Ice Station Zebra - Alistair MacLean

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Ice Station Zebra refers to a British meteorological outpost which is located near the edge of the polar ice cap. In the middle of winter a fire breaks out at the station and the only hopes the scientists have rest with an american nuclear submarine called dolphin as it is the only thing capable of reaching them. What they do not know is that this fire and ensuing rescue attempt is actually a cover-up for one of the most ...
...Dolphin moves under the Arctic ice it becomes evident that it is not going to be an easy journey.

The book was written in the late 60's and the style of writing is a little different, however it is suprising how little the book seems to have aged. A movie has also been made from this book in the early 80's, which if you have seen it allows for some good visualisation throughout the read.

I would recommend this book ... more

Some people may read this novel and find it boring as it does not have the intensity of modern day novels, however, i really enjoyed this book simply for that reason, that it is not like modern day novels. it does not focus on the hype, the violence and the sex that alot of novels do. Sure, sometimes these aspects are great when incorporated well into modern day novels, however, author Alistair MacLean manages to depict a taut thriller which entertains, mystifies and keeps the reader guessing till the very end.

Ice Station Zebra refers to a British meteorological outpost which is located near the edge of the polar ice cap. In the middle of winter a fire breaks out at the station and the only hopes the scientists have rest with an american nuclear submarine called dolphin as it is the only thing capable of reaching them. What they do not know is that this fire and ensuing rescue attempt is actually a cover-up for one of the most important espionage missions of the Cold War A series of events unfolds, in which you know that the narrator of the story, navy captain Dr. Carpenter, is lying about something. A saught of 'who did it' question arises and you are kept guessing to the end in real suspense. This book is a real page turner!

The author has put the perfect amount of detail in the novel which allows for vivid character development, a basic, yet enjoyable scenario and realistic plot twists in an easy to read, yet fast paced novel. One of the most imprtant things about this novel i thought was that you would consider it to be realistic. That is another problem with alot of modern day novels. You will be reading an action sequence and think 'as if'. But i believe Maclean does really well to make this very believeable. The character depth may be a little shallow, and the thematic weight may not entirely be there, but the pace and dialogue make it a clean absorbing read. From the time the Dolphin moves under the Arctic ice it becomes evident that it is not going to be an easy journey.

The book was written in the late 60's and the style of writing is a little different, however it is suprising how little the book seems to have aged. A movie has also been made from this book in the early 80's, which if you have seen it allows for some good visualisation throughout the read.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good action read and this book is an original, a classic and probably one of Alistair Maclean's best.

Visit ebay to pick it up dirt cheap either by itself or with other Alistair Maclean Novels.
 

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