The Golden Gate

Rating:
Summary: Average plot only, not that suspenseful
Review: ... or why have they not made a movie based on this book, given that so many other movies are based on MacLean's books? The reason is that this book offers nothing new compared to the other best-sellers by MacLean. Average plot, lame love story, some of the action is unbelievable. Unless you are a major MacLean buff, you might want to skip this.

Rating:
Summary: 100 percent plot, 0 percent everything else, but still fun
Review: Almost every major thriller plot has been written in some form by Alistair MacLean, from the commando team sent on an impossible mission ("The Guns of Navarone," "Where Eagles Dare," "Force Ten from Navarone"), hijacking on the open seas ("The Golden Rendezvous"), the killer virus in the hands of an insane terrorist ("The Satan Bug"), terrorists planning to cause a super-quake in California ("Goodbye California"), and various undercover secret agent missions.

In "The Golden Gate," a crack team of criminals led by mastermind Peter Branson executes a daring plan to kidnap the President of the United States on San Francisco's Golden Gate bridge. Branson and his men block off both ends of the bridge, wire it with explosives, and demand millions of dollars . . . plus a pardon. Any rescue attempts will result in the detonation of the explosives, killing the President and destroying the Golden Gate Bridge.

But Branson is an ego-maniac, and he can't resist attention from the media. So he not only lets, but actually invites, the press to stay on the bridge and cover the story. Too bad for Branson that one of the journalists is actually FBI Special Agent Paul Revson.

The game is underway: Can Revson disable the explosives and stop the plot? Will Branson discover that Revson is really an agent?

There's no characterization to speak of, and as a writer, MacLean is passable but nothing special. Still, read solely for its plot, "The Golden Gate" is fun and diverting.

Rating:
Summary: The hero is the key in all MacLean's books!
Review: I think James Bond should take a leaf from Alistair Maclean's books. His hero in this "yarn" defies description, someone who is smart, a little cynical, unwilling to give in to the momentary distractions of injury or beautiful spoiled women (who are actually great heroines in disguise!) in order to force the hand of the blackguard holding the world in thrall. My most memorable scene in this book is when the protagonist is suffering from a bullet-ridden leg, yet hanging from the side of a porthole in high wind, trying valiantly to get past the villains that have hijacked this ship which has precious lives and gold cargo. It's a real treat and an engrossing read, especially because it is so fantastic! I would rather take a hero of Maclean's stamp than Ian Fleming's any day of the week!

Rating:
Summary: Average plot only, not that suspenseful
Review: I think James Bond should take a leaf from Alistair Maclean's books. His hero in this "yarn" defies description, someone who is smart, a little cynical, unwilling to give in to the momentary distractions of injury or beautiful spoiled women (who are actually great heroines in disguise!) in order to force the hand of the blackguard holding the world in thrall. My most memorable scene in this book is when the protagonist is suffering from a bullet-ridden leg, yet hanging from the side of a porthole in high wind, trying valiantly to get past the villains that have hijacked this ship which has precious lives and gold cargo. It's a real treat and an engrossing read, especially because it is so fantastic! I would rather take a hero of Maclean's stamp than Ian Fleming's any day of the week!

Rating:
Summary: Correction to another earlier review
Review: Just a comment regarding 'Mary Agnes D Faderan's' review below: Her review is not for this book (GoldenGate) but rather for another of Alistair MacLean's books known as 'The Golden Rendezvous'. Of the two books, 'Golden Rendezvous' is easily superior, though I like both.

Rating:
Summary: Correction to another earlier review
Review: Just a comment regarding 'Mary Agnes D Faderan's' review below: Her review is not for this book (GoldenGate) but rather for another of Alistair MacLean's books known as 'The Golden Rendezvous'. Of the two books, 'Golden Rendezvous' is easily superior, though I like both.