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Juggernaut
Neil Mannix, an American troubleshooter for British Electric, is assigned to escort a 300-ton transformer through the African nation of Nyala, but an unexpected civil war threatens to wreck the mission
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
15 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Desmond Bagley
131 books165 followersDesmond 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.
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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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 23, 2022
3,75 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover
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November 17, 2020
‘Juggernaut’ was still a work-in-progress when Bagley died. I understand that it was completed as a joint effort between his widow and his editor, working from notes he left. Apart from an uncharacteristically rushed finale, it’s difficult to spot the joins. Bagley’s trademark technical accuracy is present and correct, his love of the African continent shines through, and the elements of the plot - the travails and triumphs of a multi-national crew transporting a 300-ton reactor through a newly oil-rich state as civil war breaks out - recall earlier classics ‘High Citadel’ and ‘Wyatt’s Hurricane’. It was published in 1985 and seemed like a fine close-out to Bagley’s career. It would be nearly three and a half decades before the great lost Desmond Bagley novel surfaced ...
October 26, 2014
Editing was completed by his wife after his death, and this is a bit lack-lustre.
Even for the genre it's a bit predictable, and Bagley's attempt to write in the first person as an American faulters in places.
I didn't expect too much from this early eighties thriller, but it didn't even reach that low goal.
Even for the genre it's a bit predictable, and Bagley's attempt to write in the first person as an American faulters in places.
I didn't expect too much from this early eighties thriller, but it didn't even reach that low goal.
May 28, 2024
Something really different for me to get my teeth into! The story did intrigue me till the end! This is definitely a 'company man' story -Neil Mannix, an American is employed by British Electric Head Office to oversee the transportation of a very hefty generator on an enormous rig to the Bir Oassa oil pipeline in the Nyalan territory in Africa. Wyvern Haulage is contracted to expedite this 'Juggernaut' to its destination. There are rumours but nothing concrete about any political unrest. Meantime, the expedition is to be escorted by Captain Sadiq and his troops, as everyone wants this venture to succeed. All seems well until the rumours of war and rebellion become true ... Now, Mannix, he is the 'troubleshooter', but personalities clash throughout the whole party and unfortunately, injuries and death prevails. A local village hospital gets bombed and the rig becomes a makeshift traveling hospital with locals following it on it's journey! Yep, Bagley does feature a female in his story; not a romantic notion, but a nursing nun who gains respect from all the men, especially when situations become dire and everyone has to fight for their lives and wonder if they will be free again!!
September 11, 2023
Another entertaining read from Bagley. You can feel the affection he has for Africa, even if the story is set during a civil war and most of the cast are foreign workers Plus he uses a fictional country it still reminded me of places I have lived in snd visited . The story is set up well and builds tension. The final couple of chapters feel a bit rushed and the tone changes in comparison to the rest of the book. Apparently Bagley passed away before writing this part and it was completed by his wife and editor. Though they did a serviceable job it falters in comparison.
Still definitely worth a read.
Still definitely worth a read.
February 5, 2019
Plenty of adventure in this 80's tale set in Africa. Reminds me of the old sweeping tales of adventurers. This book moves along at a torrid pace. Protagonist is a clever guy but knows his limits. Civil war, strife, refugees, and an int'l crew make it icing on the cake. And no cell phones! I also write thrillers and try to write like Bagley with little space wasted on extraneous stuff.
October 23, 2020
A reasonably fast paced novel involving a varied list of characters. As always Desmond Bagley is meticulous when he describes technical details which makes the narration believable. An enjoyable romp.
June 25, 2021
A good romp with lots of details of men and machines as the massive transformer is transported through a war-torn central African state in the first throes of civil war. A tame ending really (perhaps because Bagley had died before it was finished) but not bad to turn off the brain
August 26, 2017
For jungle or military adventure fans. You can picture Richard Harris or Lee Van Cleef in the movie version in your imagination.
October 30, 2017
This is an easy, well constructed thriller, in a fictional West African country, is just something to break up the harder reads with.
July 10, 2018
pretty average adventure story didn't set my world on fire
October 24, 2018
Good 'ole adventure!
A journey into a true adventure story 👍🏼
A journey into a true adventure story 👍🏼
December 16, 2018
A good read for yesterday's youth. Simple and straight. Lack of character building makes it just an ok read.
