Man on Fire [Hardcover]

A. J. Quinnell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1980

Creasy - a rugged, burned-out mercenary...When he takes the job as a bodyguard for the young daughter of an Italian industrialist he is awakened to new life by a beguiling human touch - until the unspeakable atrocity occurs...The child is kidnapped by violent terrorists and Creasy is thrown into a ferocious world of treachery and turmoil. Filled with a single-minded rage, he fights for their lives, whatever the cost - and is transformed, as never before, into the terrifying killing machine he was trained to be. NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING DENZEL WASHINGTON

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A. J. Quinnell is the pseudonym of a writer who wishes to remain anonymous. He has written many bestselling novels, including several featuring the charismatic hero, Creasy. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 284 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (September 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688037437
• ISBN-13: 978-0688037437
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,358,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding... none better than Quinnell., April 20, 2000

By 

D. Ross "http://directorblue.blogspot.com" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Man on Fire-Mov Tie (Mass Market Paperback)

This is his first book - and the first featuring Creasy, thequiet, deadly ex-mercenary. Broken down, alcoholic, Creasy is offereda position as a bodyguard for a wealthy Italian industrialist's adolescent daughter.

When the daughter is kidnapped, all hell breaks loose in this novel of redemption and ultimate revenge.

There are no better books in this genre. It is an absolute travesty that any of Quinnell's books are out of print. All of them are fantastic. I spent six months buying out-of-print books to get the entire Creasy collection (plus the non-Creasy titles, which are also very, very well done).

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Man on Fire, May 30, 2004

By 

Mulgarat (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Man on Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

Read the novel years ago while serving in the Legion and recently managed to track down a copy long hidden in a library. Not suprised to see it revived as a movie and the novel re-released in this the age of seeking swift and hard justice from those that commit evil. The book deals with loyalty, redemption and revenge: Creasy, an ex-Para of the Foreign Legion and a veteran of numerous mercenary wars in Africa is unemployed, bitter and devoid of emotion or humanity when he visit an old Legion buddy. His friend gets him a job as a body gaurd to a young girl in kidnapping mad Italy. Over time a warm relationship develops between Creasy and the girl and the old mercenary begins to find his humanity again. Things then get ugly and Creasy goes on a trail of brutal revenge through Italy that makes Tarantino's "Kill Bill" look sedate.
The first movie version of "Man on Fire" (1988)barely did justice to the book and from reviews I've read, neither does the 2004 version.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the whole book is relevant, April 8, 2005

By 

deep reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Man on Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

I think schtinky got it wrong. This book is about Creasy and his
redemtion. Nadia was not taking advantage of Creasy, she loved him. He loved Nadia as well, but he was only able to do so because of Pinta. She enabled him to release and recognize those good feelings which had always been repressed before. Since the plot is about Creasy and the change that he goes through, the part about his stay with Nadia's family is very relevant. Not only is he able to love Nadia, he is also able to fit in with this small community and become an "insider" so to speak.
I liked the book because it gives a lot more background information about Creasy and his friend Guido. It made the whole story more meaningful to me.