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Dark Frontier
Ambler's A Coffin for Dimitrios and Journey Into Fear have been hailed as classics of the mystery form, yet his first novel of 1936 has not been available in America until now.
411 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1936
40 people are currently reading
380 people want to read
About the author
Eric Ambler
115 books500 followersSuspense novels of noted English writer Eric Ambler include
Passage of Arms
(1959).
Eric Ambler began his career in the early 1930s and quickly established a reputation as a thriller of extraordinary depth and originality. People often credit him as the inventor of the modern political thriller, and John Le Carré once described him as "the source on which we all draw."
Ambler began his working life at an engineering firm and then at an advertising agency and meanwhile in his spare time worked on his ambition, plays. He first published in 1936 and turned full-time as his reputation. During the war, people seconded him to the film unit of the Army, where he among other projects authored The Way Ahead with Peter Ustinov.
He moved to Hollywood in 1957 and during eleven years to 1968 scripted some memorable films, A Night to Remember and The Cruel Sea, which won him an Oscar nomination.
In a career, spanning more than six decades, Eric Ambler authored 19 books, the crime writers' association awarded him its gold dagger award in 1960. Joan Harrison married him and co-wrote many screenplays of Alfred Hitchcock, who in fact organized their wedding.
Eric Ambler began his career in the early 1930s and quickly established a reputation as a thriller of extraordinary depth and originality. People often credit him as the inventor of the modern political thriller, and John Le Carré once described him as "the source on which we all draw."
Ambler began his working life at an engineering firm and then at an advertising agency and meanwhile in his spare time worked on his ambition, plays. He first published in 1936 and turned full-time as his reputation. During the war, people seconded him to the film unit of the Army, where he among other projects authored The Way Ahead with Peter Ustinov.
He moved to Hollywood in 1957 and during eleven years to 1968 scripted some memorable films, A Night to Remember and The Cruel Sea, which won him an Oscar nomination.
In a career, spanning more than six decades, Eric Ambler authored 19 books, the crime writers' association awarded him its gold dagger award in 1960. Joan Harrison married him and co-wrote many screenplays of Alfred Hitchcock, who in fact organized their wedding.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
June 13, 2016
“...when you have been nourishing your soul on expectation, reality is apt to be disappointing.”
― Eric Ambler, The Dark Frontier
Eric Ambler's first novel is fun, playful, energetic and absolutely revolutionary. This is the first brick in Ambler's wall of reinvention/creation for the espionage thriller. In this novel he predicted the might and seductory qualities of nuclear weapons (in the early 1930s) and parodies the entire thriller genre at the same time. 'The Dark Frontier' also plays with the dual personality/reluctant hero theme as one of the principal narrators and the protagonist of the novel is a physicist who after suffering a brain injury ends up becoming an Über-spy. Anyway, not a superb thriller, but definitely the beginning of a great thriller career. The modern, literary spy novel owes everything to Eric Ambler's early risk taking.
― Eric Ambler, The Dark Frontier
Eric Ambler's first novel is fun, playful, energetic and absolutely revolutionary. This is the first brick in Ambler's wall of reinvention/creation for the espionage thriller. In this novel he predicted the might and seductory qualities of nuclear weapons (in the early 1930s) and parodies the entire thriller genre at the same time. 'The Dark Frontier' also plays with the dual personality/reluctant hero theme as one of the principal narrators and the protagonist of the novel is a physicist who after suffering a brain injury ends up becoming an Über-spy. Anyway, not a superb thriller, but definitely the beginning of a great thriller career. The modern, literary spy novel owes everything to Eric Ambler's early risk taking.
February 24, 2013
Ambler's first novel was a parody of sorts and featured an odd but super-competent protagonist. It wasn't until he flipped the scenario upside down and portrayed a ordinary character trapped in extraordinary circumstances that he stumbled upon a formula that changed, and arguably pioneered, espionage fiction. This is not as smooth and satisfying of a read; fortunately, virtually all over his other novels fare better.
April 6, 2009
This was a pleasant read for a number of reasons.
First, Eric Ambler is apparently considered by many espionage writers to be the founding father of the field. John le Carré (The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) described him as "the source on which we all draw."
Second, in 1935 he somehow took what little was publicly known about atomic theory and realized that E=Mc^2 indicated that a hypothetical "atomic bomb" would be massively destructive and politically destabilizing. So he decided to take the idea and write a "political thriller" about it. In his 1989 introduction, he wrote "In 1935 I knew, theoretically, that E probably equaled Mc^2, but could not quite accept the numerically awesome consequences of the equation. I mean, c^2, was such a huge and weird multiplier." So the device he conceived of as "a little larger than a Mills grenade" wasn't nearly as destructive as the multi-ton bomb actually manufactured. And, of course, he had to create the science behind his invention out of whole cloth, so it is quite anachronistic.
And third, as an anachronism, a spy thriller from before World War II is a pleasant diversion from the complexities that have emerged since then, not the least of which is the nuclear specter he somewhat predicted.
The fourth and final reason is the book itself: Ambler uses the tired plot device of amnesia in a delightful way -- perhaps it wasn't a cliche when he wrote this, but it still serves to reinforce the relative innocence of his time.
This is a book that can be read in a single long evening, and I heartily recommend it.
First, Eric Ambler is apparently considered by many espionage writers to be the founding father of the field. John le Carré (The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) described him as "the source on which we all draw."
Second, in 1935 he somehow took what little was publicly known about atomic theory and realized that E=Mc^2 indicated that a hypothetical "atomic bomb" would be massively destructive and politically destabilizing. So he decided to take the idea and write a "political thriller" about it. In his 1989 introduction, he wrote "In 1935 I knew, theoretically, that E probably equaled Mc^2, but could not quite accept the numerically awesome consequences of the equation. I mean, c^2, was such a huge and weird multiplier." So the device he conceived of as "a little larger than a Mills grenade" wasn't nearly as destructive as the multi-ton bomb actually manufactured. And, of course, he had to create the science behind his invention out of whole cloth, so it is quite anachronistic.
And third, as an anachronism, a spy thriller from before World War II is a pleasant diversion from the complexities that have emerged since then, not the least of which is the nuclear specter he somewhat predicted.
The fourth and final reason is the book itself: Ambler uses the tired plot device of amnesia in a delightful way -- perhaps it wasn't a cliche when he wrote this, but it still serves to reinforce the relative innocence of his time.
This is a book that can be read in a single long evening, and I heartily recommend it.
November 13, 2019
I love Eric Ambler and I liked this book, but not as much as his others.
October 26, 2015
There are certain names synonymous with the term Thriller. Craig Thomas the creator of the Techno-thriller. Tom Clancy perfected the Techno-thriller. Robert Ludlum, David Morrell and Eric Van Lustbader the Masters of the Spy Thriller. But if it hadn't been for Eric Ambler the bar would have been set very low.
The Dark Frontier is Eric Ambler's debut. It was published in 1936. The novel follows Dr. Henry Barstow as he heads to the fictional Eastern European country of Ixania. He is the only man able to understand and determine whether or not an atomic physicist named Kassen has created a nuclear bomb.
The Dark Frontier is Eric Ambler's debut. It was published in 1936. The novel follows Dr. Henry Barstow as he heads to the fictional Eastern European country of Ixania. He is the only man able to understand and determine whether or not an atomic physicist named Kassen has created a nuclear bomb.
October 30, 2021
Ambler's first in which he cleverly tells a gripping tale of intrigue and sends up the endlessly capable tweed-wearing pipe smoking heroes of previous British spy thrillers by having mild Professor Barstow hero think he has become one after a blow to the head. As the blurb says on Black Lizard copy I read both wry and riveting.
May 22, 2025
A fascinating book by “The Master of Thriller Writers.” Eric Ambler’s first novel, written in 1936, is an exciting thriller in which a professor of physics assumes the identity of the dashing hero of a trashy novel (that he chances across in a Launceston hotel) in order to thwart the development of an atomic bomb by an evil genius in a fictitious poor Balkan country. Ambler is remarkably prescient in his analysis of the likely outcome of harnessing nuclear power.
The novel commences with a disavowal by Professor Barstow that he had any recollection of tumultuous events related by a reliable eyewitness and it seems that he was so incensed by the possibilities of tactical nuclear weapons that he went into some form of hysterical fugue and became superhuman, affecting the politics of a far away country of which we know little. OK, some suspension of disbelief is necessary but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of a thoroughly good yarn.
The novel commences with a disavowal by Professor Barstow that he had any recollection of tumultuous events related by a reliable eyewitness and it seems that he was so incensed by the possibilities of tactical nuclear weapons that he went into some form of hysterical fugue and became superhuman, affecting the politics of a far away country of which we know little. OK, some suspension of disbelief is necessary but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of a thoroughly good yarn.
November 3, 2013
Long before le Carre's George Smiley and Deighton's Harry Palmer there were Eric Ambler's accidental spies. In the 1930's the loosely defined adventure/spy genre was not much advanced from the earlier works of Erskine Childers and John Buchan Typically, Ambler would take an unassuming, unsuspecting spectator and immerse him in a world of mystery and intrigue in pre-World War II Europe. The result was a series of highly entertaining and satisfying books that many believe set the stage for the likes of le Carre, Deighton, and, most recently, Alan Furst.
Ironically perhaps, Dark Frontier (Ambler's first book) was not as much a departure from earlier works in the genre as much as it was a parody of those works. While reading Dark Frontier after having read Ambler's later stories it struck me that by this parody perhaps he sought out to destroy the genre before recreating it. A brief look at the outlines of the story lends some small weight for this assertion.
It is 1935 and Henry Barstow is an unassuming, unsuspecting English physicist on vacation in the English countryside. It is during this holiday that he happens to meet a gentleman calling himself Simon Groom who claims to be involved in the munitions industry. And does he have a tale to tell Henry. A small country in eastern or central Europe has successfully unleashed the power of the atom and is on the way toward creating an atomic bomb. (This in and of itself is an interesting plot twist as the idea of an atomic bomb seems quite prescient for an author writing in 1936). Groom tries to enlist Barstow's help in sabotaging the plans before the balance of power in the world is changed, and not likely for the better. Barstow laughs off the invitation and goes on his merry way. But soon enough he manages to bump himself on the head and after waking up in a concussed state believes that he is one Conway Carruthers, man about town and master spy. The rest of the book follows Barstow/Carruthers in a role best described as two-parts Walter Mitty and one-part Austin Powers. The result is a book that is two-parts entertaining and two-parts wholly unbelievable.
Dark Frontier is far from Ambler's best work. For him the best was yet to come. Yet at the same time it was enjoyable to read. The plotting was good (once you got over the bump-on-the head premise) and the story had enough twists and turns to keep me engaged in it. Ambler's prose can be very funny and the observations made by Carruthers as he careens from pillar to post in this eastern European quasi-police state were both funny and sometimes acerbic.
I heartily recommend this book to any fan of Ambler. Anyone who has read and enjoyed his later works will certainly derive some benefit to seeing where his writing life started in earnest. For someone new to Ambler I would not suggest you start here. I think if you start here you may not feel compelled to explore his other stories and that would be a great loss. Anyone who likes Alan Furst (amongst others should like Ambler) and I would suggest starting with any of the following, in no particular order: A Coffin for Dimitrios; Epitaph for a Spy; or Cause for Alarm
Ironically perhaps, Dark Frontier (Ambler's first book) was not as much a departure from earlier works in the genre as much as it was a parody of those works. While reading Dark Frontier after having read Ambler's later stories it struck me that by this parody perhaps he sought out to destroy the genre before recreating it. A brief look at the outlines of the story lends some small weight for this assertion.
It is 1935 and Henry Barstow is an unassuming, unsuspecting English physicist on vacation in the English countryside. It is during this holiday that he happens to meet a gentleman calling himself Simon Groom who claims to be involved in the munitions industry. And does he have a tale to tell Henry. A small country in eastern or central Europe has successfully unleashed the power of the atom and is on the way toward creating an atomic bomb. (This in and of itself is an interesting plot twist as the idea of an atomic bomb seems quite prescient for an author writing in 1936). Groom tries to enlist Barstow's help in sabotaging the plans before the balance of power in the world is changed, and not likely for the better. Barstow laughs off the invitation and goes on his merry way. But soon enough he manages to bump himself on the head and after waking up in a concussed state believes that he is one Conway Carruthers, man about town and master spy. The rest of the book follows Barstow/Carruthers in a role best described as two-parts Walter Mitty and one-part Austin Powers. The result is a book that is two-parts entertaining and two-parts wholly unbelievable.
Dark Frontier is far from Ambler's best work. For him the best was yet to come. Yet at the same time it was enjoyable to read. The plotting was good (once you got over the bump-on-the head premise) and the story had enough twists and turns to keep me engaged in it. Ambler's prose can be very funny and the observations made by Carruthers as he careens from pillar to post in this eastern European quasi-police state were both funny and sometimes acerbic.
I heartily recommend this book to any fan of Ambler. Anyone who has read and enjoyed his later works will certainly derive some benefit to seeing where his writing life started in earnest. For someone new to Ambler I would not suggest you start here. I think if you start here you may not feel compelled to explore his other stories and that would be a great loss. Anyone who likes Alan Furst (amongst others should like Ambler) and I would suggest starting with any of the following, in no particular order: A Coffin for Dimitrios; Epitaph for a Spy; or Cause for Alarm
December 27, 2020
For fans of espionage in general, or Eric Ambler in particular, this may be of interest. The earliest of his novels, it shows the skills he would finely hone in later works (e.g., The Mask of Dimitrios, Epitaph for a Spy, State of Siege) as well as some youthful exuberance he would prune from later writing (a bit too much "in the nick of time" heroism). Aside from the plot, which can readily be found online, the noteworthy aspect of this novel is a dramatic shift in point of view halfway through, something I cannot remember encountering in other novels, certainly none of Ambler's. It is forecast by an equally surprising change in the protagonist's name (from Barstow, a British professor of physics, to Conway Carruthers, Our Intrepid Hero), which seems triggered by a car crash. This alter ego, whom Barstow seems to willingly choose (though why isn't clear at the time), creates a bit of confusion. Is this real? Is Barstow dreaming everything that happens after the crash? (The explanation isn't resolved until the epilogue). The POV change happens midway and is marked as such, which makes the reader see Barstow/Carruthers from inside and outside, thus questioning whether the protagonist's derring-do and Bond-like equanimity is as much hero-worship by the second major character (Casey, the American journalist) as it is self-delusion or genuine self-discovery of hitherto unknown depths of courage and resourcefulness. In fact, one wonders if Ambler wasn't consciously spoofing the Bulldog Drummond-like fictional heroes of the time. As a lifelong fan of Ambler, who enjoyed this as an example of the artist as a young man (he he was 27 at the time), I would advise that if you have heard of him and want to know what he was about ("Did John le Carré really say Ambler was 'the source on which we all draw'?"), start with Mask of Dimitrios or Epitaph for a Spy, not here.