July 20, 2019
A promising story with a terrific setting in a civil-war torn African country needlessly thrown away into technical minutiae testing the readers' patience.
Not the usual brilliant Bagley novel.
Not the usual brilliant Bagley novel.
Read
May 8, 2020Action packed story..
July 17, 2020
Un po' lento in certi momenti e con una fine imprevista... Qualche dubbio lasciato senza risposta e un po' di immaginazione verso le reali condizioni africane. Però abbastanza piacevole come lettura.
April 21, 2021
Rating above average I note but I found this an engaging easy read, enough pace to keep me reading, but not overly complicated at a time when I wanted a distraction not overly taxing on my mind.
February 25, 2017
As a child/teenager I absolutely loved the ”simple” suspense novels by Desmond Bagley & Alistair MacLean, eating up every word. Triggered by an audio adaption of Landslide I fell upon, I decided to revisit Desmond Bagley to see if the Novels could withstand the wear of more than 35 years.
The first (pleasant) surprise was that even though I thought I had read all the books, not all were translated to Danish at that time, so I could start out with a couple of new experiences.
The Golden Keel (1963) , High Citadel (1965) , Wyatt's Hurricane (1966)
The first 3 books, all new to me, were pleasant surprises and it was plain to see why Bagley so quickly became a best-seller novelist, the stories are well written with a fast pace and a sense of detail which makes them readable even today.
Landslide (1967)
Landslide was a revisit and one of my favorites both back then and now, the story is catching and has a definite film manuscript feeling about it,
The Vivero Letter (1968)
Another “new” novel, it was not as strong as the first 4 but still enjoyable.
The Spoilers (1969)
Another new novel and a definitely low point, the story is weak and utterly unbelievable.
Running Blind (1970)
Another reread and another favorite, maybe his best novel, the story is strong, the setting in Iceland is brilliant and characters, simple as they are, are believable.
The Freedom Trap (1971)
Another new novel very loosely connected to "running blind", this time mostly placed in Ireland, slightly weaker than it's predecessor but still a enjoyable read.
The Tightrope Men (1973)
Another reread, Bagley's take on the Cold War political thriller, which Le Carre made famous in those years, The political intrigues falls somewhat flat for me, but the surrounding action story is Bagley at his best
The Snow Tiger (1975)
Another reread, I read this again in 2012 and decided not to reread it this time around. The story is well written and as something new constructed around a retrospektiv framework so the first half of the book retells events already happened whereas the story kicks off from there, Bagleys first attempt to play with the narrative form and well carried out. definitely in top 3 bagley.
The Enemy (1977)
Another "new" novel and a good one at that. Bagley is now a mature storyteller with more dimensions, the story are still fast paced but far more unpredictable than the earlier novels, this one actually spins off in a totally unexpected direction two thirds though, another solid novel and far from outdated.
Flyaway (1978)
Another "new" novel and the first max Stafford novel, the story mostly place in the middle east are well written and believable even today.
, Bahama Crisis (1980)
Another "new" novel, not a bad story but the political setup seems far fetched today.
Windfall (1982)
Another New novel and the second Max Stafford novel, way better than Bahama Crisis. Placed partly in Africa and again playing with the format having two main characters intermingling.
, Night Of Error (1984)
Another reread, a strong novel where Bagley again does what he's best at, using well researched science to create a believable background story and adding a fast paced action story on top of it.
, Juggernaut (1985)
His last book, another reread (even though I have to admit I did not recall much of it), again set in africa a tour de force though a civil war ridden country.
A somewhat mixed bag of sweets, its definately a more mature bagley (the female characters do not automatically fall in love with our main character) but its also somewhat cynical and pessimistic regarding the human nature in general.
So after 16 books spanning 22 years all written more than 30 years ago the verdict is:
Desmond Bagley was a superb writer in his time, unfortunately most of his books are to set in their own time to be relevant for new generations of readers, but a few will probably survive like:
High Citadel. Landslide, running Blind, The Snow tiger and Flyaway
The first (pleasant) surprise was that even though I thought I had read all the books, not all were translated to Danish at that time, so I could start out with a couple of new experiences.
The Golden Keel (1963) , High Citadel (1965) , Wyatt's Hurricane (1966)
The first 3 books, all new to me, were pleasant surprises and it was plain to see why Bagley so quickly became a best-seller novelist, the stories are well written with a fast pace and a sense of detail which makes them readable even today.
Landslide (1967)
Landslide was a revisit and one of my favorites both back then and now, the story is catching and has a definite film manuscript feeling about it,
The Vivero Letter (1968)
Another “new” novel, it was not as strong as the first 4 but still enjoyable.
The Spoilers (1969)
Another new novel and a definitely low point, the story is weak and utterly unbelievable.
Running Blind (1970)
Another reread and another favorite, maybe his best novel, the story is strong, the setting in Iceland is brilliant and characters, simple as they are, are believable.
The Freedom Trap (1971)
Another new novel very loosely connected to "running blind", this time mostly placed in Ireland, slightly weaker than it's predecessor but still a enjoyable read.
The Tightrope Men (1973)
Another reread, Bagley's take on the Cold War political thriller, which Le Carre made famous in those years, The political intrigues falls somewhat flat for me, but the surrounding action story is Bagley at his best
The Snow Tiger (1975)
Another reread, I read this again in 2012 and decided not to reread it this time around. The story is well written and as something new constructed around a retrospektiv framework so the first half of the book retells events already happened whereas the story kicks off from there, Bagleys first attempt to play with the narrative form and well carried out. definitely in top 3 bagley.
The Enemy (1977)
Another "new" novel and a good one at that. Bagley is now a mature storyteller with more dimensions, the story are still fast paced but far more unpredictable than the earlier novels, this one actually spins off in a totally unexpected direction two thirds though, another solid novel and far from outdated.
Flyaway (1978)
Another "new" novel and the first max Stafford novel, the story mostly place in the middle east are well written and believable even today.
, Bahama Crisis (1980)
Another "new" novel, not a bad story but the political setup seems far fetched today.
Windfall (1982)
Another New novel and the second Max Stafford novel, way better than Bahama Crisis. Placed partly in Africa and again playing with the format having two main characters intermingling.
, Night Of Error (1984)
Another reread, a strong novel where Bagley again does what he's best at, using well researched science to create a believable background story and adding a fast paced action story on top of it.
, Juggernaut (1985)
His last book, another reread (even though I have to admit I did not recall much of it), again set in africa a tour de force though a civil war ridden country.
A somewhat mixed bag of sweets, its definately a more mature bagley (the female characters do not automatically fall in love with our main character) but its also somewhat cynical and pessimistic regarding the human nature in general.
So after 16 books spanning 22 years all written more than 30 years ago the verdict is:
Desmond Bagley was a superb writer in his time, unfortunately most of his books are to set in their own time to be relevant for new generations of readers, but a few will probably survive like:
High Citadel. Landslide, running Blind, The Snow tiger and Flyaway
Read
February 20, 2017See my comment in Tightrope Men
April 15, 2016
Desmond Bagley is one of my favourite authors and this novel doesn't change that status. A bit slow initially, but it picks up speed gradually. It has all the elements I've come to expect from his thrillers. I came to know after finishing it that it was Bagley's last work, published posthumously. Not his best, but a good one from the master nevertheless.
Read
January 2, 2016This was the last book written by Desmond Bagley (completed by his wife, I believe.) I had read all his other books many years ago and wanted to complete the set. It was rather long and drawn out, not the standard of writing of his earlier works, and not a real page-turner.
January 11, 2017
I read this years and years ago and loved it - a solid thriller with some fascinating dynamics and an ending that tore the gut out of the book (in a good way). Bagley in fine form: I've just stayed up til 1am on a work night to read to the very end, even knowing how it goes.
September 23, 2010
boring
Read
September 29, 2013Quite a good yarn - different too and I didn't see the ending coming ;)
December 30, 2013
Entertaining fast moving thriller
April 25, 2014
This is my favourite Desmond Bagley ... Lots of action ... Edge of your seat stuff ... But all the characters and the situation is very real ...
October 29, 2014
it was ok, maybe a bit slow.
May 24, 2016
This story was sadly his last, and his wife did an excellent job completing it for him after his death. This tale is as mysterious and thrilling as all his other tales. I can't wait to read them all!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews