- Paperback: 223 pages
- Publisher: Fontana; 27th THUS edition (July 1969)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0006120598
- ISBN-13: 978-0006120599
- Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 10.7 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,916,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Dark Crusader
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Product Description
Review
'A fierce whodunit set on a rocket-proving island in the Pacific. Moves at jet pace' Oxford Mail
'As satisfying a saga of death, double-dealing and cloak-and-dagger work as I've read in a long time' Books and Bookmen
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.Product Description
Eight job advertisements.
Eight jobs. Eight specialists in modern technology required.
Eight scientists to fill them.
Applicants to be married, with no children, and prepared to travel. Highly persuasive salaries.
One criminal mastermind.
Eight positions filled. Eight scientists - and their wives - disappear. Completely.
One secret agent to stop him.
Advertisment no.9. Sydney, Australia. Fuel specialist required. Looks like a job for John Bentall…
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Meet John Bentall .. When you get to know this tough, diffident guy who's honest enough to admit his mistakes you'll stay with him to the end. And with the beautiful girl who's posing as his wife. Together they embark on a 'honeymoon' voyage which turns out to be a series of disasters. They're dumped on a remote Polynesian island where, isolated and in acute danger, they have to pit their wits against a brilliant brain; a brain backed by sadistic Chinese henchmen. Slowly the terrible meaning of The Dark Crusader comes to light.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Dark Crusader at face value seem like an attempt to create an alternative to Fleming's Bond novels. Secret agents, a criminal mastermind with an intimidating sidekick, plans for world domination and even the girl.
Unlike Fleming's direct no-nonsense writing that kept his novels short and punchy throughout Alistair Maclean's Dark Crusader is more wordy and descriptive. That helps in setting the scene but slows the pace somewhat and it's a relief when the action heats up and the paragraphs stop filling whole pages.
That said it is still an excellent tale of one man's struggle against overwhelming odds. There's action and intrigue throughout.
All in all a very good read.
Unlike Fleming's direct no-nonsense writing that kept his novels short and punchy throughout Alistair Maclean's Dark Crusader is more wordy and descriptive. That helps in setting the scene but slows the pace somewhat and it's a relief when the action heats up and the paragraphs stop filling whole pages.
That said it is still an excellent tale of one man's struggle against overwhelming odds. There's action and intrigue throughout.
All in all a very good read.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
British secret agent John Bentall applies for the job of rocket scientist, a post from which six people have mysteriously disappeared. With fellow agent Marie Hopeson posing as his wife, they fly out to Australia. Kidnapped by mercenaries, they wind up on an island where a group of criminals, led by the sinister LeClerc, has taken the place of a British archaeological expedition. They are secretly tunnelling into a nearby naval establishment where the 'Dark Crusader' rockets are kept. LeClerc is working for Communist Asia. Only Bentall can stop him from triggering a nuclear war...
Irritated by the popularity of Ian Fleming's 'James Bond', Mclean decided to try and do better. This was one of two books he published under the nom-de-plume 'Ian Stuart', the other being 'The Satan Bug'. Its an exciting, enjoyable yarn in the Maclean tradition, even though Bentall never presents Bond with any competition. As he openly admits, he's rather a dull bloke. The heroine is duller still, though there's a reason for this. The epilogue anticipates the final scene of 'Where Eagles Dare' in that it throws new light on everything that went before.
Maclean's later pseudo-Bonds included 'When Eight Bells Toll', 'Puppet On A Chain' and 'Ice Station Zebra'. All were filmed. That 'The Dark Crusader' got overlooked is strange.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Even MacLean had bad days ...
I approached this novel as a fan of Alistair MacLean - I have previously read and thoroughly enjoyed "The Guns of Navarone", "Force 10 from Navarone" and "Where Eagles Dare". Read more
Published 7 months ago by David Grady
dark crusader
I have read many books by this author but I found this one hard going so hard in fact I put it aside to try again later What did not help was the print was so small it was... Read more
Published 12 months ago by lenju
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