MacLean later became something of a caricature of himself but this is a superb adventure novel - fantastic idea, excitingly paced, excellent descriptions. There's lots of pain and agony and endurance as a team of Allied operatives arrive on Navarone to blow up guns.
It's extremely well written particularly the action stuff - an opening storm sequence, climbing the cliffs, clambering through the scrub. New Zealanders will get a get out of the fact the main man, Mallory, is a Kiwi. The lead characters get along better than they did in the film version, and the local Greeks are men here instead of women, but the structure is basically the same. And why not? The book is terrific.
It has some stronger characters too - Mallory grappling his fear, the scared kid, Andeas the cheerful but deadly Greek.
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