Alistair Maclean Biography and latest books by Alistair Maclean

MacLean was born into a political family (his father was a minister) and learnt English as his second language. Though being born in Glasgow, he spent much of his childhood and youth in Daviot. He enlisted for the British Royal Navy in 1941and served commendably throughout the World War II. Occupying the positions of Ordinary seaman, Able seaman and Leading Torpedo Operator, the war saw him working on various battleships. Though he left the Navy in 1946(and completed his Graduation from the University of Glasgow in 1953), the knowledge and experience he acquired was used by him remarkably for a completely different purpose-fiction writing. The journey that began as a part time profession with HMS Ulysses soon became Maclean’s claim to stardom.

Maclean was a master of Thriller. Almost all his works carry the essentials of suspense, thriller, action and treachery. Most of his books revolve around tough worldly protagonists, shady characters, unforgiving setups akin the sea or forest and frequent (but non-graphic) violence. The Second World War also forms the basis of many a novels like Guns of Navarone, HMS Ulysses and Where Eagles Dare. Albeit, what distinguishes a Maclean novel from the rest of his generation is the flair and style of his hero, as well as the absence of lady characters and romantic angle (with a few exceptions).

The public response to Maclean’s works was always favorable and he built a huge fan following in the thirty odd years of his writing career. The success of his novels can be gauged by their ‘bestselling’ credentials and cinematic adaptation (As in the case of Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, When Eight Bells Toll, Ice Station Zebra). The phase from Night Without End to Ice Station Zebra is considered the most illustrious of his career by readers and critics alike. Here, he was hailed for his supreme characters, action sequences, thrilling plots, unique narration and dry humor. The critics lauded him for the fascinating usage of his knowledge of the sea to create compelling settings for the novels. However, during the late half of his career, his storyline was accused of having sagged and become clogged with excessive dialogue. They argued that the very traits which set apart a Maclean from the rest (read Action and Thriller) were compromised, and even the characters could never escalate the heights of their predecessors.

Maclean builds his characters brick by brick, not giving much away in narratives but leading the readers through action sequences and dialogues. Romance and emotion are never the highlights of a Maclean novel for he considered these to be unwarranted intrusions into an otherwise free flowing tale. His writing style is simple and easy to comprehend. Maclean beautifully blends thriller with detective elements, creating irresistibly intense page turners. Apart from these factors, the style, flair and heroism truly make you sit back and take note. However, there are certain novels (like River of Death) where he glorifies the hero so much so that the thread with reality is broken. Moreover, he bases a lot of his novels on The Second World War, where he is accused of borrowing settings rather than creating them. Yes, some of his works are plagued by stretched dialogues and unrealistic events, but overall the quality of his works is excellent. To a reader new to the world of fiction, his books will never disappoint or fail to entertain. Maclean was certainly a leading light for the generation of Thriller writers to follow and will continue to occupy a special place in the echelons of fiction.



Submitted by: Apal Kumar

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