Alistair MacLean | |
|---|---|
 MacLean, late in life | |
| Born | 21 April 1922 Shettleston, Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 2 February 1987 (aged 64) Munich, West Germany |
| Resting place | Céligny, Switzerland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Other names | Ian Stuart |
| Education | Daviot local system Inverness Royal Academy Hillhead High School |
| Alma mater | University of Glasgow |
| Occupation(s) | Author, teacher |
| Years active | 1955–1986 |
| Employer(s) | Royal Navy (1941–1946) Gallowflat School (1946–1956) |
| Known for | Thrillers |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 3 |
Alistair Stuart MacLean (Scottish Gaelic: Alasdair MacGill-Eain; 21 April 1922 – 2 February 1987) was a Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers and adventure stories. Many of his novels have been adapted to film, most notably The Guns of Navarone (1957) and Ice Station Zebra (1963). In the late 1960s, encouraged by film producer Elliott Kastner, MacLean began to write original screenplays, concurrently with an accompanying novel. The most successful was the first of these, the 1968 film Where Eagles Dare, which was also a bestselling novel. MacLean also published two novels under the pseudonym Ian Stuart. His books are estimated to have sold over 150 million copies, making him one of the best-selling fiction authors of all time.[1]
According to one obituary, "he never lost his love for the sea, his talent for portraying good Brits against bad Germans, or his penchant for high melodrama. Critics deplored his cardboard characters and vapid females, but readers loved his combination of hot macho action, wartime commando sagas, and exotic settings that included Greek Islands and Alaskan oil fields."[2]
- ^ Head, Dominic (26 January 2006). The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English. Cambridge University Press. p. 431. ISBN 9780521831796.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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