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Target Antarctica
Small snag on jacket front, otherwise a nice copy.
Paperback
First published May 6, 1993
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46 people want to read
About the author
Hammond Innes
104 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 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 22, 2020
This sequel to Isvik is barely worthy of 3 stars and sadly shares many of the frustrations of the previous novel. The premise is again promising but confusing - an expedition to recover a rusty plane lying on a piece of ice in Antarctica but what is the real reason for the trip?
The story quite surprisingly involves an act of revenge on the Khmer Rouge, The Disappeared of Argentina (the victims of the military dictatorship) and a hidden treasure. Although it is not plausible, it is in parts exciting and like most of Innes' work is always interesting. The setting of the Falkland islands is well written and like always the scenes at sea are realistically portrayed - you feel the salt spray.
Many of the characters return from Isvik, but play very little part which is a shame. There is some interesting sexual tension between the characters which could have been taken a bit further but pacing remains a problem throughout the novel.
Like many of Innes' books, the ending is very rushed. For fans of sea adventures this might be worth reading - but only if you have made it through Isvik first...
The story quite surprisingly involves an act of revenge on the Khmer Rouge, The Disappeared of Argentina (the victims of the military dictatorship) and a hidden treasure. Although it is not plausible, it is in parts exciting and like most of Innes' work is always interesting. The setting of the Falkland islands is well written and like always the scenes at sea are realistically portrayed - you feel the salt spray.
Many of the characters return from Isvik, but play very little part which is a shame. There is some interesting sexual tension between the characters which could have been taken a bit further but pacing remains a problem throughout the novel.
Like many of Innes' books, the ending is very rushed. For fans of sea adventures this might be worth reading - but only if you have made it through Isvik first...
July 13, 2018
A typical Hammond Innes thriller, the Falklands and Antarctica offer a very interesting back ground to the story, and Innes can write about the ocean and boats. His previous book, Isvik, offers some background to the story line and to some of the characters, although it is not a requisite to enjoying and following the story.
Something that I appreciate of mr Innes is that in most of his books a detailed map is provided, a fact that greatly adds to the following of the narrative and the enjoyment of the book. This is also the case in Target Antarctica, which allows the reader to follow the action from the Falklands to Antarctica.
Something that I appreciate of mr Innes is that in most of his books a detailed map is provided, a fact that greatly adds to the following of the narrative and the enjoyment of the book. This is also the case in Target Antarctica, which allows the reader to follow the action from the Falklands to Antarctica.
May 10, 2014
Considerable skill in writing, with an easily read storyline. It was a good read with some strange twists and turns and I enjoyed the majority of it. However the book was mainly a build up to the Antartica visit, which finally seemed a bit of a let down somehow. The ending was disappointing and extremely short, almost as if there was a rush in finishing it off. I would have preferred a much more meaty ending as I was expecting from this calibre of author.
August 8, 2025
Hammond Innes followed up his novel Isvik (1991) with this sequel, Target Antarctica, in 1993.
As usual, it’s a first person narrative, by Falklands War hero Ed Cruse, having just ignominiously left the RAF. After some shilly-shallying he’s given a job to fly a stranded C-130 Hercules aircraft off an Antarctic iceberg. The reasons are not made clear until near the end of the book. There is a subplot involving one of the interested parties, the tragic if exotic La Belle, which provides a depth of character lacking in others. Indeed, it is her past that provides the only real fraught conflict.
Earlier reviews have encapsulated the plot so there's no need to go into it here.
Ed Cruse is likeable – as are all his first-person protagonists; though I suspect he could be a danger on the roads: he drinks and drives! He had two Bloody Marys and then had a coffee and a couple of large brandies and drove through London in his Jag... (pp138-139)!
I’ve read and enjoyed several books by Innes and found this showed his strengths in putting the reader in the story with believable descriptions. Yet, sadly, it lacked something and I felt the ending was rushed.
If this is your first introduction to Innes and you found it unsatisfactory, do try some of his earlier novels before forsaking his work; you will be rewarded.
As usual, it’s a first person narrative, by Falklands War hero Ed Cruse, having just ignominiously left the RAF. After some shilly-shallying he’s given a job to fly a stranded C-130 Hercules aircraft off an Antarctic iceberg. The reasons are not made clear until near the end of the book. There is a subplot involving one of the interested parties, the tragic if exotic La Belle, which provides a depth of character lacking in others. Indeed, it is her past that provides the only real fraught conflict.
Earlier reviews have encapsulated the plot so there's no need to go into it here.
Ed Cruse is likeable – as are all his first-person protagonists; though I suspect he could be a danger on the roads: he drinks and drives! He had two Bloody Marys and then had a coffee and a couple of large brandies and drove through London in his Jag... (pp138-139)!
I’ve read and enjoyed several books by Innes and found this showed his strengths in putting the reader in the story with believable descriptions. Yet, sadly, it lacked something and I felt the ending was rushed.
If this is your first introduction to Innes and you found it unsatisfactory, do try some of his earlier novels before forsaking his work; you will be rewarded.
November 14, 2020
As always I thoroughly enjoyed this one of the few Hammond Innes I’ve not read and wasn’t disappointed.
July 22, 2024
This continuation of Hammond Innes's previous novel, Isvik, improves a bit on that work. As it happens, it is one of two Hammond Innes books I had not read. I completed reading all but the last two, Target Antarctica and Delta Connection, about five years ago. I kept waiting for a Kindle or epub edition to appear, but nothing came of it. A few weeks ago, I decided to give in and order the two hardbacks. And I'm happy I did, because I always enjoy a Hammond Innes story. He mixes a lot of things well in Target. It's a combination nautical adventure, aerial adventure, thriller, and espionage story. Yet everything comes together so that it all seems the most natural thing in the world.
Iain Ward is back again, from Isvik, and he's organized an expedition to return to the ancient frigate carrying anthrax that is sewn permanently into the ice. Part of the plot involves hiring Eddie Cruse, just forced to resign from the RAF, to help Ward salvage a C-130 also stuck on the ice. If things work out, it will mean riches for all. The journey, however, is a rough one, going from London to the Falklands, where a Greenpeace saboteur joins up. From the Falklands, Ward is reunited with the Isvik and its crew. Cruse joins them. A dangerous expedition to the C-130's resting site means braving the hardships of extreme southern latitudes and eventually Antarctica itself.
The Alistair MacLean-like title shouldn't scare off any readers. I've only encountered a couple of Innes's books I would consider clunkers. And that's because he let his environmental and conservation obsessions ruin the stories. Not the case here, although the revenge of Mother Nature figures prominently at the end. Anyway, a good, solid adventure drama story, with fairly decent character development.
Iain Ward is back again, from Isvik, and he's organized an expedition to return to the ancient frigate carrying anthrax that is sewn permanently into the ice. Part of the plot involves hiring Eddie Cruse, just forced to resign from the RAF, to help Ward salvage a C-130 also stuck on the ice. If things work out, it will mean riches for all. The journey, however, is a rough one, going from London to the Falklands, where a Greenpeace saboteur joins up. From the Falklands, Ward is reunited with the Isvik and its crew. Cruse joins them. A dangerous expedition to the C-130's resting site means braving the hardships of extreme southern latitudes and eventually Antarctica itself.
The Alistair MacLean-like title shouldn't scare off any readers. I've only encountered a couple of Innes's books I would consider clunkers. And that's because he let his environmental and conservation obsessions ruin the stories. Not the case here, although the revenge of Mother Nature figures prominently at the end. Anyway, a good, solid adventure drama story, with fairly decent character development.
January 23, 2014
When it comes to finding my next read they come to me in all kinds of manor. It could be a review, recommendation, or happen to browse 2nd hand books on line or some type of bookshop sale. But whatever it may be it has to kind of grab my interest from the storyline on the back. And boy this sounded like the ticket. A military Hercules aircraft precariously stranded on broken off ice runway. With pressure growing from Greenpeace to rid this junk albeit very expensive junk and it's owners eager to get it's cargo of drilling machinery offloaded and operational it makes for a cracking adventure. Now imagine opening the door of a brand new Ferrari. It looks astonishing outside, but when you open it up there is no seats, no steering wheel, no air con, no engine. Well that is pretty much what happens with this book. All show no go. It has the main character an ex RAF airman who not knowing if he can or will survive this mission. Along the way he bring along a buddy of his and they work alongside the Scottish boss who is pretty wham bam in his approach i.e just go do it. But well that's what I really wish would happen. But the cogs in this Hammond Innes novel are in need of oiling as nothing works nothing gels. Only an oriental woman La Belle Phuket has some semblance of background and a pretty harrowing one at that as you learn of her escape from a militia in her homeland and that part of her involvement in the salvage operation may also be part of a revenge plot. But crikey it takes an age to get to anything that resembles what I read on the back cover and when I get to it, it's told in such a flaccid way that it feels like I'm the one on the mission to find out if there is anything worthwhile about this story. Sadly not this mission failed for me. The only thing positive to mention is that Innes is a man of the sea with obvious nautical experience. He uses the various bits of seaworthy terminology to good effect,but not so much so that it overwhelms and bombards us poor readers who are not in the know. It's just nice to have writer who clearly knows and has integrated his knowledge into the sea going parts of the novel.
Bottom line is. Would I recommend this book? No. Would I read another Hamond Innes novel considering the experience I had with this one, taking into account this was the first book of his I've read. Perhaps. Reason is that after finishing this book I looked up reviews of what Innes readers had thought of his effort on this particular book and a lot had mentioned that this was a weak effort. So whenever I next give one of his books a go I will first consult with what fans of his would consider among his best, rather than just buying blind. But yes I was expecting better from a big named writer like Innes, perhaps next time I will find out why.
Bottom line is. Would I recommend this book? No. Would I read another Hamond Innes novel considering the experience I had with this one, taking into account this was the first book of his I've read. Perhaps. Reason is that after finishing this book I looked up reviews of what Innes readers had thought of his effort on this particular book and a lot had mentioned that this was a weak effort. So whenever I next give one of his books a go I will first consult with what fans of his would consider among his best, rather than just buying blind. But yes I was expecting better from a big named writer like Innes, perhaps next time I will find out why.
June 25, 2016
Hammond Innes is one of my favorite authors. This book was good but I found it ended quite suddenly. It is also the follow up to his book ISVIK which I havnèt read yet
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews