- Paperback: 252 pages
- Publisher: House of Stratus; New edition edition (18 Sep 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1842320122
- ISBN-13: 978-1842320129
- Product Dimensions: 20.4 x 13.7 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 344,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
'Bagley has become a master of the genre, a thriller writer of intelligence and originality.' SUNDAY TIMES
'As long as meticulous craftsmanship and honest entertainment are valued, and as long as action, authenticity, and expertise still make up the strong framework of the good adventure/thriller, Desmond Bagley's books will surely be read.' REGINALD HILL, Twentieth Century Crime and Mystery Writers
'Bagley is a master storyteller.' DAILY MIRROR
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Book Description
Isolated in the biting cold of the Andes, after their plane has been hijacked and forced to crash-land, Tim O'Hara's passengers are fighting for their lives. While one group of survivors, lead by O'Hara, attempt to cross the peaks along a deadly, snow-covered pass, the other is working to stall the armed group of soldiers who plan to kill them all once they have managed to cross a torrential river. Ingenious ideas are put into action in a dramatic attempt to prolong their survival until help arrives.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
... Aside from the fact that it's a brilliant read it's partly the fault of this book that I've ended up studying history (let's just say the character of Dr Armstrong had something of an effect on my warped little mind). It seems Bagley did his research every bit as well as someone like Tom Clancy, but his books have a more lightweight feel. This is not a criticism as Bagley's books are extremely readable and will keep you gripped and never commit the sin (which many modern thrillers commit) of getting to the stage where it feels like you are ploughing through a military handbook. The writing style shows its age somewhat but for me that is also a good thing! Basically if you are up for a good adventure that will keep you hooked and actually have you care what happens to the characters, Desmond Bagley is your man and high citadel is a brilliant example of his work.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have just re-read this book after many years. Suffice to say it has lost none of its brilliance. Indeed for any pilots and ex-pilots out there, I challenge you to come away from this story not believing that the author was an ex-flyer himself. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Bagley was simple a writer of the first rank who had long since realised that the key to a good novel was the depth of research. It was a tip he passed on to me, and one I have endeavoured to pass along to other aspiring writers. Read Bagley for the first time and I guarantee you'll end up reading all fifteen novels he produced before his untimely death in 1984.
From John Templeton Smith.
Format:Paperback
I first read this book fifteen or so years ago and even then it was old (it was first published before I was born, in 1965). I recently came across the book in a charity shop and thought I'd have another read as I remember it being an exciting and enjoyable story.
It was - and is - and I was glad to read it again. Like many books written decades ago, parts seem a bit old-fashioned, such as the portrayal of women (one character, whose name we know, is often referred to as `the girl'). I also found it interesting to read a book written at the height of anti-communist feeling as the story has a thread running through it of trying to thwart a group of communists who are trying to take over a South American country; the communists are portrayed like animals, not humans, and they are the worst thing that can happen. The European view of communism just doesn't feel like that now and the portrayal seems a bit over-the-top.
What's great about this story is the variety of characters and the situation in which they find themselves - stranded high up a mountain after a plane crash and threatened by an armed group of communists. The way in which the motley group of plane passengers arm themselves to fight back is brilliant, as is the description of a group of three making their way across a mountain pass in appalling weather and with hopeless kit. There's a lot of action and excitement in this story which is always gripping.
I did feel that the author was less successful in characterisation. We meet a variety of different people and they are convincing but the way in which they change isn't always so. There is a rather stereotypical ridiculous American chap and there are a few plot events which feel a bit too unlikely (the theft of a fighter jet, for example) but overall I really enjoyed this story and felt it was a little out of the ordinary compared to lots of action books.
It was - and is - and I was glad to read it again. Like many books written decades ago, parts seem a bit old-fashioned, such as the portrayal of women (one character, whose name we know, is often referred to as `the girl'). I also found it interesting to read a book written at the height of anti-communist feeling as the story has a thread running through it of trying to thwart a group of communists who are trying to take over a South American country; the communists are portrayed like animals, not humans, and they are the worst thing that can happen. The European view of communism just doesn't feel like that now and the portrayal seems a bit over-the-top.
What's great about this story is the variety of characters and the situation in which they find themselves - stranded high up a mountain after a plane crash and threatened by an armed group of communists. The way in which the motley group of plane passengers arm themselves to fight back is brilliant, as is the description of a group of three making their way across a mountain pass in appalling weather and with hopeless kit. There's a lot of action and excitement in this story which is always gripping.
I did feel that the author was less successful in characterisation. We meet a variety of different people and they are convincing but the way in which they change isn't always so. There is a rather stereotypical ridiculous American chap and there are a few plot events which feel a bit too unlikely (the theft of a fighter jet, for example) but overall I really enjoyed this story and felt it was a little out of the ordinary compared to lots of action books.
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