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Partisans
Major Peter Petersen leads an international group of men and women on a dangerous, clandestine operation into Yugoslavia during World War II
276 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
45 people are currently reading
753 people want to read
About the author
Alistair MacLean
344 books1,206 followersAlistair Stuart MacLean (Scottish Gaelic: Alasdair MacGill-Eain), the son of a Scots Minister, was brought up in the Scottish Highlands. In 1941, at the age of eighteen, he joined the Royal Navy; two and a half years spent aboard a cruiser were to give him the background for HMS Ulysses, his first novel, the outstanding documentary novel on the war at sea. After the war he gained an English Honours degree at Glasgow University, and became a schoolmaster. In 1983, he was awarded a D. Litt. from the same university.
Maclean is the author of twenty-nine world bestsellers and recognised as an outstanding writer in his own genre. Many of his titles have been adapted for film - The Guns of the Navarone, The Satan Bug, Force Ten from Navarone, Where Eagles Dare and Bear Island are among the most famous.
Maclean is the author of twenty-nine world bestsellers and recognised as an outstanding writer in his own genre. Many of his titles have been adapted for film - The Guns of the Navarone, The Satan Bug, Force Ten from Navarone, Where Eagles Dare and Bear Island are among the most famous.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
October 31, 2022
This is a book mainly set in The Balkans in the middle of World War II. Three Yugoslavs set out from Rome to warn The Partisans about the German battle plan that will soon be launched against them. They are accompanied by a number of strange people who are not what they seem.
In fact, no one in this book is who they seem and it's really quite difficult to work out who are the good people and who aren't. Even an innkeeper turns out to be a spy. It's a real mystery, which is unusual for Alistair MacLean as his stories are almost always action thrillers where sharply defined characters are willing to sacrifice their lives to save others or to find out a big secret.
In fact, no one in this book is who they seem and it's really quite difficult to work out who are the good people and who aren't. Even an innkeeper turns out to be a spy. It's a real mystery, which is unusual for Alistair MacLean as his stories are almost always action thrillers where sharply defined characters are willing to sacrifice their lives to save others or to find out a big secret.
September 10, 2011
I picked this up in a free book shelf in a diner in Roslyn, WA - because I've always wanted to read de Bernieres' book "Daughter of the Partisan" or something like that - and wanted a book for reading on the bus. As it turned out, traffic was stopped for an hour so I read a lot of this that day. It's a good beach read, but the hero is just a bit too omniscient for my liking - too good. Didn't seem very realistic - more of a comic book. But entertaining, for all that. And the good guys win...
September 2, 2017
Manly Men drinking Manly Beverages and wielding Manly Weapons and Manly Mercy in WWII.
Pathetic Bitchy Women whose Beauty is only exceeded by their ability to Criticize the Men.
Two saving graces to this boring book:
1. It forced me to Wikipedia The Yugoslav Partisans and I learned something.
2. One of the woman's names was Sarina.
Pathetic Bitchy Women whose Beauty is only exceeded by their ability to Criticize the Men.
Two saving graces to this boring book:
1. It forced me to Wikipedia The Yugoslav Partisans and I learned something.
2. One of the woman's names was Sarina.
June 29, 2017
Alistair MacLean’s 1982 ‘adventure’ Partisans is one of the least enjoyable books I’ve read. I feared it wouldn’t be great having been disappointed with a number of his later outings, the last two that I read being The Way to Dusty Death (1973) and Circus (1975). He published three more thrillers after this book, but, sadly, I’m not inclined to read them. Like millions of readers, I enjoyed immensely his ‘classic’ thrillers, Guns of Navarone, HMS Ulysses, South by Java Head, Night Without End, Fear is the Key, The Golden Rendezvous, When Eight Bells Toll, Where Eagles Dare and even Force 10 From Navarone.
What’s wrong with Partisans?
The plot is exceedingly thin: an espionage team led by the enigmatic Major Peter Petersen are sent to contact the pro-German Yugoslav Royalists (I think!) But of course there’s betrayal and not everyone is what they seem, in standard MacLean fashion, and it all appears contrived and confusing.
The writing is third person narrative, with ironic asides and misdirection, but in the main sub-standard MacLean. However, the narrative is almost entirely in dialogue between the various characters. There is very little action or suspense – almost everything seems to occur ‘off-stage’ and is related through speech. And what a lot of long speeches we get! Nothing here even pretends to relate to real life; and there is no feeling for any character, not even the omnipotent all-knowing Petersen.
If you haven’t read this book yet, then do so by all means. But be prepared to be disappointed.
I don’t normally write negative reviews. Sometimes, the book is bad because a publisher or editor have not done their job. Here, it appears that William Collins & Co were reluctant to fling the manuscript back and published it regardless, knowing it would initially sell due to the author’s established (and richly deserved) fame.
What’s wrong with Partisans?
The plot is exceedingly thin: an espionage team led by the enigmatic Major Peter Petersen are sent to contact the pro-German Yugoslav Royalists (I think!) But of course there’s betrayal and not everyone is what they seem, in standard MacLean fashion, and it all appears contrived and confusing.
The writing is third person narrative, with ironic asides and misdirection, but in the main sub-standard MacLean. However, the narrative is almost entirely in dialogue between the various characters. There is very little action or suspense – almost everything seems to occur ‘off-stage’ and is related through speech. And what a lot of long speeches we get! Nothing here even pretends to relate to real life; and there is no feeling for any character, not even the omnipotent all-knowing Petersen.
If you haven’t read this book yet, then do so by all means. But be prepared to be disappointed.
I don’t normally write negative reviews. Sometimes, the book is bad because a publisher or editor have not done their job. Here, it appears that William Collins & Co were reluctant to fling the manuscript back and published it regardless, knowing it would initially sell due to the author’s established (and richly deserved) fame.
June 17, 2013
I vaguely remember having read somewhere that MacLean's later works were a pale shadow of his earlier stuff. This one definitely fell within that description. Set in Bosnia in Second World War Yugoslavia, the author had returned to the landscape of the rather good Force 10 from Navarone, but not that quality of writing. From the naming of characters - a supposedly Yugoslav group of commandos led by Major Peter Petersen with his henchmen George and Alex who sound much more like a bunch of northern Europeans - to the dreadfully plodding plot and the utterly cliched characterisation, this just plumbed the depths from start to finish. Avoid like the plague and instead try out his early works which may possibly be a bit dated, but are full of engaging characters and thumping good plots.
September 22, 2020
Three Allied agents are inserted into Yugoslavian territory to aid the Royalist against the Partisans by delivering a German battle plan. But all is not what it seems to be.Their own people try to kill them. They are also saddled with four people they need to escort. Non-stop adventure,
March 9, 2014
Not my favorite MacLean. Lots more talk than action and no real surprises.
July 4, 2019
Major Peter Peterson is no second-rate spy. He’s top of the line – the fact that he’s still alive is his proof. So, when Colonel Lunz asks him to deliver a coded message and twins, Sarina and Michael, to Yugoslavia, Peterson knows that no petty operation is underfoot. He and his partners, Alex and George, must be wary. Very wary…
When they arrive at the Columbus, their transportation from Italy to Yugoslavia, Peterson finds it already loaded with several other passengers. Two at least are spies, and the other four look like second rate assassins…
What is the message that Peterson is to deliver? And why are Sarina and Michael valuable enough to Colonel Lunz to employ a top agent like Peterson to guard them?
Discussion.
Peter Peterson is a hard-as-nails guy – he’s not as disillusioned as colleague Phillip Calvert, but he’s not a man to be caught napping. He is often harsh with his enemies (forget his enemies – he's tough on his allies!) and doesn’t mind breaking bones to get his point across. He draws the line at torture, but doesn’t mind bullying, bluffing, and bravado-ing his way through situations. He’s a man who fights for himself, not for principles.
Now for the actual story. I like war stories. I like spy stories. But I like to know what’s going on. In both When Eight Bells Toll and Partisans, I felt like I had no clue what was happening. Now, I understand that espionage is supposed to be tricky – that’s what it IS. Tricking. But I like to have a baseline to work from. I like to know, definitely know that one person is or isn’t on the side he says he’s on. From there, I can work with deception and double crossing. But with Alistair MacLean, one doesn’t know if anyone’s what they claim to be - including the protagonist. The cast of characters constantly shifts in and out of shadows. By the end of the story, I had lost track of how many times characters had changed sides.
I’m not giving up on MacLean yet, because on some strange level, I enjoy him. I’m just hoping his more famous works – The Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare – are less confusing. Having watched both the movies might help. : )
Conclusion. Like I said, engaging on a strange level, but also very confusing.
When they arrive at the Columbus, their transportation from Italy to Yugoslavia, Peterson finds it already loaded with several other passengers. Two at least are spies, and the other four look like second rate assassins…
What is the message that Peterson is to deliver? And why are Sarina and Michael valuable enough to Colonel Lunz to employ a top agent like Peterson to guard them?
Discussion.
Peter Peterson is a hard-as-nails guy – he’s not as disillusioned as colleague Phillip Calvert, but he’s not a man to be caught napping. He is often harsh with his enemies (forget his enemies – he's tough on his allies!) and doesn’t mind breaking bones to get his point across. He draws the line at torture, but doesn’t mind bullying, bluffing, and bravado-ing his way through situations. He’s a man who fights for himself, not for principles.
Now for the actual story. I like war stories. I like spy stories. But I like to know what’s going on. In both When Eight Bells Toll and Partisans, I felt like I had no clue what was happening. Now, I understand that espionage is supposed to be tricky – that’s what it IS. Tricking. But I like to have a baseline to work from. I like to know, definitely know that one person is or isn’t on the side he says he’s on. From there, I can work with deception and double crossing. But with Alistair MacLean, one doesn’t know if anyone’s what they claim to be - including the protagonist. The cast of characters constantly shifts in and out of shadows. By the end of the story, I had lost track of how many times characters had changed sides.
I’m not giving up on MacLean yet, because on some strange level, I enjoy him. I’m just hoping his more famous works – The Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare – are less confusing. Having watched both the movies might help. : )
Conclusion. Like I said, engaging on a strange level, but also very confusing.
June 21, 2020
Without a doubt The most successful British novelist of his time! Without winning an Alistair Maclean novel when I was 14 I doubt I'd be sat here writing this!
However, it has to be said that sadly the calibre of his later work failed to match
the calibre of his earlier work. Partisans is very much a case in point.
Muddled twisted story, with plain one dimensional characters, except for the wonderful Professor George a character that could have stood toe to toe with some earlier Maclean characters.
The story lacks in action & the reader is left trying at various stages what is unfolding.
I did see someone give this book 5 Stars! One wonders how many stars They would have given the Magnificent HMS Ulysses, or The book I won in that competition Bear Island. Partisans however was not his greatest.
However, it has to be said that sadly the calibre of his later work failed to match
the calibre of his earlier work. Partisans is very much a case in point.
Muddled twisted story, with plain one dimensional characters, except for the wonderful Professor George a character that could have stood toe to toe with some earlier Maclean characters.
The story lacks in action & the reader is left trying at various stages what is unfolding.
I did see someone give this book 5 Stars! One wonders how many stars They would have given the Magnificent HMS Ulysses, or The book I won in that competition Bear Island. Partisans however was not his greatest.
February 4, 2014
This is one of the less than stellar Maclean novels that I have read. I found that it seemed to lack the elements which made his earlier works so gripping, tense and action filled. Instead this book felt some what generic and unfulfilled.
The book had no real characters of depth, those who were interesting seemed to have no place in the story. The conclusion felt some what forced and the intrigue less than organic.
What could have been another great Maclean book just fell short. I hate to say that as it seems almost arrogant of me. I do love his work but not so much this one.
I would suggest one reads some earlier Maclean before attempting this one in order to gain appreciation for the talented author.
40 %
The book had no real characters of depth, those who were interesting seemed to have no place in the story. The conclusion felt some what forced and the intrigue less than organic.
What could have been another great Maclean book just fell short. I hate to say that as it seems almost arrogant of me. I do love his work but not so much this one.
I would suggest one reads some earlier Maclean before attempting this one in order to gain appreciation for the talented author.
40 %
September 24, 2016
This is one of the few MacLean novels that I remembered poorly. I have always had a high opinion of it, but I couldn't tell you why. The characters are typical, especially Peterson and George (think Keith Mallory and Andrea Stavrou). However, the plot is one of MacLean's more clever efforts during his later career. This book reminds me that he was stronger when writing about World War II than his cold war and terrorist plots. At the same time, this novel has a double-blind and a McGuffin (unusual for MacLean). The plot has similarities to both Caravan to Vaccares and When Eight Bells Toll. I raised my rating.
August 16, 2015
Not one of MacLean's best, it felt like most of this book was just people talking - or telling lies - to each other. Pretty much the only puzzle was trying to keep track of who knew who was a double agent. Not terrible but he's written much better.
January 8, 2008
I got about half-way and couldn't bring myself to finish this book. Oh well.
January 22, 2016
80's MacLean, very much talk and very confusing. When you take the suspense out of a MacLean novel there's not much left. Or nothing, really.
July 3, 2020
Lots of people to keep track of --- a few paragraphs had really long sentences in it. Read at my Dad's suggestion
August 1, 2020
4 may be pushing it just a little, but definitely a strong 3 1/2.
July 11, 2014
Partisans was disappointing. It had a lot of potential (even a cursory scan on Wikipedia reveals a crazy mess of political and military situations in Yugoslavia during World War II) but this book fails to capitalize on it.
I haven't read the books that MacLean's most famous for (Force 10 From Navarone, The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare) so I can't compare quality, but it seems likely that as most critics have said, MacLean's later works (such as Partisans) are inferior.
The hero is your typical tough guy, whose motivations are a mystery and who is apparently a spy pretending to work for the Axis, but he's too cookie-cutter to be of any real interest. The other characters aren't very interesting either, though an Italian torpedo boat captain shows promise. Unfortunately, the boat sees zero action (well, some guys get locked in a cabin)and there's no actual combat or anything happening in Yugoslavia either. People get interrogated in another room, then there's a lame, obvious M Night Shamalan twist at the end that suprprises no one, and everyone goes off into the night.
It's a lot of talking, wondering if someone might be on the other side, and women hating then liking the hero in that macho/masochistic 1970s way. It's pretty ho-hum stuff.
I haven't read the books that MacLean's most famous for (Force 10 From Navarone, The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare) so I can't compare quality, but it seems likely that as most critics have said, MacLean's later works (such as Partisans) are inferior.
The hero is your typical tough guy, whose motivations are a mystery and who is apparently a spy pretending to work for the Axis, but he's too cookie-cutter to be of any real interest. The other characters aren't very interesting either, though an Italian torpedo boat captain shows promise. Unfortunately, the boat sees zero action (well, some guys get locked in a cabin)and there's no actual combat or anything happening in Yugoslavia either. People get interrogated in another room, then there's a lame, obvious M Night Shamalan twist at the end that suprprises no one, and everyone goes off into the night.
It's a lot of talking, wondering if someone might be on the other side, and women hating then liking the hero in that macho/masochistic 1970s way. It's pretty ho-hum stuff.
May 9, 2018
Late period MacLean and while not as turgid as ‘Santorini’, it suffers from the essential problem that characterises the last half dozen or so novels: a preponderance of dialogue at the cost of action or suspense. The dialogue is tin-eared and repetitive, and there’s a by-the-numbers quality to the writing. Still, it’s not as adjective-spattered as ‘The Way to Dusty Death’, nor as drawn-out as ‘Floodgate’. The narrative is focused (albeit unnecessarily convoluted), the Yugoslav setting is interesting, and the political context gives the novel a bit more heft than it might otherwise have boasted. Still third-tier MacLean, but a respectable enough entry in an otherwise moribund phase of his career.
April 3, 2011
This book may come as a disappointment to those readers yearning for a blood-soaked action read--is a single person killed in the entire book? (references to the past not included)--and didn't quite have the knuckle-whitening effect I'd expected from AMcL's other books. Despite this "fault", and the extreme confusion the reader may experience as she attempts to parse out the plot (what plot?) the banter between the characters--especially when George is involved--made the book both readable and even interesting.
May 4, 2017
Not my favorite MacLean book. It is a WW2 story written in early 20th century style. It was bit too full of 'prattling' dialogue and sarcasm. (I have to watch my own writing for sarcasm at times too, but that's what editors are for).
The physical aspects of the story were well described ... horrendous conditions aboard a small motor torpedo boat at sea and miserable cold and steep climbs in the mountains of Yugoslavia.
All in all, it was a worthwhile read, but I've read much better from this author.
The physical aspects of the story were well described ... horrendous conditions aboard a small motor torpedo boat at sea and miserable cold and steep climbs in the mountains of Yugoslavia.
All in all, it was a worthwhile read, but I've read much better from this author.
November 14, 2015
Another awful MacLean WW II novel - this time set in Italy, the Adriatic, and the Balkans. Anti-Nazi underground apparently needs to deliver radios to partisans in the Balkans. First part of story is boat trip from Italy to Croatia; second part is mountain trek to hideout; but there is hardly any action throughout. Story told mostly through dialogue, so it is difficult to follow the plot. In the end no one was who he seemed and motives were not as they seemed. Mixed-up mess.
April 18, 2018
Partisans. Alistair MacLean
Partisans, in Yugoslavia fighting to repel and defeat the German occupation forces. The primary problem is as old as time. Different ethnic backgrounds in Yugoslavia result in supporting different occupiers. Deceit, betrayal, spies are immersed in all parties. This is an excellent read and gives the reader a better understanding of the atrocities that occurred after the war in the Balkans.
Partisans, in Yugoslavia fighting to repel and defeat the German occupation forces. The primary problem is as old as time. Different ethnic backgrounds in Yugoslavia result in supporting different occupiers. Deceit, betrayal, spies are immersed in all parties. This is an excellent read and gives the reader a better understanding of the atrocities that occurred after the war in the Balkans.
January 19, 2025
Fun adventures
It’s been a while since I’ve read this story and I wanted to see if it held up as well on the multiple rereads list. It does. I really enjoy MacLean and his style. This also is a great vignette of the Yugoslav WWII conflict in that it has so much going on. There were definitely many different players in that region during that time, and I enjoy seeing a bit about where my ancestors were living.
It’s been a while since I’ve read this story and I wanted to see if it held up as well on the multiple rereads list. It does. I really enjoy MacLean and his style. This also is a great vignette of the Yugoslav WWII conflict in that it has so much going on. There were definitely many different players in that region during that time, and I enjoy seeing a bit about where my ancestors were living.
August 7, 2025
Lacks the depth of most of his other novels, but it was still entertaining and I read through this in two sittings, again. Still, on this reread my older self had even more questions than when I embarked on a mad effort to collect everything MacLean had ever written (thank you, charity shops of yore). One for completists, I think.
January 11, 2016
A WW2 book that has no deaths and very little action. Mostly it's people talking and trying to work out who is really working for what side. There were opportunities for the story to take a more action oriented slant but these were passed up and just continued to be mainly dialogue driven. Not as good as I remembered.
September 4, 2009
This was not the book I expected and I was disappointed. It is listed as a thriller and just didn't fulfill that for me. I know McLean is considered a leader in this field but this book seemed dated. I did appreciate the strong vocabulary that McLean uses, writing down several words to check.
April 2, 2013
I read every MacLean book I could find as a teenager and loved almost all of them. Ice Station Zebra and Partisans were probably the two I liked least. However, I still liked it. I'm not sure what I would think about it as an adult reader.
February 4, 2023
Loved the dialogue in this book - witty and fun. This book will not be enjoyed by everyone - maybe too little action, but I enjoyed it...
Still a good read that not everyone will enjoy, but I like the characters - usual Alistair McLean standard, can do everything….
Still a good read that not everyone will enjoy, but I like the characters - usual Alistair McLean standard, can do everything….
April 7, 2015
During WWII a team set out to deliver some battle plans but are hampered by a series of double-crosses.
I thought this was a reasonable WWII spy thriller but there are better espionage books around.
Real rating 2.5
I thought this was a reasonable WWII spy thriller but there are better espionage books around.
Real rating 2.5
September 12, 2017
I cannot believe I am giving AM a 1-star, but this book didn't feel like his style at all. Not only was there very little action, but also very little story. The tag lines on here told me more than the book itself.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews