The Guns of Navarone

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The classic World War II thriller from the acclaimed master of action and suspense. Now reissued in a new cover style.

Twelve hundred British soldiers isolated on the small island of Kheros off the Turkish coast, waiting to die. Twelve hundred lives in jeopardy, lives that could be saved if only the guns could be silenced. The guns of Navarone, vigilant, savage and catastrophically accurate. Navarone itself, grim bastion of narrow straits manned by a mixed garrison of Germans and Italians, an apparently impregnable iron fortress. To Captain Keith Mallory, skllled saboteur, trained mountaineer, fell the task of leading the small party detailed to scale the vast, impossible precipice of Navarone and to blow up the guns. The Guns of Navarone is the story of that mission, the tale of a calculated risk taken in the time of war...

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Major Keith Mallory, a world-famous mountain climber, is put in charge of a small band of guerrillas who have the impossible assignment of destroying the Nazi gun emplacement on the Greek island of Navarone. Because of the gun's accuracy and power, the lives of 1200 Allied soldiers trapped on the neighboring island of Kheros are in the balance. Mallory leads his small band of carefully chosen soldiers up an impregnable sea cliff to the island. He then directs the force through the mountains while fighting the superbly equipped and trained Nazi Alpen Corps. The author keeps the action moving, and there are few dull moments. However, MacLean presents a sanitized portrayal of war and seems more concerned with advancing the plot than developing his characters. The stereotypical personalities remain static throughout, but there is enough action and suspense to keep the listener involved. Steven Pacey's reading is lively, and his various accents are believable. Recommended for most large public libraries. Jack McCleland, Brooklyn P.L.(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

With the lives of 1,200 British soldiers at stake, Captain Mallory and his commandos set out to destroy German-held batteries in the impregnable rock fortress of Navarone. (F 1 57)