Running Blind

Rating:
Summary: Bagley's Pinnacle
Review: Back in the 1960s and even 1970s, Desmond Bagley was easily one of the best thriller writers around. As a rule, his books tend to be short and to the point, filled with action and marked with innovative ideas. Running Blind is one of my personal favorites (actually I think it is his best work) which I suddenly stumbled upon after many years. Allan Stewart, a retired intelligence agent is suddenly forced against his will to re-join the game just to complete one final assignment. Almost immediately, he finds himself in a maze of bluffs and double-bluffs. By a mix of good fortune and rusty skills, he escapes a trap and in doing so, stumbles almost by accident on the scary possibility that a top official in British intelligence may actually be a Russian mole (remember, this is a Cold War story). Of course, he now has to settle this question one way or the other. What follows is a terrific roller coaster of a story as Stewart (accompanied by his girlfriend), the mole, the Russians (including his opposite number thirsting for revenge after Stewart had long ago shot him in a very sensitive area!), and stray CIA agents engage in a fascinating pursuit over the Icelandic landscape, culminating in a shootout at the baddies hideout that is almost "western" in nature. A very good novel indeed.

Rating:
Summary: Thrilling and informative at the same time!
Review: I happened to receive this book as a gift a few years ago, and once I started reading, I could hardly stop until I had finished it. A short time later, I read it a again, this time with a map of Iceland at hand, because "Running Blind" isn't just an exciting, thrilling novel, but also supplies a lot of background information about Iceland. Great!

Rating:
Summary: Bagley's Pinnacle
Review: I picked the right age to read this for the first time -- I had progressed beyond Hardy Boys and so forth, and knew just a little about birds and bees. It remained my favorite book for a good 3 years.

This book will make you want to visit Iceland and retrace the protagonist's adventures.

As with most Desmond Bagley books, the language is not taxing, and the style is welcoming. It has more pace and intensity than his usual work, and all in all, a delightful book to read. Unfortunately, the ending is quite weak -- the good guy loses consciousness at some point and when he wakes up some serendipitous sequence of events have improved his changes. Other that complaint, I loved this book.

Rating:
Summary: Running Blind by Desmond Bagley
Review: I read this book for the first time 9 years ago. Since then, I've read it 3 times all together. I wonder if the book is availible on video today and where to buy it. I hope that you can help me.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I read this book many years ago I remember it being great. A very fast paced action thriller. For those of you who may be interested the BBC did make a TV series based on this book. But it was a long time ago, (maybe early eighties or even late seventies I'm not sure). May be available at BBC.co.uk?

Rating:
Summary: Great Read at 14
Review: My friend had recomended the book,so I went to library to borrow it.It was a great book! It would make a exellent movie! It was so exciting I couldnt stop reading it. It tells lots about Iceland.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read at 14
Review: When I was a kid (many years ago now), I read this book. I still see Desmond Bagley as the natural successor to Alistair Maclean. If Maclean had zero percent sex in his books (where there is a female character as in 'The Golden Rendezvous', she hates the hero), Desmond Bagley gets to maybe 2 percent - he does have some alluring female characters. But it is all sooo British. This book is an excellent read, with the hero and the reader uncertain as to what is going on as the plot slowly unfolds.