February 14, 2015
I read this because it appears that Ambler's Epitaph for a Spy may be an upcoming BYT group read. My library branch had this one and I thought I'd see how I like Eric Ambler's writing. I remember--very vaguely--reading A Coffin for Dimitrios back in high school, during a summer spent with Helen MacInnes, Dorothy L Sayers, and others.
Dark Frontier was an enjoyable read that I raced through in an afternoon. I feel a little guilty giving it 3 stars, the same rating I just gave Lady Chatterley's Lover. Dark Frontier was not great literature and must be considered what Graham Greene would have called an "entertainment." As such, it was quite good. Indeed, in many ways it reminded me of Greene's The Ministry of Fear. (not nearly as good, though)
One of my favorite quotes from the book was: "Ideals are the principal produce of America. That's why we had to invent salesmanship and publicity. Without them we should never have been able to make the ideals racket pay." I also liked "Patriotism in high places is another name for personal ambition, intellectual dishonesty, and avarice."
Dark Frontier was an enjoyable read that I raced through in an afternoon. I feel a little guilty giving it 3 stars, the same rating I just gave Lady Chatterley's Lover. Dark Frontier was not great literature and must be considered what Graham Greene would have called an "entertainment." As such, it was quite good. Indeed, in many ways it reminded me of Greene's The Ministry of Fear. (not nearly as good, though)
One of my favorite quotes from the book was: "Ideals are the principal produce of America. That's why we had to invent salesmanship and publicity. Without them we should never have been able to make the ideals racket pay." I also liked "Patriotism in high places is another name for personal ambition, intellectual dishonesty, and avarice."
February 15, 2026
Physiker Barstow wird vom Waffenhändler Groom angesprochen, weil er vor Jahren die Entwicklung von Atomwaffen vorausgesehen hat. Nun ist es angeblich tatsächlich so weit. Ausgerechnet das armselige Land Ixanien, das bisher nur durch den Export von Bürstenborsten bekannt war, soll eine solche entwickelt haben.
In seinem ersten Roman von 1935 sah Ambler die Atombombe voraus. Beachtlich. Bei den physikalischen Grundlagen lag er allerdings total daneben. Die Kernspaltung wurde aber auch erst 3 Jahre später entdeckt. Die politischen Konsequenzen hat er aber schon gut vorausgesehen.
Als Ambler-"Fan" war ich nicht ganz happy mit dem Roman. Er hat gewisse humoristische Züge. Einige Leser sehen es als Agenten-Parodie. Ich würde nicht so weit gehen, dazu ist er zuwenig humoristisch. Richtig ernst nehmen konnte man die Handlung aber auch nicht. Er war gewissermaßen zwischen allen Stühlen.
Als Erstlingswerk war es aber schon ganz ordentlich
In seinem ersten Roman von 1935 sah Ambler die Atombombe voraus. Beachtlich. Bei den physikalischen Grundlagen lag er allerdings total daneben. Die Kernspaltung wurde aber auch erst 3 Jahre später entdeckt. Die politischen Konsequenzen hat er aber schon gut vorausgesehen.
Als Ambler-"Fan" war ich nicht ganz happy mit dem Roman. Er hat gewisse humoristische Züge. Einige Leser sehen es als Agenten-Parodie. Ich würde nicht so weit gehen, dazu ist er zuwenig humoristisch. Richtig ernst nehmen konnte man die Handlung aber auch nicht. Er war gewissermaßen zwischen allen Stühlen.
Als Erstlingswerk war es aber schon ganz ordentlich
February 21, 2021
Classic Ambler who personally I find far more enjoyable and durable than Greene. Wit and pathos aplenty in this tale set in the mythical state of Ixania -- which sounds like somewhere Tintin or Rupert of Hentzau might abide -- and Professor Barstow/Carruthers adventures with a swathe of intriguing characters some more appealing than others from dastardly army officers to naive revolutionaries to a puppeteer Princess. Won't give the plot away, only to say that even nine years away from the atom bomb being unleashed on the world Ambler's central topic revolves round just that...beautifully written... 'Ifs are as enthralling as they are unprofitable...'....'The surf hissed lazily through the pebbles. A breeze had begun to blow off the sea and I turned up the collar on my overcoat as I walked on. It was cold for the time of year.' Masterful.
December 6, 2019
What a ride! Eminent scientist on enforced holiday picks up a thriller about "Carruthers of Dept Y", has car accident and wakes up believing he is the said Carruthers (sort of Bond before there was Bond). Proceed to (fictional) eastern European country where the atomic bomb has been developed way ahead of its time (this is written in 1937!). Scheming countess, ruthless armaments dealers; mayhem and skulduggery galore. And strap in for one of Ambler's classic high speed car chases at the end. Woot woot!
February 3, 2015
I started and gave up because it is just silly. The beginning is so promising that the bump on the head trip to Zovgorad quickly descends into the goofy. No amount of nostalgia could persuade me to go on with it.
January 27, 2020
Classic noir, reads like a Hitchcock movie
July 30, 2024
Eric Ambler’s debut novel The Dark Frontier was published in 1936, when the master was still learning his craft.
It’s an unusual treatment, beginning with a statement by Henry Barstow, physicist, in which he claims that he has no recollection of being involved in certain events April 17th and May 26th of 193-. Apparently the American journalist William Casey believes he can fill in the blanks.
Then we’re into Part One – ‘The man who changed his mind’; third-person narrative. An arms manufacturer called Simon Groom approaches Barstow, asking him to travel to the eastern city of Zovgorod in the small country of Ixania (both fictionalised ‘for security reasons’), where they can locate a certain scientist, Kassen, who has invented an atomic bomb. Groom wants the weapon’s blueprints for his firm and needs Barstow to verify their accuracy. Initially, Barstow declines. However, some time later, Barstow is involved in a motoring accident and he sustains a head injury. From the moment of his recovery he believes he is Conway Carruthers, a British secret agent: ‘he was of that illustrious company which numbers Sherlock Holmes, Raffles, Arséne Lupin, Bulldog Drummond and Sexton Blake among its members’ (p31). Interesting that Ambler does not refer to Simon Templar, the Saint: Charteris’s first Saint novel (Meet the Tiger) was published in 1928 and by 1936 had established a best-selling reputation. Maybe the style Ambler adopted was similar to Charteris’s at this point, especially the dry humour: ‘It also boasted the dubious honour of being the best hotel in the place, a distinction reflected more in the magnitude of its charges than in the comfort of its accommodation’ (p79).
Then, roughly half-way in, we come to Part Two – ‘Revolution’ which is narrated in the first person by Casey. To complicate matters, there is the beautiful and alluring Countess Magda Schverzinski: ‘She desires power and glory for Ixania. The peasants ask no more than food for their bellies’ (p161).
The transformation of Barstow into Carruthers is amusing and well done. There are sufficient bad guys wielding guns to inject tension, and escapes and car chases – all the ingredients of thrillers that would follow over the years.
Ambler’s use of the atomic bomb as an Alfred Hitchcock MacGuffin was quite prescient, and would be replicated by subsequent thriller writers.
An enjoyable adventure, worth reading.
It’s an unusual treatment, beginning with a statement by Henry Barstow, physicist, in which he claims that he has no recollection of being involved in certain events April 17th and May 26th of 193-. Apparently the American journalist William Casey believes he can fill in the blanks.
Then we’re into Part One – ‘The man who changed his mind’; third-person narrative. An arms manufacturer called Simon Groom approaches Barstow, asking him to travel to the eastern city of Zovgorod in the small country of Ixania (both fictionalised ‘for security reasons’), where they can locate a certain scientist, Kassen, who has invented an atomic bomb. Groom wants the weapon’s blueprints for his firm and needs Barstow to verify their accuracy. Initially, Barstow declines. However, some time later, Barstow is involved in a motoring accident and he sustains a head injury. From the moment of his recovery he believes he is Conway Carruthers, a British secret agent: ‘he was of that illustrious company which numbers Sherlock Holmes, Raffles, Arséne Lupin, Bulldog Drummond and Sexton Blake among its members’ (p31). Interesting that Ambler does not refer to Simon Templar, the Saint: Charteris’s first Saint novel (Meet the Tiger) was published in 1928 and by 1936 had established a best-selling reputation. Maybe the style Ambler adopted was similar to Charteris’s at this point, especially the dry humour: ‘It also boasted the dubious honour of being the best hotel in the place, a distinction reflected more in the magnitude of its charges than in the comfort of its accommodation’ (p79).
Then, roughly half-way in, we come to Part Two – ‘Revolution’ which is narrated in the first person by Casey. To complicate matters, there is the beautiful and alluring Countess Magda Schverzinski: ‘She desires power and glory for Ixania. The peasants ask no more than food for their bellies’ (p161).
The transformation of Barstow into Carruthers is amusing and well done. There are sufficient bad guys wielding guns to inject tension, and escapes and car chases – all the ingredients of thrillers that would follow over the years.
Ambler’s use of the atomic bomb as an Alfred Hitchcock MacGuffin was quite prescient, and would be replicated by subsequent thriller writers.
An enjoyable adventure, worth reading.
February 26, 2018
An Eric Ambler abridged graded reader with an excellent action driven story that picks you up off your feet and doesn't put you down until the final pages. You better batter down the hatches because this storm of a story won't stop until you finish it! This version was released way back in 1982, but was originally published unbelievably way way back in 1936! For anyone who doesn't know Mr. Eric Ambler, he was the 'godfather' of the modern thriller writing and is synonymous with adventure, action and suspense. Mr. Ambler brought a new degree of authenticity, realism and literacy skill to the genre that other British writers such as the likes of Le Carre, Greene and Deighton, for example, have followed. Indeed, Mr. Ambler has had such high acclaim for his books that the likes of Greene and Le Carre have praised him as ''the greatest living writer of the novel of suspense'' and ''the well into which everybody had dipped.''
As an L2 English teacher (a second language English teacher) it was awesome to see some British suspense writers of the likes of Ambler and Seymour as well as some classic literature writers such as Dickens, Pasternak, DH Lawrence and others on the level six list. It's excellent reading for some high end students where they would get to read some great thriller stories as well as some modern classics which would be otherwise almost impossible for them. Full marks to Mr. Richard Haill for his efforts in abridging and simplifying 'The Dark Frontier' to the appropriate level too. I hope the students will enjoy reading not only this book, but also the other high quality books that are on offer from level one all the way to level six because I certainly have! They are all very worthy to be on the list and as for this one, it gets four stars.
As an L2 English teacher (a second language English teacher) it was awesome to see some British suspense writers of the likes of Ambler and Seymour as well as some classic literature writers such as Dickens, Pasternak, DH Lawrence and others on the level six list. It's excellent reading for some high end students where they would get to read some great thriller stories as well as some modern classics which would be otherwise almost impossible for them. Full marks to Mr. Richard Haill for his efforts in abridging and simplifying 'The Dark Frontier' to the appropriate level too. I hope the students will enjoy reading not only this book, but also the other high quality books that are on offer from level one all the way to level six because I certainly have! They are all very worthy to be on the list and as for this one, it gets four stars.
May 13, 2025
Highly amusing, almost a satire, fast-paced, almost a Marvel superhero transformation of the initial narrator ... and then the narrator changes. For a 1936 publication this surprisingly modern - Ambler escapes from the typical English thriller or murder mystery of the period, giving us a hero or couple of heroes who are not English public schoolboys with private incomes and dilletante freedom to engage in jolly japes, freely using chief police officers from Scotland Yard as mere assistants (a hackneyed device Ambler satirises when his hero attempts to enlist the help of the French police).
1936, and some mythical European country which is developing an atomic bomb (very unlike the one to be used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki), but Ambler raising concerns about the militarisation of Europe.
Ambler came from a family of musical hall entertainers and puppeteers, so hardly a privileged background. He'd work as a jobbing comedian himself before he turned to writing ... and, by the outbreak of War in 1939 he'd brought a new energy and imagination to the thriller, escaping the stereotype English public schoolboy outwitting Johnny-foreigner.
Fast paced, highly entertaining, some beautiful use of language.
1936, and some mythical European country which is developing an atomic bomb (very unlike the one to be used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki), but Ambler raising concerns about the militarisation of Europe.
Ambler came from a family of musical hall entertainers and puppeteers, so hardly a privileged background. He'd work as a jobbing comedian himself before he turned to writing ... and, by the outbreak of War in 1939 he'd brought a new energy and imagination to the thriller, escaping the stereotype English public schoolboy outwitting Johnny-foreigner.
Fast paced, highly entertaining, some beautiful use of language.
November 23, 2017
England, 1935. Physicist Henry Barstow is on holiday when he meets the mysterious Simon Groom, a representative for an armaments manufacturer. Groom invites the professor to Ixania, a small nation-state in Eastern Europe whose weapons program threatens to destabilize the region. Only after suffering a blow to the head – which muddles his brain into believing he is Conway Carruthers, international spy – does the physicist agree to visit Ixania. Barstow, however, quickly recognizes that Groom has a more sinister agenda, and Carruthers is the only man who can stop him. Setting out to parody old-fashioned spy novels, Ambler established his trademark style in The Dark Frontier. The Dark Frontier launched Eric Ambler's five-decade career as one of the most influential thriller writers. (Description edited from the description on the back cover of the paperback edition of The Dark Frontier.)
The plot seemed convoluted and confusing to me, bordering almost on science fiction.
Furthermore, the characters were to a great extent caricatures. Since Ambler set out to “parody old-fashioned spy stories, the convoluted plot and caricature characters were his intent.
The plot seemed convoluted and confusing to me, bordering almost on science fiction.
Furthermore, the characters were to a great extent caricatures. Since Ambler set out to “parody old-fashioned spy stories, the convoluted plot and caricature characters were his intent.
November 23, 2023
The original book was written in 1935, and my edition is the author's 1989 revision with a new introduction that explains the premise of atomic weaponry at that early period in history.
Revised or not, I was happy to locate a copy of his first novel to add to my collection.
A professor with a head injury, and likely amnesia, proceeds as narrator under a fictional character's identity, which I sometimes had trouble keeping clear in my mind. Then in part two, the narrator switches over to a newspaper reporter.
They, as the protagonists, join together to thwart an attempt by other agencies to get their hands on the scientific plans for an atomic weapon.
The setting is a small east European country with an unstable government, few resources or industry, and an unhappy underserved peasant population.
A likely basis for revolution, certainly.
Eric Ambler creates superb spy thrillers, but his protagonists are not the typical professional spies. His are unlikely heroes who become unwitting and unwilling agents, used by forces that put their lives in peril.
A timeless and unique international spy thriller.
Revised or not, I was happy to locate a copy of his first novel to add to my collection.
A professor with a head injury, and likely amnesia, proceeds as narrator under a fictional character's identity, which I sometimes had trouble keeping clear in my mind. Then in part two, the narrator switches over to a newspaper reporter.
They, as the protagonists, join together to thwart an attempt by other agencies to get their hands on the scientific plans for an atomic weapon.
The setting is a small east European country with an unstable government, few resources or industry, and an unhappy underserved peasant population.
A likely basis for revolution, certainly.
Eric Ambler creates superb spy thrillers, but his protagonists are not the typical professional spies. His are unlikely heroes who become unwitting and unwilling agents, used by forces that put their lives in peril.
A timeless and unique international spy thriller.
August 17, 2025
I know that Ambler meant this as a parody, but it still might be my favorite spy novel of his (maybe because I love John Buchan so much, and this novel targets him). Yes, it's loopy and unimaginable that a physicist could transform into the world's most competent secret agent, but allowing for the suspension of disbelief, it's great fun.
Ambler wants to compare this to Cold Comfort Farm, which attacks with much more vinegar and skewers pastorals without mercy. And that's the difference--I think Ambler enjoyed Buchan and Oppenheim too much to really go for the jugular.
Why withhold a star? Because Ambler is too skeptical that a regular man could rise to the occasion a la Buchan. Sure, Ambler's lead is a physicist with no discernible outdoor skills--but Buchan's regular man can hunt and fish and navigate (both the wilderness AND the social wildernesses). Buchan really believes that such a man could rise to the occasion in a national emergency; Ambler has less confidence in capable, informed masculinity. I'm with Buchan!!
Ambler wants to compare this to Cold Comfort Farm, which attacks with much more vinegar and skewers pastorals without mercy. And that's the difference--I think Ambler enjoyed Buchan and Oppenheim too much to really go for the jugular.
Why withhold a star? Because Ambler is too skeptical that a regular man could rise to the occasion a la Buchan. Sure, Ambler's lead is a physicist with no discernible outdoor skills--but Buchan's regular man can hunt and fish and navigate (both the wilderness AND the social wildernesses). Buchan really believes that such a man could rise to the occasion in a national emergency; Ambler has less confidence in capable, informed masculinity. I'm with Buchan!!
June 3, 2022
My first from Ambler but won't be my last. Really enjoyed the way he used amnesia and a double personality to turn a middle age academic scientist into a dime novel hero. A made up country of Ixania (to keep the real country's secret) is looking to get into atomic weapons with a new invention, but a munitions manufacturer catching wind of this wants the secrets of this. He winds up running into a scientist who has knowledge of atomic energy and tries to get him to be his expert to make sure he gets the real secrets but the scientist refuses. However after consideration, where the scientist reads an action dime novel and is involved in a car accident, he decided to do it and catches up with the munitions man. However something definitely seems different about the scientist.
Highly recommended, uses the amnesia trope really well and Ambler tells a great tale about an atomic weapon a decade before any were actually used.
Highly recommended, uses the amnesia trope really well and Ambler tells a great tale about an atomic weapon a decade before any were actually used.
July 8, 2024
Ambler's first book depends upon a strange conceit, but it's an entertaining read featuring the threat of atomic weapons. Ambler published this in 1936, so this suspense story might be considered science fiction. Certainly the bomb imagined here is not the equal of those used on Hiroshima or Nagasaki.
The first half of the book is a third person narrative that sets up the events in the second half. The story focuses on an English physicist identified as Professor Barstow -- and Conway Carruthers, who seems to be a spy or at least a man of action, who has assumed Barstow's identity. Are they the same person?
The latter portion of the book is written in first person by an American foreign correspondent for a NY newspaper who interacts with Barstow/Carruthers and explains their exploits. The two become involved in international intrigue trying to stop the development of the bomb. They also help peasant revolutionary forces in a fictional state topple the old government.
The first half of the book is a third person narrative that sets up the events in the second half. The story focuses on an English physicist identified as Professor Barstow -- and Conway Carruthers, who seems to be a spy or at least a man of action, who has assumed Barstow's identity. Are they the same person?
The latter portion of the book is written in first person by an American foreign correspondent for a NY newspaper who interacts with Barstow/Carruthers and explains their exploits. The two become involved in international intrigue trying to stop the development of the bomb. They also help peasant revolutionary forces in a fictional state topple the old government.
August 20, 2024
Prototype of several later Amblers: unworldly Anglo nerd embroiled in Continental intrigue, but this one takes the unusual step of having our hero psychotically break with reality and actually *believe* he is the protagonist of a hack spy book-within-the-book. (Winking, meta, sly, etc.) We must prevent the reactionary leaders of a small fictional Eastern Euro nation from acquiring hand grenade size nukes (and assist the noble peasant uprising). A bit overstuffed but some really great bits: the protagonist tracing power lines through a rugged mountain valley to find our enemy base, a coup, a car chase over rocky terrain, and a great rapid-fire "how they wind up" montage. Some elements like the "love" angle, the American journalist, as well as the generic showdowns toward the end feel unnecessary; the book could have been shorter. It really is a preposterous book but definitely enjoyable. Found it lacked the bleak cynicism that makes Mask/Coffin so memorable.
February 26, 2017
"The Dark Frontier" is one of Ambler's first books, from 1936, and also the first Ambler I managed to finish. Of course many people like him very much, and I bought about half a dozen of his books for a half dollar each recently, so I'll have a chance to dig in more and see what I'm missing.
In this one he does play a fine post-modern riff on readers' expectations for spy novels and mysteries, and has his main character assume the persona of a dashing James Bond type. Ambler is in fact well known for his fully ordinary characters - no omni-competent all-heroic world-savers in his books. So to a certain extent it reads as the author's commentary on the state of play in suspense writing at the time.
It was a little hard to swallow the rosy depiction of a workers' revolution. In the end, thankfully it turns out to be a nationalist coup, versus a communist revolution.
In this one he does play a fine post-modern riff on readers' expectations for spy novels and mysteries, and has his main character assume the persona of a dashing James Bond type. Ambler is in fact well known for his fully ordinary characters - no omni-competent all-heroic world-savers in his books. So to a certain extent it reads as the author's commentary on the state of play in suspense writing at the time.
It was a little hard to swallow the rosy depiction of a workers' revolution. In the end, thankfully it turns out to be a nationalist coup, versus a communist revolution.
April 23, 2022
It’s 193_, Professor Barstow is a 40 year-old bachelor and physicist residing in England. One day he leaves for Paris and is not heard from for 6 weeks when he is discovered unconscious on a west-bound train for Paris, a victim of a violent attack in which he incurred head injuries and has no recollection of the last few weeks. The story begins when Wm Casey an American reporter for the NY Tribune stationed in Paris meets the Professor on the east-bound train for I Ixania. Is this man Professor Barstow or Secret agent Conway Carruthers. It’s author Eric Ambler’s first book, and he’s off to a terrific start. 4 stars, recommended reading.
June 24, 2017
The father of the modern spy thriller according to Le Carré, Eric Ambler was a wonderful writer. This was his first book and is wonderfully engaging. Written in 1936, it's plot anticipates the coming nuclear age, as a slightly batty professor takes on the arms industry in a fictional Eastern European country. A little clunky in parts, as you'd expect from a first novel, it is still an excellent read. Had only read a couple of his better known stories before but now look forward to reading more.
January 25, 2025
I am a huge admirer of Ambler’s fiction and was delighted to find this American import of his very first novel. I settled down for the usual exciting and enjoyable read, but was somewhat shocked. Unlike every other Ambler I have read, this resembled something from a boy’s comic. The tale, and characters, are utterly preposterous; the leftish bent I am used to, though not entirely absent, was mashed in with a lot of political claptrap; and the supposed hero’s actions weren’t far removed from the villains…
Definitely one to avoid!
Definitely one to avoid!
July 5, 2025
A solid debut novel that was touted as a groundbreaker in the spy/thriller genre back when it was written in the 1930s. I couldn't find much to criticize, but I didn't connect much with either protagonist--Carruthers/Barstow or Casey. Pacing was good and there was a subtle level of tension that Ambler maintained throughout. He was lean on description and setting, but got into the MC's heads well enough we could understand their thoughts, feelings, and motivations.
I'll probably read his second book and maybe more based on reviews suggesting his writing improved with time.
I'll probably read his second book and maybe more based on reviews suggesting his writing improved with time.
September 22, 2017
I love Ambler ... everyone does whether they know it or not. He is the intellectual grandparent of James Bond and Rick Blaine of Casablanca etc etc. This is his first book, and the author hasn't quite yet found his bold feet. The hero is literally split between a couple Joe everydays and a super hero. In future books all traces of the super hero will disappear leaving only average guys to fight government conspiracies. This really needs to be updated and made a movie!
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