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The Duellists
Based on The Duel by Joseph Conrad.
Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1977
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About the author
Gordon M. Williams
22 books17 followersAka P.B. Yuill, joint pseudonym with Terry Venables.
Gordon Maclean Williams was a Scottish author. Born in Paisley, he moved to London to work as a journalist. He has written for television and is the author of over twenty novels including From Scenes Like These (1968), shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1969, Walk Don't Walk (1972) and Big Morning Blues (1974). Other novels include The Camp (1966), The Man Who Had Power Over Women (1967) and The Upper Pleasure Garden (1970).
He ghosted the autobiographies of association footballers Bobby Moore, Terry Venables and manager Tommy Docherty.
In 1971, his novel The Siege of Trencher's Farm was controversially filmed as Straw Dogs. Sam Peckinpah's cinematic treatment marked a watershed in the depiction of sexual violence in the cinema though the most controversial scenes are absent from the book. Other film work includes The Man Who Had Power Over Women, from his own novel, and Tree of Hands, as scriptwriter from a Ruth Rendell novel. Williams also wrote the book of Ridley Scott's film The Duellists.
While working as commercial manager of association football club Chelsea, he renewed his collaboration with Venables, resulting in four co-written novels. From the novels grew the 1978 TV series Hazell, which the pair co-wrote under the shared pseudonym P. B. Yuill. Under the name "Jack Lang", Williams also wrote paperbacks "for £300 a time."
Gordon Maclean Williams was a Scottish author. Born in Paisley, he moved to London to work as a journalist. He has written for television and is the author of over twenty novels including From Scenes Like These (1968), shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1969, Walk Don't Walk (1972) and Big Morning Blues (1974). Other novels include The Camp (1966), The Man Who Had Power Over Women (1967) and The Upper Pleasure Garden (1970).
He ghosted the autobiographies of association footballers Bobby Moore, Terry Venables and manager Tommy Docherty.
In 1971, his novel The Siege of Trencher's Farm was controversially filmed as Straw Dogs. Sam Peckinpah's cinematic treatment marked a watershed in the depiction of sexual violence in the cinema though the most controversial scenes are absent from the book. Other film work includes The Man Who Had Power Over Women, from his own novel, and Tree of Hands, as scriptwriter from a Ruth Rendell novel. Williams also wrote the book of Ridley Scott's film The Duellists.
While working as commercial manager of association football club Chelsea, he renewed his collaboration with Venables, resulting in four co-written novels. From the novels grew the 1978 TV series Hazell, which the pair co-wrote under the shared pseudonym P. B. Yuill. Under the name "Jack Lang", Williams also wrote paperbacks "for £300 a time."
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 7, 2021
I read this book back in 1977 and again about 15 years ago. Great novelization of the screenplay. I'd like to find my old copy and read it again.
June 21, 2015
This novella is based on a screenplay of the film released in 1978 by Ridley Scott. The screenplay is an adaptation of the Joseph Conrad novella The Duel and so this book is likely to be very similar to Conrad's novella.
The book is set during the Napoleonic wars and tells the story of two French Army officers who become rivals and appear at a succession of duels in defense of their honour. One officer is a Bonapartist and the other is believed to be a Monarchist despite denying he swears no allegiance to either Napoleon or the King. The latter is falsely claimed to have insulted the name of Napoleon and is therefore challenged to a duel by the Bonapartist. A lack of conclusion to each duel results in further duels until the circumstances of the age interferes after which a final duel is arranged .
The subtext to the story is a spiritual one. Are there mysterious spiritual forces influencing our lives to which we have no control? The answer to these questions appear to be biblical in nature. Respond honourably to the less than honourable activities and behaviours of others!
The book is set during the Napoleonic wars and tells the story of two French Army officers who become rivals and appear at a succession of duels in defense of their honour. One officer is a Bonapartist and the other is believed to be a Monarchist despite denying he swears no allegiance to either Napoleon or the King. The latter is falsely claimed to have insulted the name of Napoleon and is therefore challenged to a duel by the Bonapartist. A lack of conclusion to each duel results in further duels until the circumstances of the age interferes after which a final duel is arranged .
The subtext to the story is a spiritual one. Are there mysterious spiritual forces influencing our lives to which we have no control? The answer to these questions appear to be biblical in nature. Respond honourably to the less than honourable activities and behaviours of others!
June 17, 2016
Fast paced pulp fiction.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews