Desmond Bagley |
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| Over the last few years I have been revisiting
one of the authors I have most enjoyed, an author with whom
I first really developed my love of reading; an author who
has an ability like no other author I know, to transport the
reader to a far-away location and allow him or her to picture
themselves there – to live the story. Also an author
where every book you read teaches you something - about world
culture, science, nature… |
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Desmond Bagley first became famous in the 1960’s when
he wrote the first of his novels. He was never a prolific
author only publishing 16 adventure stories. In those stories
he drew heavily on his exciting and colourful life.
Bagley was born in Kendal, Westmoreland in England's Lake
District. He spent his childhood in Blackpool and attended
a variety of schools is Bolton and Blackpool. At the age
of 14 Bagley left school and began his working life as a
printer's devil, and changed then to a factory making plastic
electrical fittings. Between the years 1940 to 1946 he worked
in the aircraft industry. |
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In 1947 Bagley’s adventure
started as he set out on his long journey to South Africa
by road. He crossed the Sahara, got work in Kampala Uganda,
contracted malaria and worked his way down Africa, taking
various jobs in asbestos and gold mines. Many of these locations
will be familiar to readers – locations used to great
effect in his books.
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While in Natal Bagley developed his interest in journalism.
In the 1950s Bagley lived in South Africa, where he became
a freelance journalist, working for the Broadcasting Company
in Durban (1951-52), and writing film critiques for Randy
Daily Mail in Johannesburg (1958-62). In 1960-61 he was
a writer for Filmlets Ltd. In 1960 Bagley married Joan
Margaret Brown. In the 1960s they lived in Italy and moved
then in 1967 to Guernsey.
Bagley's first book, THE GOLDEN KEEL, appeared in 1963,
and become an immediate success. The book – apparently
based on a true story Bagley had heard in a bar in Johannesburg
– is based in South Africa and Italy and tells the
story of Mussolini’s treasure.
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Bagley’s success continued as he went on to create fast
moving stories, rich in local colour and culture with locations
ranging from Iceland to the jungles of South America. The
settings were international, and Bagley also offered detailed
information for the readers from a variety of subjects, such
as genetic engineering in THE ENEMY (1977), the behaviour
of hurricanes in WYATT'S HURRICANE (1966), earth tremors in
LANDSLIDE (1967), the Finnish way of life in THE TIGHTROPE
MEN (1973), and avalanches in THE SNOW TIGER (1975), set in
New Zealand. One of the features of Bagley’s novels
I particularly like is his use of first-person narrative;
it draws the reader into the story and puts you into the best
possible vantage point as events unfold. |
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Bagley even found some success on the screen. The spy thriller
THE FREEDOM TRAP (1971) was filmed in 1973 under the title
The Mackintosh Man, starring Paul Newman, James Mason and
Dominique Sanda. In the story a government agent is sent
to prison to contact a criminal gang who are helping rich
prisoners to break-out. Sadly, the director, John Huston
considered the film a failure and it never met with great
reviews.
His last book, JUGGERNAUT, was published posthumously in
1984 and partly completed by his wife Joan Margaret. Bagley
died on April 12, 1983 in Southampton. His career spanned
two decades and was to influence many writers. His works
have been translated into some 20 languages. |
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Collecting...
Prices of Bagley’s books have been steadily rising.
I have been collecting his first editions for about two
years and although I quickly picked up his later works,
his earlier novels are becoming scare and more expensive.
You can expect to pay up to £50 for a first edition
of THE GOLDEN KEEL and £15 - £20 for is other
early works such as HIGH CITADEL.
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Not sure where to start? My recommendation would be FLYAWAY.
Published in 1978, it tells the story of a young man who
sets out to find his father who vanished during an air race
over the Sahara Dessert. Eventually the plane is found,
but nowhere near the original route of the air race. Then
follows a fast paced adventure across the Sahara –
a battle between those who want the truth and those who
want to bury it. Addictive reading… enjoy!
Contributed by Steve Goddard.
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