What do you think?
Rate this book
Bulldog Drummond #10
Challenge
There are twelve tales in this compelling collection, written by the creator of Bulldog Drummond, who once more proves his mastery with the cream of detection.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1937
8 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Sapper
255 books36 followersSapper was the pseudonym of Herman Cyril McNeile, whose father was Malcolm McNeile, a Captain in the Royal Navy and, at who was at the time, governor of the naval prison at Bodmin, the town where Herman was born.
McNeile was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1907. He went to France in 1914 when World War I broke out and he saw action at both the First and the Second Battle of Ypres where he displayed considerable bravery, was awarded the Military Cross and was mentioned in dispatches.
His first known published work was a series of short war stories based on his own experiences, and published under the name 'Sapper' in the Daily Mail and in the magazine 'The War Illustrated'.
These stories were immediately successful and later sold over 200,000 copies within a year when subsequently republished in book-form. His realistic writing proved most popular at a time of great stress and Lord Northcliff, the owner of the Daily Mail who recognised his talent, was so impressed by that he attempted, but failed, to have McNeile released from the army so he could work as a war correspondent.
After the War was over, in 1919, McNeile resigned from the army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and became a full-time author, publishing his first novel, Mufti, in that year.
In 1922, he moved to Sussex and lived there for the rest of his life, having married Peggy Baird-Douglas with whom he had two sons.
He began the series for which he now best remembered, that of Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond in 1920 and thereafter he wrote 10 novels featuring his eponymous hero. The public took to Drummond and McNeile had great financial success.
The first book was adapted for the stage and produced, to great success, at Wyndham's Theatre during the 1921-1922 season with Gerald du Maurier playing the main character. Films followed and the first talkie BullDog Drummond film in 1922 was reputed to have earned McNeile the vast sum of $750,000. There were 26 films made of his books.
As well as Drummond, he wrote about Ronald Standish but the majority of his work was short stories that were published in various popular monthly magazines and continued to earn him good money. Indeed, in addition to his novels, many of his books were short story collections.
He was reputedly an unremittingly hearty man, who even his good friend and collaborator Gerard Fairlie, who continued the Drummond series after McNeile's death with seven further books, described as "not everybody's cup of tea". He died on August 14, 1937 at his home in Pulborough, West Sussex.
His funeral, with full military honours, took place at Woking crematorium.
Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2010
McNeile was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1907. He went to France in 1914 when World War I broke out and he saw action at both the First and the Second Battle of Ypres where he displayed considerable bravery, was awarded the Military Cross and was mentioned in dispatches.
His first known published work was a series of short war stories based on his own experiences, and published under the name 'Sapper' in the Daily Mail and in the magazine 'The War Illustrated'.
These stories were immediately successful and later sold over 200,000 copies within a year when subsequently republished in book-form. His realistic writing proved most popular at a time of great stress and Lord Northcliff, the owner of the Daily Mail who recognised his talent, was so impressed by that he attempted, but failed, to have McNeile released from the army so he could work as a war correspondent.
After the War was over, in 1919, McNeile resigned from the army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and became a full-time author, publishing his first novel, Mufti, in that year.
In 1922, he moved to Sussex and lived there for the rest of his life, having married Peggy Baird-Douglas with whom he had two sons.
He began the series for which he now best remembered, that of Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond in 1920 and thereafter he wrote 10 novels featuring his eponymous hero. The public took to Drummond and McNeile had great financial success.
The first book was adapted for the stage and produced, to great success, at Wyndham's Theatre during the 1921-1922 season with Gerald du Maurier playing the main character. Films followed and the first talkie BullDog Drummond film in 1922 was reputed to have earned McNeile the vast sum of $750,000. There were 26 films made of his books.
As well as Drummond, he wrote about Ronald Standish but the majority of his work was short stories that were published in various popular monthly magazines and continued to earn him good money. Indeed, in addition to his novels, many of his books were short story collections.
He was reputedly an unremittingly hearty man, who even his good friend and collaborator Gerard Fairlie, who continued the Drummond series after McNeile's death with seven further books, described as "not everybody's cup of tea". He died on August 14, 1937 at his home in Pulborough, West Sussex.
His funeral, with full military honours, took place at Woking crematorium.
Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2010
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 18, 2025
Bulldog Drummond faces an international crisis. Reds plan to bomb the means of production and gas England from the air. A proto James Bond storyline. Also, Algy Longworth makes a good Bertie Wooster when he puts his brain to it!
August 1, 2018
A fast paced adventure story full of twists and turns. Good characters and well written dialogue. A good end to the series of novels
December 17, 2018
Sapper's final Bulldog Drummond novel and still very much on form. It's a good job master criminals feel duty-bound to explain their schemes before killing their victims.
September 18, 2023
Rather old fashioned and politically incorrect but a good yarn. The film was not as good and does not follow the plot. It was called Bulldog Drummond in Africa
March 17, 2016
Sapper (real name Herman Cyril McNeile) is best known as the author of the Bulldog Drummond books, of which this is the last. Sapper died in 1937, the year this book was published.
This is a well-written book, with a rapidly moving plotline. There is not a huge amount of character development for the main characters, but as this is the 10th book in the series, it's safe to assume that their characters would have been well-known to readers of the time. The ending is perhaps concluded a bit quickly, but that would be one of the few criticisms I have.
Of course, it is a book of its time, but the women in the book are far from helpless damsels waiting to be rescued, and most of them are strong characters who play an important role in the plot.
This is a well-written book, with a rapidly moving plotline. There is not a huge amount of character development for the main characters, but as this is the 10th book in the series, it's safe to assume that their characters would have been well-known to readers of the time. The ending is perhaps concluded a bit quickly, but that would be one of the few criticisms I have.
Of course, it is a book of its time, but the women in the book are far from helpless damsels waiting to be rescued, and most of them are strong characters who play an important role in the plot.
January 26, 2013
If I weren't so restrained about reviews, I'd give this one 5 stars. It's the last of H.C. McNeile's Drummond stories and a cracking good yarn.
July 19, 2011
Bulldog Drummond
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews