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Campbell's Kingdom
Campbell's Kingdom
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1952
39 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Hammond Innes
105 books107 followersRalph Hammond Innes was an English novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as children's and travel books.He was awarded a C.B.E. (Commander, Order of the British Empire) in 1978. The World Mystery Convention honoured Innes with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bouchercon XXIV awards in Omaha, Nebraska, Oct, 1993.
Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at the Cranbrook School in Kent. He left in 1931 to work as a journalist, initially with the Financial Times (at the time called the Financial News). The Doppelganger, his first novel, was published in 1937. In WWII he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of Major. During the war, a number of his books were published, including Wreckers Must Breathe (1940), The Trojan Horse (1941) and Attack Alarm (1941); the last of which was based on his experiences as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Battle of Britain at RAF Kenley. After being discharged in 1946, he worked full-time as a writer, achieving a number of early successes.
His novels are notable for a fine attention to accurate detail in descriptions of places, such as in Air Bridge (1951), set partially at RAF Gatow, RAF Membury after its closure and RAF Wunstorf during the Berlin Airlift.
Innes went on to produce books in a regular sequence, with six months of travel and research followed by six months of writing. Many of his works featured events at sea. His output decreased in the 1960s, but was still substantial. He became interested in ecological themes. He continued writing until just before his death. His last novel was Delta Connection (1996).
Unusually for the thriller genre, Innes' protagonists were often not "heroes" in the typical sense, but ordinary men suddenly thrust into extreme situations by circumstance. Often, this involved being placed in a hostile environment (the Arctic, the open sea, deserts), or unwittingly becoming involved in a larger conflict or conspiracy. The protagonist generally is forced to rely on his own wits and making best use of limited resources, rather than the weapons and gadgetry commonly used by thriller writers.
Four of his early novels were made into films: Snowbound (1948)from The Lonely Skier (1947), Hell Below Zero (1954) from The White South (1949), Campbell's Kingdom (1957), and The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). His 1973 novel Golden Soak was adapted into a six-part television series in 1979.
Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at the Cranbrook School in Kent. He left in 1931 to work as a journalist, initially with the Financial Times (at the time called the Financial News). The Doppelganger, his first novel, was published in 1937. In WWII he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of Major. During the war, a number of his books were published, including Wreckers Must Breathe (1940), The Trojan Horse (1941) and Attack Alarm (1941); the last of which was based on his experiences as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Battle of Britain at RAF Kenley. After being discharged in 1946, he worked full-time as a writer, achieving a number of early successes.
His novels are notable for a fine attention to accurate detail in descriptions of places, such as in Air Bridge (1951), set partially at RAF Gatow, RAF Membury after its closure and RAF Wunstorf during the Berlin Airlift.
Innes went on to produce books in a regular sequence, with six months of travel and research followed by six months of writing. Many of his works featured events at sea. His output decreased in the 1960s, but was still substantial. He became interested in ecological themes. He continued writing until just before his death. His last novel was Delta Connection (1996).
Unusually for the thriller genre, Innes' protagonists were often not "heroes" in the typical sense, but ordinary men suddenly thrust into extreme situations by circumstance. Often, this involved being placed in a hostile environment (the Arctic, the open sea, deserts), or unwittingly becoming involved in a larger conflict or conspiracy. The protagonist generally is forced to rely on his own wits and making best use of limited resources, rather than the weapons and gadgetry commonly used by thriller writers.
Four of his early novels were made into films: Snowbound (1948)from The Lonely Skier (1947), Hell Below Zero (1954) from The White South (1949), Campbell's Kingdom (1957), and The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). His 1973 novel Golden Soak was adapted into a six-part television series in 1979.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 19, 2025
I previously enjoyed watching the film adaptation of this with Dad. It starred Dirk Bogarde and kept me entertained – much like the book has done. I placed a hold at my local library and a battered hardcover soon arrived from an offsite lending stack. It felt like I had unearthed a hidden gem not found on regular library shelves.
The opening chapter gripped and engaged me unlike any for a long time. The story follows Bruce Wetheral, a British man who receives a terminal diagnosis. He then learns he has inherited an oil enterprise in Canada from his estranged grandfather, Stuart Campbell. An accompanying letter asks Bruce to prove the existence of oil in the area known as Campbell’s Kingdom. His grandfather had been convinced of it, yet unsuccessful in his efforts, causing shame and ridicule along the way. Bruce decides to travel to the Rockies.
“I wasn’t going to tell anybody. I’d just say I was taking a holiday and quietly disappear.”
He soon makes friends in the small town of Come Lucky. Jean Lucas and Boy Bladen were the best developed of them, while others sometimes appeared one-dimensional. The villains succeeded at irritating me - so Innes must’ve done something right! They were constructing a large dam, which would ultimately flood the area. As one newspaper report said: “Will the dream of an old-timer come true? Will his grandson strike oil up in his Rocky Mountain kingdom or will the men building the dam flood the place first?” The story becomes a race against time – on multiple levels.
“The mountains closed in on us, bleak, wind-torn peaks that poked snouts of grey rock and white snow above the dark timber that covered the lower slopes.”
Hammond Innes spent three months in Canada getting background material for the book. His writing certainly took me there. I could feel the cold, smell the pines, and see the snow-capped mountains, moose tracks and beaver dams. The book also managed to hit home in unexpected ways.
“And as I lay there sweating with fear and nervous exhaustion my life passed before my mind’s eye, mocking me with its emptiness. Thirty-six years, and what had I done with them - what had I achieved?”
It was interesting making comparisons with the film – there were considerably more biblical references, but this didn’t distract. I enjoyed how Innes wrote certain accents into the dialogue and how the health of main character, Bruce, lingered in the shadows. Things did, however, get bogged down around halfway with too much talk of logistics, oil drilling and lawyers.
Tension built towards the end, with many moving parts and great suspense. Innes delivered emotion and heartwarming moments too – without them seeming out of place. Everything was neatly tied up into a satisfying, even inspiring, ending.
This was my first Hammond Innes book. I’m already looking forward to reading more of his work. Now to rewatch the film!
“There’s oil in the Rocky Mountains.”
The opening chapter gripped and engaged me unlike any for a long time. The story follows Bruce Wetheral, a British man who receives a terminal diagnosis. He then learns he has inherited an oil enterprise in Canada from his estranged grandfather, Stuart Campbell. An accompanying letter asks Bruce to prove the existence of oil in the area known as Campbell’s Kingdom. His grandfather had been convinced of it, yet unsuccessful in his efforts, causing shame and ridicule along the way. Bruce decides to travel to the Rockies.
“I wasn’t going to tell anybody. I’d just say I was taking a holiday and quietly disappear.”
He soon makes friends in the small town of Come Lucky. Jean Lucas and Boy Bladen were the best developed of them, while others sometimes appeared one-dimensional. The villains succeeded at irritating me - so Innes must’ve done something right! They were constructing a large dam, which would ultimately flood the area. As one newspaper report said: “Will the dream of an old-timer come true? Will his grandson strike oil up in his Rocky Mountain kingdom or will the men building the dam flood the place first?” The story becomes a race against time – on multiple levels.
“The mountains closed in on us, bleak, wind-torn peaks that poked snouts of grey rock and white snow above the dark timber that covered the lower slopes.”
Hammond Innes spent three months in Canada getting background material for the book. His writing certainly took me there. I could feel the cold, smell the pines, and see the snow-capped mountains, moose tracks and beaver dams. The book also managed to hit home in unexpected ways.
“And as I lay there sweating with fear and nervous exhaustion my life passed before my mind’s eye, mocking me with its emptiness. Thirty-six years, and what had I done with them - what had I achieved?”
It was interesting making comparisons with the film – there were considerably more biblical references, but this didn’t distract. I enjoyed how Innes wrote certain accents into the dialogue and how the health of main character, Bruce, lingered in the shadows. Things did, however, get bogged down around halfway with too much talk of logistics, oil drilling and lawyers.
Tension built towards the end, with many moving parts and great suspense. Innes delivered emotion and heartwarming moments too – without them seeming out of place. Everything was neatly tied up into a satisfying, even inspiring, ending.
This was my first Hammond Innes book. I’m already looking forward to reading more of his work. Now to rewatch the film!
“There’s oil in the Rocky Mountains.”
December 29, 2024
'Campbell's Kingdom' is a rather straightforward but well-written inspirational story about the heroic struggle the protagonist is engaged in. Reading the story was like a trip to childhood - I used to read a lot of such romantic adventure stories about strong courageous people seeking justice against the odds.
November 28, 2019
Hammond Innes did his best writing, I think, in the 1950s and 1960s. Campbell's Kingdom is a quintessential product of that era. It has all the Innes hallmarks, exotic locations, protagonists ripped from their secure world into nature's harsh and unrelenting environment, a commentary on man's perspective and relationship to his wider cosmos, and recurring patterns of urgency and tension. It is with the latter aspect that Innes excels perhaps more than usually in Campbell's Kingdom. I think this may have been the first time that I had to stop reading, because the tension was so keen. Not just once, but several times.
There was a bit of a surprise in this novel as well. Before reading it, I hardly imagined the Canadian wilderness as much of a landscape for an adventure novel. Canada has always seemed, well, sort of boring. But Innes brought it to life, along with its inhabitants and their lusts, greed, and mostly suppressed violence, which is just waiting to bust through.
The novel, meanwhile, is another in the series of books that Innes would devote to contrasting the wilderness to its exploitation. This time, it was oil drilling and mining under his microscope. The people who do this work come out looking pretty good, however, even as they spoil the forests, mountains, and meadows around them. Later on, Innes would take a much harsher tone towards this destruction.
There was a bit of a surprise in this novel as well. Before reading it, I hardly imagined the Canadian wilderness as much of a landscape for an adventure novel. Canada has always seemed, well, sort of boring. But Innes brought it to life, along with its inhabitants and their lusts, greed, and mostly suppressed violence, which is just waiting to bust through.
The novel, meanwhile, is another in the series of books that Innes would devote to contrasting the wilderness to its exploitation. This time, it was oil drilling and mining under his microscope. The people who do this work come out looking pretty good, however, even as they spoil the forests, mountains, and meadows around them. Later on, Innes would take a much harsher tone towards this destruction.
December 1, 2025
داستانی لذت بخش از یک ماجراجویی و نبرد دیوانه وار نه بی شباهت به داستان های کلاسیک،سلطان کمپبل ماجرای خواستن چیزی ست حتی اگر به قیمت همه چیز تمام شود.یاد آوری که شاید زندگی جز به این گونه نیز چندان در حساب نیاید.
June 27, 2011
I think I first read this book when I was 13 or 14, at the same time as I was reading Alastair McLean and Len Deighton. I saw it by chance last week on the bookswap shelves in the gym and picked it up out of curiosity to see how it had aged - and couldn 't put it down! Innes was just a fantastic spinner of yarn, and i really enjoyed it again. I think this is one of his more famous works- if it was published now, they'd make a film of it, as it has all the visual hallmarks of a great action movie - unusual location (the rockies) and a fantastic climactic scene. The romance is corny yet very touching...I would definitely recommend it
February 9, 2013
The only way I can describe the experience of reading any Hammond Innes book is to say it feels like I'm reading a 1950's black & white movie. A very good black & white movie.
January 19, 2019
4.5 stars
December 5, 2019
It was okay. Decent characters, intriguing setting, just slow and blah at times. One of my mum’s favorite writers when she was a youth. I would read another one of his. 🇨🇦 🇨🇦 🇨🇦
January 7, 2021
3.5 - very good B-movie.
May 30, 2015
How would you spend the last few months of your life?
Bruce Weatheral faces the dilemma when he’s diagnosed with untreatable stomach cancer. It’s hard to know which is worse: the prospect of death within weeks, or the idea that he will spend them living in his dingy rented room in London and commuting to his uninspiring City job in insurance.
But the same day he receives his death sentence, he also learns of an actual death: his grandfather, Stuart Campbell, died the previous autumn, in his lonely log cabin in the plot of land, high in the Canadian Rockies, that had come to be known as “Campbell’s Kingdom.” That land is now Bruce’s.
The news is less of a blow than a surprise. The only time Bruce had met his grandfather, it was as the latter was being released from gaol, after serving a sentence for fraud. He had raised money to prospect for oil in the Kingdom, and then every penny had gone missing (with his partner, as it happened, but Stuart faced the music alone). The poverty-stricken grandson had had his childhood made miserable by his grandfather’s disgrace, and had done little with his life since then, except for his war service, which had been distinguished.
Now he has to come to terms with the knowledge that far from disappearing to live off the gains of fraud, Stuart Campbell had gone back to the place he had hoped to find oil. He had lived not far from (though not amongst – they would not have tolerated that) the very people who felt he had stolen the money they’d invested in his dreams. He had lived way up there and devoted his remaining years to vindicating himself and proving his refrain, “there’s oil in the Rocky Mountains” – an expression that had slid into oilmen’s vocabulary to mean a hopeless dream.
Bruce’s legacy isn’t just the land, it’s also a plea made to him by a letter from his grandfather, to take up the cause where he had had to lay it down, to prove him right, and to bring in an oil well at the Kingdom.
That’s an apparently hopeless task in itself – all the indications, including a recently completed survey, suggest there’s no oil there. It’s made all but impossible by a company that is anxious to buy the land from Weatheral, in order to flood it, by building a dam for electric power that will bring back work to the miserable town of Come Lucky below the Kingdom.
But what better way for a dying man to spend his remaining days but rise to the challenge of the impossible?
So that’s how Bruce decides to answer the question I asked at the beginning. He'll spend his remaining time taking on the daunting world of the high Rockies, the hostility of the few remaining inhabitants of a ghost town, and a powerful corporation trying to thwart him. All with no funds to speak of at his disposal.
Will he be able to drill for a well at all? If he does, will it strike oil? And will he be able to do it before the dam is finished and the land flooded?
Hammond Innes may not be the greatest of writers, but along with Nevil Shute or John Grisham, he can tell a gripping story. This one doesn’t fail. And it doesn’t cheat. There’s a double peril, one disaster following another, but Innes lets us know, if we read carefully, about them both early on. So while the ending is dramatic, it isn’t plucked out of nowhere. Which to me is what you have the right to expect from a punchy, exciting novel of the wilderness.
Great fun to read anywhere, and without requiring any great pain of effort of thought.
Bruce Weatheral faces the dilemma when he’s diagnosed with untreatable stomach cancer. It’s hard to know which is worse: the prospect of death within weeks, or the idea that he will spend them living in his dingy rented room in London and commuting to his uninspiring City job in insurance.
But the same day he receives his death sentence, he also learns of an actual death: his grandfather, Stuart Campbell, died the previous autumn, in his lonely log cabin in the plot of land, high in the Canadian Rockies, that had come to be known as “Campbell’s Kingdom.” That land is now Bruce’s.
The news is less of a blow than a surprise. The only time Bruce had met his grandfather, it was as the latter was being released from gaol, after serving a sentence for fraud. He had raised money to prospect for oil in the Kingdom, and then every penny had gone missing (with his partner, as it happened, but Stuart faced the music alone). The poverty-stricken grandson had had his childhood made miserable by his grandfather’s disgrace, and had done little with his life since then, except for his war service, which had been distinguished.
Now he has to come to terms with the knowledge that far from disappearing to live off the gains of fraud, Stuart Campbell had gone back to the place he had hoped to find oil. He had lived not far from (though not amongst – they would not have tolerated that) the very people who felt he had stolen the money they’d invested in his dreams. He had lived way up there and devoted his remaining years to vindicating himself and proving his refrain, “there’s oil in the Rocky Mountains” – an expression that had slid into oilmen’s vocabulary to mean a hopeless dream.
Bruce’s legacy isn’t just the land, it’s also a plea made to him by a letter from his grandfather, to take up the cause where he had had to lay it down, to prove him right, and to bring in an oil well at the Kingdom.
That’s an apparently hopeless task in itself – all the indications, including a recently completed survey, suggest there’s no oil there. It’s made all but impossible by a company that is anxious to buy the land from Weatheral, in order to flood it, by building a dam for electric power that will bring back work to the miserable town of Come Lucky below the Kingdom.
But what better way for a dying man to spend his remaining days but rise to the challenge of the impossible?
So that’s how Bruce decides to answer the question I asked at the beginning. He'll spend his remaining time taking on the daunting world of the high Rockies, the hostility of the few remaining inhabitants of a ghost town, and a powerful corporation trying to thwart him. All with no funds to speak of at his disposal.
Will he be able to drill for a well at all? If he does, will it strike oil? And will he be able to do it before the dam is finished and the land flooded?
Hammond Innes may not be the greatest of writers, but along with Nevil Shute or John Grisham, he can tell a gripping story. This one doesn’t fail. And it doesn’t cheat. There’s a double peril, one disaster following another, but Innes lets us know, if we read carefully, about them both early on. So while the ending is dramatic, it isn’t plucked out of nowhere. Which to me is what you have the right to expect from a punchy, exciting novel of the wilderness.
Great fun to read anywhere, and without requiring any great pain of effort of thought.
July 26, 2020
Campbell’s Kingdom by Hammond Innes, published by Collins in 1952, is one of my favourite stories, and one I am happy to read at regular intervals when there is nothing else on the skyline.
In essence, after gaining three months first hand background experience of drilling in the Canadian Rockies, Hammond Innes got down to writing a gripping adventure story.
Given only two months to live, 36-year-old Bruce Wetheral returns to his lodgings one day in a dream, feeling that he has wasted his life as an insurance clerk, only to be told by a solicitor that he is the owner of a small valley in the Canadian Rocky Mountains as a result of a bequest by his grandfather. After reading his grandfather’s letter expressing his strongly held hopes and beliefs, he decides to chuck his job and emigrate to Canada, and dedicate what is left of his life to proving his grandfather’s lifelong conviction that ‘There’s oil in the Rocky Mountains’.
When he arrives, he finds his plans are threatened by the construction of a new hydroelectricity dam. The race is on prove his grandfather is right, amid a blossoming friendship with his friend, Jean Lucas, before the crooked construction manager in charge of building the dam can flood the valley.
The film of the story produced in 1957 did the story full justice, starring Dirk Bogarde as Bruce Wetheral, helped by Michael Craig as the geologist, Boy Bladen; and James Robertson Justice as the drilling contractor, James MacDonald; and Barbara Murray playing Jean Lucas, as the love interest.
I am still trying to get a DVD of the film – let me know, if anyone hears of one.
