The Guns of Navarone (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Guns of Navarone is a 1957
novel about World War II
by Scottish
thriller writer Alistair MacLean
that was made into a critically acclaimed film
in 1961. The Greek island of Navarone does not exist and the plot is fictitious; however, the story takes place within the real historical context of Dodecanese Campaign
- the Allies' campaign to capture the German-held Greek islands in the Aegean
in 1943, while "Navarone" is an obvious variation of Navarino
, the place of a famous naval battle in 1827.
commando
team to destroy a seemingly impregnable German
fortress that threatens Allied naval ships in the Aegean Sea
, and prevents over 2,000 isolated British
soldiers from being rescued. The story is based on the real events surrounding the Battle of Leros
in World War II
.
The Guns of Navarone brought together elements that would characterise much of MacLean's subsequent works: tough, competent, worldly men as main characters; frequent but non-graphic violence; betrayal of the hero(es) by a trusted associate; and extensive use of the sea and other dangerous environments as settings. Its three principal characters — New Zealand
mountaineer-turned-commando Keith Mallory, American demolitions expert "Dusty" Miller, and Greek
resistance fighter Andrea — are among the most fully drawn in all of MacLean's work.
is planning to send ships to rescue them. The heavy radar
-controlled guns controlling the only deepwater channel that ships can use must be silenced at all costs.
Commando attacks have failed and after a bombardment by Liberator
bombers fails to destroy the guns, Captain James Jensen RN, Chief of Operations for SOE
in Cairo
, decides to launch a desperate last ditch attempt which he has already planned in case the bombing is unsuccessful. He has drawn together a team of specialist saboteurs to infiltrate the island via the 'unclimable' south cliff and get into the fortress to destroy the guns. They have less than one week.
The team meet for the first time in Alexandria
. They comprise:
The team travel via MTB
and plane to Castelrosso
, a British-held island. Here, they discover an eavesdropper, Nikolai the base laundry boy, who allegedly speaks no English but is spying on them anyway. They demand that he be arrested and held incommunicado, but the story implies that this does not happen.
In an ancient caïque
they sail towards Navarone. They carry papers identifying themselves as collaborators with, and couriers for, the German commandant of the island. They are intercepted by a German patrol boat, which appears to be expecting them. They sink it and kill all the crew.
They are wrecked in a storm, but manage to land on the island, having lost much of their equipment. They climb the 'unclimbable' south cliff, but Stevens slips and is badly injured.
Evading German guards, they travel through heavy snow
and rough terrain and are met by Louki, the steward of the exiled owner of the island, and Panayis, his enigmatic friend. They bring much needed food. By radio, Jensen tells the team that they have less time than was planned for. The ships are coming through that very night. But whilst resting in a cave, they are captured by a troop of German specialist mountain soldiers led by Oberleutnant
Turzig, who recognises Mallory as a famous climber. They are taken to the town of Margaritha where they are ruthlessly interrogated by Hauptmann
Skoda. Thanks to Andrea's diversionary behaviour, they turn the tables on them and Skoda is shot. With Turzig and the others securely tied up, they escape and make their way to the town of Navarone. They are harassed by troops and planes who are also apparently expecting them.
With no medical facilities available, Stevens is clearly dying and beyond help. He asks to be left behind and feels curiously at peace. Miller discovers that much of his equipment has been damaged. Suspicion falls on Panayis, who is also suspected of being a double agent
. He admits nothing, but the evidence is damning. Miller shoots him.
Mallory and Miller manage to enter the fortress housing the guns, whilst the others create a diversion and confusion. They set the explosives and then get out to meet the others. They steal a boat and rendezvous with the destroyer
HMS Sirdar, which is leading two others through the deepwater channel. Just in time, the explosives do their work, the guns are destroyed and the ships continue on their way to rescue the soldiers.
placed The Guns of Navarone 89th on its The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time
list.
The success of the book's film adaptation made Alistair MacLean write the only sequel of his writing career, Force 10 from Navarone
(1968).
produced a two-hour adaptation for radio written by Bert Coules
and directed by Patrick Rayner. The cast included:
The Guns of Navarone was also produced as an abridged speaking book with Patrick Allen
narrating.
is based on the same historical events as the novel.
The song "Triumph" by the Wu-Tang Clan mentions The Guns Of Navarone in the verse by Method Man.
The Jamaican ska band The Skatalites
released the Best of the Skatalites - Guns of Navarone in 2003.
The song "The Guns of Navarone" by Mr. Smolin makes metaphorical use of the image, comparing a beloved's heart to the nearly impossible-to-reach guns of Navarone.
The indie pop band Maritime
's first song on their 2007 album Heresy and the Hotel Choir
is titled "Guns of Navarone"
was titled, "The Girls of Nazarone Affair"—an obvious play on "The Guns of Navarone."
1957 in literature
The year 1957 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Lawrence Durrell publishes the first volume of The Alexandria Quartet. The final of the four volumes will be published in 1960....
novel about World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
thriller writer Alistair MacLean
Alistair MacLean
Alistair Stuart MacLean was a Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers or adventure stories, the best known of which are perhaps The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare, all three having been made into successful films...
that was made into a critically acclaimed film
The Guns of Navarone (film)
The Guns of Navarone is a 1961 British-American Action/Adventure war film based on the 1957 novel of the same name about the Dodecanese Campaign of World War II by Scottish thriller writer Alistair MacLean. It stars Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, along with Anthony Quayle and Stanley...
in 1961. The Greek island of Navarone does not exist and the plot is fictitious; however, the story takes place within the real historical context of Dodecanese Campaign
Dodecanese Campaign
The Dodecanese Campaign of World War II was an attempt by Allied forces, mostly British, to capture the Italian-held Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea following the surrender of Italy in September 1943, and use them as bases against the German-controlled Balkans...
- the Allies' campaign to capture the German-held Greek islands in the Aegean
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
in 1943, while "Navarone" is an obvious variation of Navarino
Battle of Navarino
The naval Battle of Navarino was fought on 20 October 1827, during the Greek War of Independence in Navarino Bay , on the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the Ionian Sea. A combined Ottoman and Egyptian armada was destroyed by a combined British, French and Russian naval force...
, the place of a famous naval battle in 1827.
Plot introduction
The story concerns the efforts of an AlliedAllies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
team to destroy a seemingly impregnable German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
fortress that threatens Allied naval ships in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, and prevents over 2,000 isolated British
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
soldiers from being rescued. The story is based on the real events surrounding the Battle of Leros
Battle of Leros
The Battle of Leros was the central event of the Dodecanese Campaign of the Second World War, and is widely used as an alternate name for the whole campaign. Leros was occupied by British forces on 15 September 1943...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The Guns of Navarone brought together elements that would characterise much of MacLean's subsequent works: tough, competent, worldly men as main characters; frequent but non-graphic violence; betrayal of the hero(es) by a trusted associate; and extensive use of the sea and other dangerous environments as settings. Its three principal characters — New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
mountaineer-turned-commando Keith Mallory, American demolitions expert "Dusty" Miller, and Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
resistance fighter Andrea — are among the most fully drawn in all of MacLean's work.
Plot
The island of Navarone, off the Turkish coast, has been heavily fortified as the Germans attempt to stifle British naval activity in the Aegean. A force of twelve hundred British soldiers are now marooned on the nearby island of Kheros and the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
is planning to send ships to rescue them. The heavy radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
-controlled guns controlling the only deepwater channel that ships can use must be silenced at all costs.
Commando attacks have failed and after a bombardment by Liberator
Liberator
-In literature:* The Liberator , a Bible re-telling by Rob Lacey* The Liberators , a book by Victor Suvorov-In film:*Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II, a 1992 documentary film...
bombers fails to destroy the guns, Captain James Jensen RN, Chief of Operations for SOE
SOE
- Organizations :* Special Operations Executive, a British World War II covert military organisation* State-owned enterprise, a government-owned business* Sega of Europe, a computer game developer* Sony Online Entertainment, a computer game developer...
in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, decides to launch a desperate last ditch attempt which he has already planned in case the bombing is unsuccessful. He has drawn together a team of specialist saboteurs to infiltrate the island via the 'unclimable' south cliff and get into the fortress to destroy the guns. They have less than one week.
The team meet for the first time in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
. They comprise:
- Captain Keith Mallory - a New Zealand officer with the Long Range Desert GroupLong Range Desert GroupThe Long Range Desert Group was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The commander of the German Afrika Corps, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, admitted that the LRDG "caused us more damage than any other British unit of equal strength".Originally called...
. Mallory was a pre-war mountain climber, nicknamed 'The Human Fly'. He has been operating in the mountains of German-held CreteCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. - Andrea - a former Lt. Colonel in the Greek army, a ruthless fighter and close friend and confidante of Mallory.
- Corporal Dusty Miller - an American explosives expert who transferred from the R.A.F. to the LRDG. Miller is described as a stingy, cynical man who doubts their chances of success.
- Petty Officer Telegraphist Casey Brown - a Royal Navy engineer and veteran of the Special Boat ServiceSpecial Boat ServiceThe Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...
. He is a native of Clydeside and worked as a testing and installation engineer pre-war. - Lt Andrew Stevens R.N.V.R. - Stevens is a young naval officer chosen as navigator. Like Mallory, he speaks fluent Greek.
The team travel via MTB
MTB
MTB may refer to:* Mike Thomas Brown, Professional Mixed Martial Artist & WEC Featherweight Champion* Matlock Bath railway station, England; National Rail station code MTB* Motor Torpedo Boat* Mountain bike or Mountain biking* Mycobacterium tuberculosis...
and plane to Castelrosso
Castelrosso
Castelrosso may refer to:* The former Italian name for the Greek island and municipality of Kastelorizo* Castelrosso , an Italian cheese...
, a British-held island. Here, they discover an eavesdropper, Nikolai the base laundry boy, who allegedly speaks no English but is spying on them anyway. They demand that he be arrested and held incommunicado, but the story implies that this does not happen.
In an ancient caïque
Caïque
A caïque , is the term for a traditional fishing boat usually found among the waters of the Ionian or Aegean Seas, and also a light skiff used on the Bosporus. It is traditionally a small wooden trading vessel, brightly painted and rigged for sail...
they sail towards Navarone. They carry papers identifying themselves as collaborators with, and couriers for, the German commandant of the island. They are intercepted by a German patrol boat, which appears to be expecting them. They sink it and kill all the crew.
They are wrecked in a storm, but manage to land on the island, having lost much of their equipment. They climb the 'unclimbable' south cliff, but Stevens slips and is badly injured.
Evading German guards, they travel through heavy snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
and rough terrain and are met by Louki, the steward of the exiled owner of the island, and Panayis, his enigmatic friend. They bring much needed food. By radio, Jensen tells the team that they have less time than was planned for. The ships are coming through that very night. But whilst resting in a cave, they are captured by a troop of German specialist mountain soldiers led by Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
Turzig, who recognises Mallory as a famous climber. They are taken to the town of Margaritha where they are ruthlessly interrogated by Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
Skoda. Thanks to Andrea's diversionary behaviour, they turn the tables on them and Skoda is shot. With Turzig and the others securely tied up, they escape and make their way to the town of Navarone. They are harassed by troops and planes who are also apparently expecting them.
With no medical facilities available, Stevens is clearly dying and beyond help. He asks to be left behind and feels curiously at peace. Miller discovers that much of his equipment has been damaged. Suspicion falls on Panayis, who is also suspected of being a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
. He admits nothing, but the evidence is damning. Miller shoots him.
Mallory and Miller manage to enter the fortress housing the guns, whilst the others create a diversion and confusion. They set the explosives and then get out to meet the others. They steal a boat and rendezvous with the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
HMS Sirdar, which is leading two others through the deepwater channel. Just in time, the explosives do their work, the guns are destroyed and the ships continue on their way to rescue the soldiers.
Literary significance and criticism
In 1990 the British Crime Writers' AssociationCrime Writers' Association
The Crime Writers Association is a writers' association in the United Kingdom. Founded by John Creasey in 1953, it is currently chaired by Peter James and claims 450+ members....
placed The Guns of Navarone 89th on its The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time
The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time
The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time is a list published in book form in 1990 by the British-based Crime Writers' Association. Five years later, the Mystery Writers of America published a similar list entitled The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time...
list.
The success of the book's film adaptation made Alistair MacLean write the only sequel of his writing career, Force 10 from Navarone
Force 10 From Navarone (novel)
Force 10 from Navarone is a World War II novel by Scottish author Alistair MacLean published in 1968. It is a sequel to MacLean's very popular 1957 The Guns of Navarone, but in terms of plot continuity chooses to follow the also popular 1961 film adaptation, such as including characters who were in...
(1968).
Film, TV, radio or theatrical adaptations
in 1997, BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
produced a two-hour adaptation for radio written by Bert Coules
Bert Coules
Bert Coules is an English writer, mainly for the BBC, who has produced a number of adaptations and original works. He works mainly in radio drama but also writes for TV and the stage.-Early years:...
and directed by Patrick Rayner. The cast included:
- Toby StephensToby StephensToby Stephens is an English stage, television and film actor who has appeared in films in both Hollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for playing megavillain Gustav Graves in the James Bond film Die Another Day , Edward Fairfax Rochester in the BBC television adaptation of Jane Eyre and Philip...
as "Mallory" - David RintoulDavid RintoulDavid Rintoul is a stage and television actor.Rintoul was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He studied at Edinburgh University and won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London....
as "Andrea" - Michael Williams as "Commodore Jensen"
- John Guerrasio as "Miller"
- Alex NortonAlex NortonAlexander Hugh "Alex" Norton is a Scottish actor. He is probably best known for his roles as DCI Matt Burke in Taggart, and Eddie in the Renford Rejects....
as "Brown" - Peter KennyPeter KennyPeter Kenny is a Voice-over artist Actor, Singer and Designer living in South West London. Raised on Merseyside he gained a BA in Drama from the University of Hull.- Early career:...
as "Stevens"
The Guns of Navarone was also produced as an abridged speaking book with Patrick Allen
Patrick Allen
John Keith Patrick Allen was a British film, television and voice actor.-Life and career:Allen was born in Nyasaland , where his father was a tobacco farmer. After his parents returned to Britain, he was evacuated to Canada during World War II where he remained to finish his education at McGill...
narrating.
In music
The song The Mission (1943) by American metal band Jag PanzerJag Panzer
Jag Panzer were an American power metal band from Colorado Springs, Colorado.-Biography:Jag Panzer came together in late 1981, being inspired by the onslaught of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
is based on the same historical events as the novel.
The song "Triumph" by the Wu-Tang Clan mentions The Guns Of Navarone in the verse by Method Man.
The Jamaican ska band The Skatalites
The Skatalites
The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone". They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period...
released the Best of the Skatalites - Guns of Navarone in 2003.
The song "The Guns of Navarone" by Mr. Smolin makes metaphorical use of the image, comparing a beloved's heart to the nearly impossible-to-reach guns of Navarone.
The indie pop band Maritime
Maritime (band)
Maritime formed in 2003 out of the ashes of The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan. After these two bands broke up, singer/guitarist Davey von Bohlen, drummer Dan Didier and bassist Eric Axelson hooked up and started a band called In English. The group quickly signed a deal with the record...
's first song on their 2007 album Heresy and the Hotel Choir
Heresy and the Hotel Choir
Heresy and the Hotel Choir is an album from indie pop band Maritime. It is the band's third full-length album and was released on October 16, 2007.- Track listing :# "Guns of Navarone" – 3:02# "With Holes for Thumb Sized Birds" – 2:45...
is titled "Guns of Navarone"
In television
An episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement...
was titled, "The Girls of Nazarone Affair"—an obvious play on "The Guns of Navarone."