Secret Ways [Mass Market Paperback]

Alistair Maclean (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett; First Edition edition (October 12, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449140105
• ISBN-13: 978-0449140109
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars White Snow Fell, June 19, 2005

By 

Christopher "chrysaetos" (Wengen-en-esprit) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Ways (Mass Market Paperback)

One must wonder if Alistair MacLean ever served as a British Secret Service agent (he did serve in the Navy during the Second World War); his tales are so plausible, and characters so purposefully flawed, they seem to be a re-telling of real-life events.

Michael Reynolds is not Robert Langdon. He doesn't produce miracles from his back pocket while falling from 13,000 feet. Our hero in The Secret Ways is a well-trained, conditioned-to-kill secret service agent who is extricated from complex situations countless times by peers (and enemies themselves!). He relies on unimpaired judgment, common sense, and possesses a faculty of wit and courage.

The title, though somewhat awkward in my opinion, references the clandestine techniques utilized by both sides of the story. The Hungarians have their "secret ways" of propelling propagandistic motives and the British have their ways of countering and annihilating such tactics. In a sense, the title is a direct reference to Michael Reynolds.

MacLean takes a subtler approach to this novel. Reynolds character reminded me of a more subdued version of Philip Calvert, hero from When Eight Bells Toll. He questions himself consistently, makes errors, and saves lives.

The writing style (told in the third person) is different. Rather than focusing on the action of the story, MacLean leans into the landscape and describes the surroundings with more attention than he has in previous novels. There are lengthy discourses between characters regarding country reformation and politics in general. There are moments when MacLean purposely slows the story down, explicitly describing a state or emotion a character may be experiencing.

The Secret Ways is probably the most realistic book of his I have read. Due to the heavy (albeit significant) nature of politics in areas, it is a slower read. The action sequences, of which there are countless, quickly make up for this. But the variety of characters and their camaraderie here will keep the reader from feeling isolated. And Reynolds's touching episode with a handkerchief filled my eyes with tears, something I didn't expect from a MacLean novel.

I read the 1959 Fawcett Gold Medal edition. My dictionary dash included concomitant (33), mulct (68), percipience (46), perspicuity (123), and intransigence (151).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've read every Maclean book - this is my favorite, January 17, 2011

By 

David Gertler (Delaware, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret Ways (Paperback)

I've enjoyed Alistair Maclean's books for decades. That's why I set up AlistairMaclean.com, a site where I review all his thriller books and many of the movies based on them.

Maclean wrote some good novels, some fair-to-mediocre ones (near the end of his career), and a handful of downright great ones. The Secret Ways tops my personal list. The action is realistic; the characters, powerfully drawn and memorable. Even the romantic angle (often a weak point in Maclean's writing) plays well here. And the final showdown scene is an epically drawn, multifaceted gem.

Not every moment is dramatic. One of the main characters spends a few pages lecturing the protagonist about the worldwide political situation (particularly as it relates to Communism). You can skip this if you choose; I found it a welcome real-world connection of the type that's missing from too many novels.

While a couple of scenes do strain the bounds of believability, overall this is a taut page-turner you won't soon forget. It gets my highest recommendation. (See my website for more details about this and other Maclean works.)