The Guns of Navarone

The Guns of Navarone is a 1957 novel of World War II by British thriller writer Alistair MacLean that was made into a film in 1961. The book and the film share the same basic plot: the efforts of an Allied commando team to destroy a seemingly impregnable German fortress that threatens Allied naval operations in the Aegean Sea.

Related Topics:
1957 - World War II - British - Thriller - Alistair MacLean - 1961 - Allied - Commando - German - Fortress - Aegean Sea

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The book brought together elements that would characterize much of MacLean's subsequent work: 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, U.S. demolitions expert "Dusty" Miller, and Greek resistance fighter Andrea) are among the most fully drawn in all of MacLean's work.

Related Topics:
New Zealand - Greek

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The film version of The Guns of Navarone was part of a cycle of big-budget World War II adventures that included The Longest Day (1962) and The Great Escape (1963). The screenplay, adapted by producer Carl Foreman, made significant changes in virtually all of the major characters. It also introduced female characters, romance, and a subplot that radically altered the relationship between Mallory and Andrea.

Related Topics:
The Longest Day - 1962 - The Great Escape - 1963 - Carl Foreman

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