- Paperback: 221 pages
- Publisher: Fontana; later printing edition (1972)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0006128297
- ISBN-13: 978-0006128298
- Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 10.4 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,263,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
'Mr Bagley has no equal at this sort of thing.' SUNDAY MIRROR
'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
Mussolini's missing treasure - worth three million pounds - lies hidden in Italy. A group of adventurers set sail to track down the treasure and smuggle it out, encountering many enemies along the route, including murderous ex-partisans, ruthless beauties and menacing smugglers, all of whom will stop at nothing for a chance to hijack the fortune.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
Its a long time since I last had the opportunity or inclination to read a book, but this fitted the bill right away the pace was good, it kept your interest as it built the characters and plot, reached an exciting climax and had a ending that made you consider how the characters went on afterwards.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The fact that Desmond Bagley picked up the threads of this his first novel from an ex WWII soldier in a Jo'burg bar is a fact known only to a few people. Being mentored by the great man in the last years of his life, I learned the story over our evening cocktail when the day's education/advice into the many and varied aspects of novel writing was over. So, if you haven't read Bagley's first novel I urge you to do so. And remember this tale of fiction is quite possibly a little more than that! I have passed on the full backround to its genesis to Nigel Alefounder who runs the Desmond Bagley official webpage...
Nigel is currently in the process of adding this to the autobiography section of that webpage. In the meanwhile I hope you enjoy this superior action adventure. DB always called it his lucky book. For a first novel of its time I would say superior.
John Templeton Smith
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Pretty good debut
19 Feb 2010
Format:Paperback
[3.5 stars]
'The Golden Keel' was Desmond Bagley's first novel, and you can tell that he hadn't quite settled into his stride at this point. The opening is a bit clumsy, the book takes a while to gain momentum, and there is a lack of genuine motivation for the protagonist. However, this is pretty good for a first outing, and once the book gets moving it is an entertaining read.
Many of Bagley's early thrillers feature a small group of varied protagonists instead of a single "hero" character, and this is no exception. The brawny Coetzee, the weak-willed Walker, and the resourceful Francesca are all interesting characters, as is the urbane antagonist Metcalfe. The pacing of the second half is good, with the dockyard battle and final storm well described. And the ending is somewhat unexpected, although the very final "twist" is perhaps a bit too clever for its own good.
It's not in the same league as his best books, but there are enough familiar elements here to make 'The Golden Keel' appealing for Bagley's fans, and to those who love thrillers in general.
'The Golden Keel' was Desmond Bagley's first novel, and you can tell that he hadn't quite settled into his stride at this point. The opening is a bit clumsy, the book takes a while to gain momentum, and there is a lack of genuine motivation for the protagonist. However, this is pretty good for a first outing, and once the book gets moving it is an entertaining read.
Many of Bagley's early thrillers feature a small group of varied protagonists instead of a single "hero" character, and this is no exception. The brawny Coetzee, the weak-willed Walker, and the resourceful Francesca are all interesting characters, as is the urbane antagonist Metcalfe. The pacing of the second half is good, with the dockyard battle and final storm well described. And the ending is somewhat unexpected, although the very final "twist" is perhaps a bit too clever for its own good.
It's not in the same league as his best books, but there are enough familiar elements here to make 'The Golden Keel' appealing for Bagley's fans, and to those who love thrillers in general.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Good first novel from a master
30 Dec 2009
Format:Paperback
This was Desmond Bagley's first book and although it is by far not his best book, it has enough to the storyline to make him an author to watch for.
The story concerns the salvaging of Mussolini's gold from where it was hidden during the Second World War. The main character (Hal) is a boat designer who hears the tale of the gold from one of the men who hid the gold but has been unable to retrieve it.
The adventure is the planning and execution of the retrival of the treasure.
There is a strong hint of Alastair Maclean to the novel in that the storyline is very down to earth (no James Bond heroics here) and Bagley makes sure to keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Being his first novel, there are times where the story gets bogged down a little bit but on the whole, it is a good read.
The story concerns the salvaging of Mussolini's gold from where it was hidden during the Second World War. The main character (Hal) is a boat designer who hears the tale of the gold from one of the men who hid the gold but has been unable to retrieve it.
The adventure is the planning and execution of the retrival of the treasure.
There is a strong hint of Alastair Maclean to the novel in that the storyline is very down to earth (no James Bond heroics here) and Bagley makes sure to keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Being his first novel, there are times where the story gets bogged down a little bit but on the whole, it is a good read.
Interesting story, well executed
7 Aug 2009
Format:Paperback
I remember enjoying this story many years ago and decided recently to have another look. This was Bagley's first thriller and it starts sluggishly before picking up pace. The story takes place in the early 1960s when Cape Town boat maker Peter Halloran, freshly widowed after a drunk driver kills his wife, needs to get his mind off his woes. He remembers the crazy story a drunk soldier told him many years ago about how a ragtag bunch of prisoners and partisans in Italy managed to hijack and then hide a convoy carrying a fortune in gold and jewels during World War Two. The main principals still haven't found a way to get the gold out, so Halloran offers his help. I won't say too much more about how they try to pull off this feat, since the idea at the centre of the tale is pretty clever, but the book features the usual fights, gunfire, violence and love interest you'd expect from such escapist literature. What I like about the Golden Keel is that it's tightly written, plausible, interesting, and doesn't abuse the trust of the reader. You're never faced with a ludicrous plot twist or development so unlikely that you lose interest. I read most of his books and must say I recall liking this one the most.
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