revenge on the MPs who abused & beat him & his friends. They beat up several of these MPs without any repercussion. However a unit of hardened defaulters spell trouble & the glasshouse gang are forced to flee westwards to somewhere they think they will be safe however as soon as they arrive at the oasis in question, the Germans begin an all out attack,leaving them stranded behind enemy lines! They end up fighting it out with the enemy before attempting to make it back to British controlled territory.
I finished Colonel Sun and very much enjoyed it. Now deciding on Solo or The Spy Who Loved Me novelization to read next!
I would go with TSWLM novelization by Christopher Wood, which IMO you would find very similar in grit to CS, e.g., "classic Fleming Bond" through the pen of another writer. IMO, Solo will seem as a weak follow-up. As for the recent "classic Fleming Bond" books by newer authors (Devil May Care, Carte Blanche and Trigger Mortis), I think TM is the strongest.
Back to the TSWLM novelization, though it had a contemporary setting to when it was published (1977), it was as if Fleming's Bond came back, bridged over from Colonel Sun, very different in flavor from the TSWLM movie.
"...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,644MI6 Agent
I finished Colonel Sun and very much enjoyed it. Now deciding on Solo or The Spy Who Loved Me novelization to read next!
I would go with TSWLM novelization by Christopher Wood, which IMO you would find very similar in grit to CS, e.g., "classic Fleming Bond" through the pen of another writer. IMO, Solo will seem as a weak follow-up. As for the recent "classic Fleming Bond" books by newer authors (Devil May Care, Carte Blanche and Trigger Mortis), I think TM is the strongest.
Back to the TSWLM novelization, though it had a contemporary setting to when it was published (1977), it was as if Fleming's Bond came back, bridged over from Colonel Sun, very different in flavor from the TSWLM movie.
I'd certainly second that choice! -{
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
superadoRegent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,651MI6 Agent
Thanks, SM! I made a mistake, Carte Blanche has a contemporary setting and it was Solo that was set in the 60's. However, I maintain my opinion that it was underwhelming. Though it had a good start, very atmospheric in its late 60s setting, when the story shifted abroad where you couldn't really discern the retro time-period...so, the attempt at a period-piece became immaterial. It felt like it borrowed a lot from Forsythe's Dogs of War, yes, a book written and discernibly set in the 70s; but that plot and theme can better serve a contemporary setting.
"...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
I've just started reading Never Send Flowers. As ever with the late-era Gardners I am not expecting much, but nonetheless hoping for a pleasant surprise.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 26,417Chief of Staff
I've just started reading Never Send Flowers. As ever with the late-era Gardners I am not expecting much, but nonetheless hoping for a pleasant surprise.
Oh dear
YNWA 97
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,644MI6 Agent
I've just started reading Never Send Flowers. As ever with the late-era Gardners I am not expecting much, but nonetheless hoping for a pleasant surprise.
Oh dear
Come on, Sir Miles, it's really very good! -{
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 26,417Chief of Staff
I've just started reading Never Send Flowers. As ever with the late-era Gardners I am not expecting much, but nonetheless hoping for a pleasant surprise.
Oh dear
Come on, Sir Miles, it's really very good! -{
But we both know it really, REALLY isn't {[]
YNWA 97
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,644MI6 Agent
Comments
Well...6/10 is a middling score...but it's better than I've read before
On the contrary those are two of Gardner's best in my view! )
But Sir Miles and I don't exactly see eye to eye on late-term Gardner. :007)
Set in WW2 it's about a British Army officer who gets sent to the military prison after deserting his post. There he is singled out for special treatment among the brutal regime. When he gets released he goes on the run again but this time gathers together some of the men whom he served time with. His rationale being that one absconder will soon be picked up but a platoons worth - acting as a military unit with a Captain (him) in charge will get left alone. They steal vehicles & equipment & set up camp close to the Nile & prepare to sit out the war but unfortunately things don't quite work out for them & they end up running from both the British & Germans!
Does anyone, SM? The fall in quality of his later books is quite marked. I'll defend his earlier works but after (arguably) LTK there's a marked dropping off.
It is. As I recall the 'officer' has an agenda of his own. Apart from staying out of the war he takes revenge on the MPs who abused & beat him & his friends. They beat up several of these MPs without any repercussion. However a unit of hardened defaulters spell trouble & the glasshouse gang are forced to flee westwards to somewhere they think they will be safe however as soon as they arrive at the oasis in question, the Germans begin an all out attack,leaving them stranded behind enemy lines! They end up fighting it out with the enemy before attempting to make it back to British controlled territory.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Glasshouse-Gang-Gordon-Landsborough/dp/0532152557
Probably not you know. I'm happy to be considered "The boy stood on the burning deck" when it comes to 90s Gardner! )
Like off a steep cliff !
Gardner was ill - and his writing suffers
As for what I'm reading now... I've just started The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.
That said, her death was pretty much glossed over in COLD.
Oh she's died, ho hum, back to work.
I'm sure you will enjoy it -{
I have to hold my hand up here and say I've yet to read Trigger Mortis...even though I have both UK & US editions ;%
Far the best of the continuing books. -{
Very much agreed on that front, TP.
It does sound like a good read, Stag. I'm not sure I'm ready to read all four books in the series, though.
I would go with TSWLM novelization by Christopher Wood, which IMO you would find very similar in grit to CS, e.g., "classic Fleming Bond" through the pen of another writer. IMO, Solo will seem as a weak follow-up. As for the recent "classic Fleming Bond" books by newer authors (Devil May Care, Carte Blanche and Trigger Mortis), I think TM is the strongest.
Back to the TSWLM novelization, though it had a contemporary setting to when it was published (1977), it was as if Fleming's Bond came back, bridged over from Colonel Sun, very different in flavor from the TSWLM movie.
I'd certainly second that choice! -{
Oh dear
Come on, Sir Miles, it's really very good! -{
But we both know it really, REALLY isn't {[]
) Oh, Sir Miles!