German edition

Bagley’s novel was published in Germany by Roman (Bastei Lübbe / Heyne Bücher) under the title Blindlings, which translates as ‘Blindly’. The novel was translated into German by Vivienne Wagner and interestingly in the German edition, the character ‘Slade’ is renamed ‘Cooke’.

The Roman hardback edition shown above was published in 1976 (ISBN 3-7042-2062-0) and the translation of the dust jacket text reads:

Desmond Bagley whose novels are now regularly translated into fifteen languages, was born in 1925 the son of an English miner. He now lives on the island of Guernsey.
“Blindlings” has become one of the largest Roman successes in England and featured on the best-seller list of the Sunday Times for weeks.

Bagley’s new thriller has one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world as its backdrop, where you can communicate, as in Óbyggdir, with the outside world only via a walkie-talkie. For Stewart and girlfriend Elín the natural obstacles of gushing geysers, the rushing waters and the barren lava fields are nothing compared to the dangers that threaten them from their lurking enemies. Several intelligence agencies are involved in the wild chase, which will soon no longer be just about the package, but what of the messenger Alan Stewart. Will he escape his pursuers?

For Stewart and his only ally, his girlfriend Elin, the natural obstacles such as the bubbling geysers, the rushing waters and the barren lava fields are just a breeze compared to the dangers that threaten them from their enemies lurking everywhere. Several intelligence agencies are involved in this intricate, life-threatening pursuit, gradually no longer revolving around just the package, but Stewart’s himself.

A harmless fishing holiday in Iceland is suddenly the “hottest” summer of his life for Alan Stewart. “You’re just a messenger boy” Cooke, head of the Secret Service, had said in Scotland. But in Iceland Stewart is found on a lonely country road with a corpse at his feet again. His mission to deliver a package in Akureyri, is becoming a game of life and death.

Bagley’s new thriller has as its backdrop one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world, where you can communicate, as in Óbyggdir, with the outside world only via a walkie-talkie. For Stewart and his only ally, his girlfriend Elin, the natural obstacles such as the bubbling geysers, the rushing waters and the barren lava fields are just a breeze compared to the dangers that threaten them from their enemies lurking everywhere. Several intelligence agencies are involved in this intricate, life-threatening pursuit, gradually no longer revolving around just the package, but Stewart’s himself.

With the threads of the plot at the end finally unraveled, this is a masterpiece of Thriller literature by Desmond Bagley.

BLINDLINGS is a grand adventure story, as only Bagley knows how to write it.

The Bastei Lübbe paperback edition shown below was published in 1978 (ISBN 3-404-00987-8).

The translation of the rear cover text reads:

A harmless fishing holiday in Iceland is suddenly the “hottest” summer of his life for Alan Stewart. “You’re just a messenger boy” Cooke, head of the Secret Service, had said in Scotland. But in Iceland Stewart is found on a lonely country road with a corpse at his feet again. His mission to deliver a package in Akureyri, is becoming a game of life and death.

For Stewart and girlfriend Elín the natural obstacles of gushing geysers, the rushing waters and the barren lava fields are nothing compared to the dangers that threaten them from their lurking enemies. Several intelligence agencies are involved in the wild chase, which will soon no longer be just about the package, but what of the messenger Alan Stewart. Will he escape his pursuers?

“Together with Le Carré, Bagley is now a leader among the thriller writers” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Desmond Bagley is published by BASTEI / LÜBBE: KIDDER (Order No. 17004)
Bestsellers Great band DM 6.80
Austria S 52.-