Overview

• Main Author Alistair Maclean
• Title Details Where Eagles Dare
• First UK Publisher London ; Collins, 1967
• First US Publisher New York ; Doubleday 1967
• Physical Desc. 256 p ; 21 cm
• Document Type Fiction
• Language English

All in all, the novel has a different ”flavour” than the motion picture. The characters appears to be quite similar, although they, as expected, reveal new sides. For example, what drives both Major John Smith and Lieutenant Morris Schaffer to accomplish their seamingly impossible mission, is the love to Mary Ellison and Heidi Schmidt, respectively. Opposite from the picture, and also a bit surprising, the novel shows delightful romantic, sentimental and even humorous passages – probably the main reason for what-I-call its ”different flavour”.

The plot turns out to be even more twisted than we sense in the picture, but, on the other hand, explains unclear passages in the picture. The picture is a bit of an orgy in blood and killing (Clint Eastwood’s own addition?), whereas the novel, as quite a contrast, shows our heroes sparing as many lives as possible. At one point, Smith even risks his life, saving an unconscious nazi from being burned to death!

The Story

The story takes place during WWII. A British aircraft has been shot down and crash landed in the southern part of Germany. The nazis has captured the only survivor, a certain General George Carnaby of the General High Command in the US Army, and has taken him to the Schloß Adler – the SS headquarters in the area. For the nazis, the General is a very valuable source for information on the war strategies of the allied troupes.

The best way to deal with the problem would be to bomb the castle, and so silence the General for good and maybe get a couple of key nazis at the same time. This cannot be done however, for the General is even more important than the nazis might think – the loss of him would mean no second front for the allied that year! Besides, no plane can get near the castle without permission before it gets shot down. The solution is to send a squad to the area that can infiltrate the castle and get the General out before they force him to talk. Seven agents are very utterly picked for the mission. The leader of the squad will be Major John Smith, with the assistance of Lieutenant Morris Schaffer, who is a trained ranger of the US Army.

The plan, however, gets jeopardized already when the team has landed in the area. When the parachutes are burried, it appears the radio operator has been murdered, and it soon becomes clear that no one can be trusted…