February 2, 2022
My father was a great fan of Hammond Innes, and introduced me to him many years ago. Many of Innes' stories relate to the sea, and my father was always a keen sailor. His rip-roaring tales are great escapist fare. That said, it had been many years since I had last read a book by Innes when I recently turned to a tatty old copy of 'Campbell's Kingdom' that had obviously belonged to my father long ago, and was now lying rather forlornly, horizontally along the top of a line of properly, vertically placed books in one of my bookshelves. I had walked past it often, only vaguely aware of its presence, and rather dismissive of its 'lowbrow' nature, if I thought of it at all. However, I was rather wearying of my 'highbrow' reading material on this particular day, and reached for 'Campbell's Kingdom' by way of a little distraction.
A little distraction! Whoah! Talk about a tale to grab you by your collar and lift you off the floor! I had completely forgotten just what a great storyteller Innes is. I won't go in to the details of the plot. Suffice to say it is set in the Rocky Mountains in Canada, and has nothing to do with the sea. Innes does an absolutely superb job, however, of drawing the reader into his world. It is a complicated story, but every detail is scrupulously attended to.
There is nothing 'radical' or 'cutting edge' about Campbell's Kingdom. It is just a good, old-fashioned page-turner meticulously crafted by a master of the art. The ending, needless to say, is supremely satisfying.
A little distraction! Whoah! Talk about a tale to grab you by your collar and lift you off the floor! I had completely forgotten just what a great storyteller Innes is. I won't go in to the details of the plot. Suffice to say it is set in the Rocky Mountains in Canada, and has nothing to do with the sea. Innes does an absolutely superb job, however, of drawing the reader into his world. It is a complicated story, but every detail is scrupulously attended to.
There is nothing 'radical' or 'cutting edge' about Campbell's Kingdom. It is just a good, old-fashioned page-turner meticulously crafted by a master of the art. The ending, needless to say, is supremely satisfying.
January 7, 2016
Campbell's kingdom by Innes Hammond
About the oil fields in Canada with background of all the intricate details.
His grandfather had formed a company in Canada and he's now the holder of all of the company as his grandfather has died.
Early 1900's He had never given up on finding oil...hydroelectric production and plans...
Bruce travels to Canada and meets many of his grandfathers associates. The lawyers are trying to pressure Bruce to sign the deed over to them...
Lots of mysteries await him as he starts to solve what is going on..the survey reports were false and he has the real ones...could it be there is oil under the land?
Building of the dam and the sale of the land is a plan that is up for controversy.
Loved hearing of the land and the pure nature still there as the men climb up to the land.
When he first arrived in Canada he knew he only had a few short months of his life left but something happens to complicate it all.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
About the oil fields in Canada with background of all the intricate details.
His grandfather had formed a company in Canada and he's now the holder of all of the company as his grandfather has died.
Early 1900's He had never given up on finding oil...hydroelectric production and plans...
Bruce travels to Canada and meets many of his grandfathers associates. The lawyers are trying to pressure Bruce to sign the deed over to them...
Lots of mysteries await him as he starts to solve what is going on..the survey reports were false and he has the real ones...could it be there is oil under the land?
Building of the dam and the sale of the land is a plan that is up for controversy.
Loved hearing of the land and the pure nature still there as the men climb up to the land.
When he first arrived in Canada he knew he only had a few short months of his life left but something happens to complicate it all.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
June 3, 2024
Pulpy adventure of a stubborn, self-assured man who, against all odds, fights to accomplish the impossible through sheer force of personality. The story drags at times and there are more than a few overlapping, ill-defined supporting characters, but it’s fairly straightforward, uncomplicated read that gets exciting by the end. Makes me look forward to seeing the film that the novel is based on.
EDIT: The book is definitely better than the movie lmao
EDIT: The book is definitely better than the movie lmao
February 17, 2013
This was the first book in English I read in 1961. I had FL. 2.50 pocket money a week at the time. Books like Innes wrote were about Fl. 2 each. I bought all of his novels available in those days and learned to improve my English considerably that way. I still have all those books. Fond memories.
March 8, 2015
This book was much better than I expected! When I first got this book I had no urge to read it, I only picked it up because it was cheap and the edition matched my other classics, and I didn’t even read the blurb on the back so it was definitely an impulse buy!
Basically, this book follows the character of Bruce Wetheral, an English man, who finds out his Grandfather has died and left him some land called Campbell’s Kingdom. This land was in the Rocky Mountains and Bruce’s Grandfather was convinced that the land had oil, but because of financial difficulties, he had been unable to find out. So Bruce goes to the town, to discover more about his grandfather and the potential oil in Campbell’s kingdom.
The book is split into three parts and all of them are beautifully written; there is no denying that Innes is a good writer. The first part was very interesting, we get to know the characters who were all unique and very relatable. I was worried I would get confused, as there are a number of characters, but I ended up finding them quite easy to distinguish. The scene was also beautifully set by Innes, I had a real picture of the Campbell’s Kingdom and Come Lucky in my mind, I had never read a book set in this area before and it was interesting to read.
However, for me, the second part dragged a lot. This book is very slow going, I did like the plot and the suspense of whether oil would be found or not, but Innes is very descriptive and there would often be one or two pages of description of the Rocky Mountains, which I personally felt was too much. I sometimes felt myself losing concentration and having to have a break from this book to regain concentration. Also, this part of the book is around 150 pages and there is only two chapters with one chapter being 100 pages long. This didn’t deter from the book, but if you are finicky like me and prefer to finish at the end of a chapter, that is one very long sitting.
The third and final part of the book was short, but quite a bit happened and there was a lot of action compared to the rest of the book. I won’t go into a lot of detail because I don’t want to spoil but this for me was the best part of the book. I did like the ending, however there were some details which I felt maybe weren’t as plausible as the rest of the book and it did slightly annoy me, however overall it was a good book.
I am going to give this book three stars. I liked it but I didn’t love it. I am very character driven reader and I loved all the characters and how the book was set out, but it was hard going sometimes to read and I sometimes felt like the plot wasn’t moving forward. I would read more Innes and I recommend this book to people who do enjoy classics and their sometimes slow-moving plots. However if you like a lot of action, I do believe you may have some difficulty with this book.
Basically, this book follows the character of Bruce Wetheral, an English man, who finds out his Grandfather has died and left him some land called Campbell’s Kingdom. This land was in the Rocky Mountains and Bruce’s Grandfather was convinced that the land had oil, but because of financial difficulties, he had been unable to find out. So Bruce goes to the town, to discover more about his grandfather and the potential oil in Campbell’s kingdom.
The book is split into three parts and all of them are beautifully written; there is no denying that Innes is a good writer. The first part was very interesting, we get to know the characters who were all unique and very relatable. I was worried I would get confused, as there are a number of characters, but I ended up finding them quite easy to distinguish. The scene was also beautifully set by Innes, I had a real picture of the Campbell’s Kingdom and Come Lucky in my mind, I had never read a book set in this area before and it was interesting to read.
However, for me, the second part dragged a lot. This book is very slow going, I did like the plot and the suspense of whether oil would be found or not, but Innes is very descriptive and there would often be one or two pages of description of the Rocky Mountains, which I personally felt was too much. I sometimes felt myself losing concentration and having to have a break from this book to regain concentration. Also, this part of the book is around 150 pages and there is only two chapters with one chapter being 100 pages long. This didn’t deter from the book, but if you are finicky like me and prefer to finish at the end of a chapter, that is one very long sitting.
The third and final part of the book was short, but quite a bit happened and there was a lot of action compared to the rest of the book. I won’t go into a lot of detail because I don’t want to spoil but this for me was the best part of the book. I did like the ending, however there were some details which I felt maybe weren’t as plausible as the rest of the book and it did slightly annoy me, however overall it was a good book.
I am going to give this book three stars. I liked it but I didn’t love it. I am very character driven reader and I loved all the characters and how the book was set out, but it was hard going sometimes to read and I sometimes felt like the plot wasn’t moving forward. I would read more Innes and I recommend this book to people who do enjoy classics and their sometimes slow-moving plots. However if you like a lot of action, I do believe you may have some difficulty with this book.
May 17, 2018
This was much like a Desmond Bagley book, with the same sort of central character; tough, resourceful, ex army, motivator, with high moral standards. The writing was pretty good, and whilst not fast paced it kept my interest, slowly building to the climatic end. You can tell this was written in '52, but that contributed positively to the feel of the book and the raw, rugged, red neck characters. Glad I picked this up at a second hand book fair.
December 8, 2020
Black Gold Rising
From start to finish this is a great read real time and real life on a day by day basis with surprises popping each and every day.
I could almost see what was happening up at Campbell’s Kingdom and without a doubt I knew that the grandfather was right and sooner or later the grandson would hit the lottery
You don’t want to miss this great ride.
From start to finish this is a great read real time and real life on a day by day basis with surprises popping each and every day.
I could almost see what was happening up at Campbell’s Kingdom and without a doubt I knew that the grandfather was right and sooner or later the grandson would hit the lottery
You don’t want to miss this great ride.
June 4, 2025
What a great walk down Memory Lane. I read this about 50 years ago and bits of the plot stayed with me all this time. So when I searched for a thriller that included a man with cancer, a dam, and an oil drilling platform, that was enough to have this pop up on Google. And I enjoyed this almost as much as I did back then!
September 24, 2020
Thrilling, gripping, fascinating tale of two men racing nature and each other. With many elements in this book in my own background, I was tickled to find this author so accurate. I understand it was his trademark. A fast, fun read. Loved it!
November 9, 2025
Bruce Wetheral, the hero of Hammond Innes' "Campbell's Kingdom" is a bit more interesting character than perhaps Innes intended. In a lot of ways he's a standard Innes hero. An Englishman home from the war who is not adjusting well to civilian life. Out of the blue he's thrust into an adventure. His grandfather has died and left him property in the Canadian Rockies. The grandfather was convinced that there was oil on his property--but was long ago dismissed as a swindler and a kook by the people of Come Lucky, the community his property overlooked,
Wetheral, bored with his life in England and excited about the prospect of proving his father was right, leaves England, travels to Canada, and is determined to find oil on the property--which is known as Campbell's Kingdom. One major wrinkle--a hydroelectric dam is being constructed near the property. Once it's completed, Campell's Kingdom will be flooded. Wetheral is racing against the clock--and facing opposition from practically everyone in Come Lucky--to strike oil on the property.
I was with the character for the first part of the book, but after a while (when he starts blowing things up, for example) he began to seem more like a fanatic than just a remarkably persistent Britisher. Things only get worse as the novel draws to its climax. The more hopeless things get, the more Wetheral seems willing to sacrifice anything to strike oil.
Wetheral is so consumed by his mania that he never even entertains the notion that, even if his grandfather was right and there is oil in Campbell's Kingdom, it might be better to leave it there. The competing dam project would be a boon for Come Lucky, and generate electricity for the entire community. Striking oil in Campbell's Kingdom would just enrich a few.
Wetheral's obsession could make for an interesting story, if Innes didn't seem to share in his character's obsession. He spends an inordinate amount of time giving us the details of the drilling operation. It gets a little tedious being told how many hundreds of feet that they've managed to drill each day. To make matters worse, when Innes is ready to wind things up, he relies on a deus ex machina (actually, a couple of them) to conclude his story.
As always, Innes provides vivid local color--this time around the Canadian Rockies. He draws his characters well. But it wasn't enough to keep my interest through to the end of the novel.
Wetheral, bored with his life in England and excited about the prospect of proving his father was right, leaves England, travels to Canada, and is determined to find oil on the property--which is known as Campbell's Kingdom. One major wrinkle--a hydroelectric dam is being constructed near the property. Once it's completed, Campell's Kingdom will be flooded. Wetheral is racing against the clock--and facing opposition from practically everyone in Come Lucky--to strike oil on the property.
I was with the character for the first part of the book, but after a while (when he starts blowing things up, for example) he began to seem more like a fanatic than just a remarkably persistent Britisher. Things only get worse as the novel draws to its climax. The more hopeless things get, the more Wetheral seems willing to sacrifice anything to strike oil.
Wetheral is so consumed by his mania that he never even entertains the notion that, even if his grandfather was right and there is oil in Campbell's Kingdom, it might be better to leave it there. The competing dam project would be a boon for Come Lucky, and generate electricity for the entire community. Striking oil in Campbell's Kingdom would just enrich a few.
Wetheral's obsession could make for an interesting story, if Innes didn't seem to share in his character's obsession. He spends an inordinate amount of time giving us the details of the drilling operation. It gets a little tedious being told how many hundreds of feet that they've managed to drill each day. To make matters worse, when Innes is ready to wind things up, he relies on a deus ex machina (actually, a couple of them) to conclude his story.
As always, Innes provides vivid local color--this time around the Canadian Rockies. He draws his characters well. But it wasn't enough to keep my interest through to the end of the novel.
August 2, 2025
This reminded me strongly of Nevil Shute's novels, and in a good way. A sickly office worker emigrates to the rough, tough Commonwealth (in this case it's a meticulously researched Canada) as the result of a unexpected legacy, and finds a personal fulfilment while trying to clear his grandfather's name.
As in many books of this era, the war (WW2 - I suppose I need to specify that these days!) is still very much in most people's minds. Currency controls provide the reason why the protagonist needs to burn his boats and emigrate permanently rather than just payimg a visit to his potential inheritance, a small valley high in the mountains. And it is his old wartime sabotage experience on which he explicitly draws for the more questionably legal parts of the exercise, when the gloves come off and it becomes clear that his main rivals don't want him to succeed.
But the author manages to keep the situation nuanced. The little town at the valley foot has been impoverished as a result of old Stuart Campbell's failure (or as they would see it, deliberate fraud), and the hostility his grandson encounters is unsurprising, especially as the rival scheme offers a badly-needed hope of bringing life back to what has become a ghost town. Men are gambling their life savings and livelihoods on his hunch - just as happened in Stuart's case. And poor brutish Max is dangerous but also pitiable, .
As another reviewer remarks, it's unexpected that we find ourselves supporting the drilling of an oil well over the completion of a hydroelectric dam! But we do, and that is a testament to the writing skill of the author and the effectiveness with which be has evoked the world of his era and engaged the reader thoroughly within it.
As in many books of this era, the war (WW2 - I suppose I need to specify that these days!) is still very much in most people's minds. Currency controls provide the reason why the protagonist needs to burn his boats and emigrate permanently rather than just payimg a visit to his potential inheritance, a small valley high in the mountains. And it is his old wartime sabotage experience on which he explicitly draws for the more questionably legal parts of the exercise, when the gloves come off and it becomes clear that his main rivals don't want him to succeed.
But the author manages to keep the situation nuanced. The little town at the valley foot has been impoverished as a result of old Stuart Campbell's failure (or as they would see it, deliberate fraud), and the hostility his grandson encounters is unsurprising, especially as the rival scheme offers a badly-needed hope of bringing life back to what has become a ghost town. Men are gambling their life savings and livelihoods on his hunch - just as happened in Stuart's case. And poor brutish Max is dangerous but also pitiable, .
As another reviewer remarks, it's unexpected that we find ourselves supporting the drilling of an oil well over the completion of a hydroelectric dam! But we do, and that is a testament to the writing skill of the author and the effectiveness with which be has evoked the world of his era and engaged the reader thoroughly within it.
February 3, 2024
I had the joy of reading this in a 1964 Fontana paperback edition with tiny print and pages the colour of browned tea stains. Smooth storytelling that is much more than an adventure book. It begins and ends with the main character confronting his existential needs and his need for a fulfilling life as he faces possible death soon. Set in the Rockies, I found the descriptions of climate, the human activities of road making, mining and dam building reflected my travels in the Himalayas. Innes captures the weather and atmosphere of living in mountain terrains and the strange beauty of the complex vastness. Yet the effort and sacrifices needed to sustain basic living in isolated areas and the narrow culture that predominates is poignantly described. The varied characters are generally sympathetically described, even when unpleasant as he tries to comprehend them in their own context of their upbringing or just adult struggles to make a living, to get into their skin with a certain amount of objectivity. He is known for his research before writing and it is reflected in his technical descriptions. There is one technical aspect that he does not cover at all which is a slight flaw and makes it a mystery as to how it technically happens but doesnt detract from the storyline. I will look for other of his books when in the mood for some humanistic and balanced adventure.
June 19, 2022
4 ½ stars. This book was surprisingly entertaining, I never thought I’d be cheering for someone to find oil over people building a hydroelectric dam, but it is fitting to the true history of Alberta. I also really like the dynamic between the main character and Jean his love interest. This book reminded me of Sick Heart River by John Buchan in that they both contain a main character who is battling a life threatening illness and are given a certain number of months to live so they head off into the northern Canadian wilderness and find miraculous healing by being out in it’s rugged, harsh environment. However, I had found Sick Heart River to be slow paced and difficult to get through whereas I really enjoyed Campbell’s Kingdom and it’s fast, exciting pace!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2021
Just reread this book again, done that some times over the years. I like most of Innes books, but this one I think stands out a bit. Here we have some memorable characters, but the one really tough main player is the beautiful and harsh landscape of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. And that is what Innes gives us, a tale that could not take place anywhere else and where the action is not just taking place in, but is really formed by the landscape and nature. His best in my opinion.
What does it then matter that the whole story is a bit improbable, that is just what an adventure story is about, people rising above what is possible. And I like happy ends.
What does it then matter that the whole story is a bit improbable, that is just what an adventure story is about, people rising above what is possible. And I like happy ends.
October 6, 2021
Excellent stuff: truly vintage, classic thriller.
Anyone who is interested in man’s struggle against nature, other men and himself will be caught up in the daring-do as well as the compassionate action.
Anyone who is interested in man’s struggle against nature, other men and himself will be caught up in the daring-do as well as the compassionate action.
March 4, 2023
Published back in 1952 this was a classic adventure/suspense featuring a young English WW2 veteran who inherits a plot of land in the Rocky Mountain region in Canada. Listened to the audio version which was well narrated by Mark Elstob.
March 23, 2023
Given how old this book I am not sure where it is classified as modern or as historical fiction. Either way it is a great read
If historical fiction then you wouldn't know despite there being no smart phones and other gadgets from the 21st century.
If historical fiction then you wouldn't know despite there being no smart phones and other gadgets from the 21st century.
November 23, 2023
This is a multi-layered book that not only describes an adventure, but provides commentary on greed, relationships, and life itself. Innes is able to thread together a coherent story that twists and turns until the end. It can feel slow at points, but is always building towards a climax!
January 17, 2026
Aside from the fairly heavy handed racism with flickers of race redemption, the overarching message of the book was very nice. Live life with purpose and through that you’ll find freedom and maybe cure cancer.
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