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Desmond Bagley

Born

in Southampton, The United Kingdom

October 29, 1923

Died

April 12, 1983

Genre

Mystery & Thrillers

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Desmond Bagley was a British journalist and novelist principally known for a series of best-selling thrillers. Along with fellow British writers such as Hammond Innes and Alistair MacLean, Bagley established the basic conventions of the genre: a tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary hero pitted against villains determined to sow destruction and chaos in order to advance their agenda.

Bagley was born at Kendal, Cumbria (then Westmorland), England, the son of John and Hannah Bagley. His family moved to the resort town of Blackpool in the summer of 1935, when Bagley was twelve. Leaving school not long after the relocation, Bagley worked as a printer's assistant and factory worker, and during World War II he worked in the aircraft industr Desmond Bagley was a British journalist and novelist principally known for a series of best-selling thrillers. Along with fellow British writers such as Hammond Innes and Alistair MacLean, Bagley established the basic conventions of the genre: a tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary hero pitted against villains determined to sow destruction and chaos in order to advance their agenda.

Bagley was born at Kendal, Cumbria (then Westmorland), England, the son of John and Hannah Bagley. His family moved to the resort town of Blackpool in the summer of 1935, when Bagley was twelve. Leaving school not long after the relocation, Bagley worked as a printer's assistant and factory worker, and during World War II he worked in the aircraft industry. Bagley suffered from a speech impediment (stuttering) all of his life, which initially exempted him from military conscription.

He left England in 1947 for Africa and worked his way overland, crossing the Sahara Desert and briefly settling in Kampala, Uganda, where he contracted malaria. By 1951, he had settled in South Africa, working in the gold mining industry and asbestos industry in Durban, Natal, before becoming a freelance writer for local newspapers and magazines.

His first published short story appeared in the English magazine Argosy in 1957, and his first novel, The Golden Keel in 1962. In the interval, he was a film critic for Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg from 1958–1962. Also during this period, he met local bookstore owner Joan Margaret Brown and they were married in 1960.

The success of The Golden Keel led Bagley to turn full time to novel writing by the mid-1960s. He published a total of sixteen thrillers, all craftsmanlike and nearly all best-sellers. Typical of British thriller writers of the era, he rarely used recurring characters whose adventures unfolded over multiple books. Max Stafford, the security consultant featured in Flyaway and Windfall, is a notable exception. Also typically, his work has received little attention from filmmakers, yielding only a few, unremarkable adaptations. Exceptions were The Freedom Trap (1971), released in 1973 as The Mackintosh Man by Warner Brothers, starring Paul Newman and Dominique Sanda; and Running Blind which was adapted for television by the BBC in 1979.

Bagley and his wife left South Africa for Italy in 1960, and then England in 1965. They settled in Totnes, Devon from 1965–1976, then lived in Guernsey in the Channel Islands from 1976-1983.

Bagley also published short stories. When not traveling to research the exotic backgrounds for his novels, Bagley spent his time sailing and motor-boating. He loved classical music and films, military history, and played war games.

Desmond Bagley died of complications resulting from a stroke at a hospital in Southampton. He was fifty-nine. His last two novels Night of Error and Juggernaut were published posthumously after completion by his wife. His works have been translated into over 20 languages.
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Combine Editions
Desmond Bagley’s books

Average rating: 3.83 · 17,052 ratings · 1,059 reviews · 137 distinct works • Similar authors

	Running Blind (Slade #1) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,908 ratings — published 1970 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Tightrope Men 3.84 avg rating — 1,250 ratings — published 1973 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Enemy 3.75 avg rating — 1,155 ratings — published 1977 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Golden Keel 3.77 avg rating — 1,142 ratings — published 1963 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	High Citadel 3.90 avg rating — 1,076 ratings — published 1965 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Snow Tiger 3.84 avg rating — 959 ratings — published 1975 — 38 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Landslide 3.85 avg rating — 952 ratings — published 1967 — 42 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Vivero Letter 3.75 avg rating — 860 ratings — published 1968 — 57 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Freedom Trap (Slade #2) 3.81 avg rating — 823 ratings — published 1971 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wyatt's Hurricane 3.78 avg rating — 816 ratings — published 1966 — 55 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Desmond Bagley…

Series by Desmond Bagley

Slade (2 books)
by

Desmond Bagley

3.94 avg rating — 2,730 ratings

Max Stafford (2 books)
by

Desmond Bagley

3.76 avg rating — 1,244 ratings

Quotes by Desmond Bagley (?)

“he”
― Desmond Bagley, High Citadel / Landslide: A Classic Action Thriller and Mystery About Survival Against All Odds

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“he believed that the guilty should be punished and that self-punishment was the most severe form.”
― Desmond Bagley, The Spoilers / Juggernaut: A Classic Mystery and Action Thriller Collection of High-Stakes Adventure

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Paranormal Romanc...: February 2010 Reading Challenge	1131	1358	Apr 01, 2010 11:15AM
Mystery/Thriller ...: may 2010 - sandi	11	105	Jun 01, 2010 06:27PM
Readers and Reading: MAY 2010 reads	29	53	Jun 11, 2010 02:30PM
Mystery/Thriller ...: First Lines	123	113	Oct 01, 2010 06:02AM
Readers and Reading: November 2010 reads	20	31	Dec 04, 2010 11:49AM
Mystery/Thriller ...: nov 2010 - sandi	19	34	Dec 24, 2010 06:56AM
Readers and Reading: just finished reading - topic opened June 6	126	115	Jun 12, 2011 04:59PM
The Sword and Laser: I'm looking for a Globe-trotting/Adventure/Mystery novel	14	214	Jan 18, 2012 09:29AM

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Desmond Bagley’s Followers (172)

Desmond Bagley

Combine EditionsDesmond Bagley’s books

Series by Desmond Bagley

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
Desmond Bagley’s books