Alistair MacLean was an author of thrillers, adventure stories, spy and war novels, but he wrote a few non-fiction books too. His books have sold millions of copies and many have been made into movies.
Here are 10 interesting facts about Alistair MacLean’s life and books:
- He was a Scottish writer born in 1922 in Glasgow, Scotland. Alistair started as a teacher then became a full time author.
- Before that he was a soldier in the Second World War. He joined the Royal Navy in 1941 – at 19 – and saw action in the Atlantic and Mediterranean theatres. He was also part of the invasion of southern France in 1944.
- In 1945, on board of Royalist, MacLean saw action in the Far East theatre and helped with the war against the Japanese.
- Maclean struggled with alcoholism – which eventually caused his death – and on one of his drunken ravings he claimed he was captured and tortured by the Japanese. These claims were unfounded and even his own son and biographer dismissed them.
- After the war he went back to school at the University of Glasgow and upon graduation became a school teacher in a small Scottish town.
- As a university student he started writing short stories for an extra buck and he even won a competition. His major breakthrough came in 1955 with his first published novel was HMS Ulysses which was based on his war experiences. The novel was a great success and secure MacLean the financial freedom to quit teaching and concentrate on his writing only.
- Just two years later in 1957 he published his second novel, The Guns of Navarone – about a fictional Greek island. Force 10 from Navarone is its sequel.
- Maybe two of his most popular books are The Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare both of which had been made into movies.
- He went on to write 28 novels and a collection of short stories plus a few non-fiction books which obviously made him pretty well off — uhh, that is filthy rich. And what do rich people do? Avoid paying taxes and so move to Switzerland as a tax exile.
- Alistair MacLean passed away in 1987 in Munich, Germany.
Watch my video presentation about his life and books:
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