San Andreas (novel)

1984 novel by Alistair MacLean

San Andreas

First edition (UK)

Author| Alistair MacLean
Country| United Kingdom
Language| English
Subject| Naval warfare
Publisher| Collins (UK)
Doubleday (US)

Publication date

| 1984
Media type| Hardcover Print
Pages| 306 pp.
ISBN| 0-385-23152-0
OCLC| 11784511

Dewey Decimal

| 823/.914 19
LC Class| PR6063.A248 S2 1985
Preceded by| Floodgate
Followed by| Santorini

San Andreas is a novel by Scottish author Alistair MacLean, first published in 1984. One of his final novels, it returns to MacLean's original (and most successful) genre, naval warfare.

## Synopsis[edit]

The British Merchant Navy hospital ship San Andreas is en route from Murmansk to Halifax, Nova Scotia during World War II. With large red crosses painted on the sides of its hull, San Andreas should have immunity from attack from all sides in the war and be granted safe passage. The first sign of trouble occurs when the ship's lights mysteriously fail just before a pre-dawn bombing attack that severely damages its superstructure and sinks its escort frigate. With most of the senior officers dead and the captain incapacitated, Bosun Archie McKinnon must take charge of the damaged ship and steer her to safety despite German aircraft, U-boats, stormy Arctic weather and sabotage by an unknown traitor on board. He must also discover the reason for the repeated German attempts to capture the San Andreas.

## Release[edit]

San Andreas was first published in 1984 through Collins in the United Kingdom and in the following year, was also published in Australia and the United States.[1][2][3] It has since been translated into multiple languages that include Italian,[4] Russian,[5] and Portuguese.[6]

## Reception and reviews[edit]

Critical reception was generally positive.[7][8] The Los Angeles Times said "This is MacLean at his unholy best, ripping our nerves, combining tragedy with dread as we race on, armchair victims of an overdose of shock. "[9] Jane Briggs-Bunting of the Detroit Free Press praised the work, calling it "top-flight reading".[10]

Billy Turner of the Jackson Daily News was somewhat critical, writing "This work is up to most of his standards. But just once one wishes he would try to do more. One feels he could."[11]

The book was a best seller.[12]

## TV adaptation[edit]

In 2016 Deadline reported that London-based Dancing Ledge Productions had acquired the rights to adapt MacLean's works into an event TV series, the first of which would be San Andreas. Each series would be made up of four to six episodes.[13]

## References[edit]

1. ^ MacLean, Alistair (1984). San Andreas. Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-222830-5.
2. ^ Kepert, L.V. (21 April 1985). "MacLean goes back to the sea for new thriller". The Sydney Morning Herald.
3. ^ Devitis, Joe (20 April 1985). "Death on the high seas". The Jackson Sun.
4. ^ MacLean, Alistair; Settanni, Giuseppe (1988). San Andreas (in Italian). Milano: Biblioteca universale Rizzoli. ISBN 978-88-17-11340-3. OCLC 840086769.
5. ^ MacLean, Alistair (1997). Сан Андреас. Саинт Петерсбург: Мим-Дельта. ISBN 978-5-7589-0020-8. OCLC 224295589.
6. ^ MacLean, Alistair (1984). San Andreas. Portugal: Europa-America. OCLC 224476340.
7. ^ Hodge, Thomas A. (22 September 1985). "Exciting tale of besieged hospital ship". Asheville Citizen-Times.
8. ^ "New fiction for Autumn". The Anniston Star. 29 September 1985.
9. ^ Bloody Sunday: [Home Edition] Williams, Nick B, Sr. Los Angeles Times 27 Oct 1985: 6.
10. ^ Briggs-Bunting, Jane (8 September 1985). "Alistair MacLean spins a yarn of danger and chilling suspense". Detroit Free-Press.
11. ^ Turner, Billy (15 September 1985). "MacLean pens a thriller - why can't he try something new?". Clarion-Ledger.
12. ^ PAPERBACK BEST SELLERS: September 7, 1986: [List] New York Times7 Sep 1986: A.36
13. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (13 October 2016). "Dancing Ledge Pacts For Alistair MacLean Novels; 'San Andreas' To Be First Event Mini". Deadline. Retrieved 21 May 2021.

## External links[edit]

* Book review at AlistairMacLean.com

* v
* t
* e

Works by Alistair MacLean

Novels|

* HMS Ulysses (1955)
* The Guns of Navarone (1957)
* South by Java Head (1957)
* The Last Frontier (1959)
* Night Without End (1959)
* Fear Is the Key (1961)
* The Dark Crusader (1961)
* The Golden Rendezvous (1962)
* The Satan Bug (1962)
* Ice Station Zebra (1963)
* When Eight Bells Toll (1966)
* Where Eagles Dare (1967)
* Force 10 from Navarone (1968)
* Puppet on a Chain (1969)
* Caravan to Vaccarès (1970)
* Bear Island (1971)
* The Way to Dusty Death (1973)
* Breakheart Pass (1974)
* Circus (1975)
* The Golden Gate (1976)
* Seawitch (1977)
* Goodbye California (1978)
* Athabasca (1980)
* River of Death (1981)
* Partisans (1982)
* Floodgate (1983)
* San Andreas (1984)
* Santorini (1986)

Non-fiction|

* All About Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
* Captain Cook (1972)

Screenplays|

* Where Eagles Dare (1968)
* Puppet on a Chain (1971)
* When Eight Bells Toll (1971)
* Breakheart Pass (1976)

Adaptations|

* The Guns of Navarone (1961)
* The Secret Ways (1961)
* The Satan Bug (1965)
* Ice Station Zebra (1968)
* Fear Is the Key (1972)
* Caravan to Vaccarès (1974)
* Golden Rendezvous (1977)
* Force 10 from Navarone (1978)
* Bear Island (1979)
* The Hostage Tower (1980) (TV)
* River of Death (1989)
* Death Train (1993) (TV)
* Night Watch (1995) (TV)
* The Way to Dusty Death (1995) (TV)
* Air Force One Is Down (2013) (TV)

UNACO novels|

* The Hostage Tower (1980) (with John Denis)
* Air Force One Is Down (1981) (with John Denis)
* Death Train (1989) (with Alastair MacNeill)
* Night Watch (1990)(with Alastair MacNeill)
* Red Alert (1990) (with Alastair MacNeill)
* Time of the Assassins (1991) (with Alastair MacNeill)
* Dead Halt (1992) (with Alastair MacNeill)
* Code Breaker (1993) (with Alastair MacNeill)
* Rendezvous (1995) (with Alastair MacNeill}
* Prime Target (1997) (with Hugh Miller)
* Borrowed Time (1998) (with Hugh Miller)

Golden Girl novels|

* Golden Girl (1992) (with Simon Gandolfi)
* Golden Web (1993) (with Simon Gandolfi)
* Golden Vengeance (1994) (with Simon Gandolfi)

*[OCLC]: Online Computer Library Center number
*[LC Class]: Library of Congress Classification
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