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Desmond Bagley - Discover more about the life and work of the craftsmanlike thriller novelist Desmond Bagley. His novels, book cover art, a bibliography of articles and interviews and his thoughts on writing action fiction.

The Bagley Brief

A Desmond Bagley Online Archive

  • Home
  • Feature articles
  • About Bagley
    • The boy who was different 1923 – 1937
    • Employment, wanderlust and adventure in the Sahara 1937 – 1947
    • South Africa, journalism and short stories 1947 – 1962
    • Joan Brown and Bagley’s career as a novelist
    • Joan Bagley and posthumous publication
    • Joan Magaret Bagley
  • Writer
    • Writer – An Enquiry into a Novelist
    • The novels
      • The Golden Keel
      • High Citadel
      • Wyatt’s Hurricane
      • Landslide
      • The Vivero Letter
      • The Spoilers
      • Running Blind
      • The Freedom Trap
      • The Tightrope Men
      • The Snow Tiger
      • The Enemy
      • Flyaway
      • Bahama Crisis
      • Windfall
      • Night of Error
      • Juggernaut
      • Domino Island
    • Articles and Interviews
    • Bagley on writing action fiction
  • Running Blind archive
    • Bagley in Iceland
      • Media articles
    • Bagley and film options
      • Media articles
    • The tv adaptation
      • Filming locations
      • Filming articles
      • Aircraft
      • Props
      • Vessels
      • Cast and crew credits
      • Articles and reviews
      • Radio Times articles
      • UK tv listings
      • Icelandic transmission articles
      • Australian transmission articles
      • American promo advert
      • Transmission formats
      • The video
    • The novel
      • Literary reviews
      • Editions
      • Cover art gallery
      • Norman Weaver – artist
      • Audio books
      • Locations
    • Miscellany
      • Jack Gerson – author and scriptwriter
      • Factfile
  • Gallery
    • UK first edition cover art
    • HarperCollins 2017 re-issues
    • Japanese cover art
    • Polish cover art
    • Running Blind cover art
    • The Mackintosh Man cinema lobby card gallery
  • About
  • Contact

The novels

Desmond Bagley wrote seventeen novels, fourteen of which were published in his lifetime by Collins Publishers of London. His widow, Joan Magaret Bagley completed and oversaw the posthumous publication of two further novels, Night of Error and Juggernaut. A further unpublished novel Domino Island, written under the working title ‘Because Salton Died’ was published by HarperCollins in 2019.

The novels have been translated into more than thirty languages with five being realised as film and television productions: The Freedom Trap, released in 1973 by Warner Brothers as The Mackintosh Man; Running Blind, adapted for television in a three-part series by BBC Scotland, 1979; Landslide, Northern Screen U.K. Ltd., 1992; The Vivero Letter, released in 1999 by Promark Entertainment Group as Forgotten City; The Enemy, Carousel Picture Company, 2001.

Explore the novels of Desmond Bagley including first edition covers and original publishers ‘blurb’.

Desmond Bagley - The Golden Keel - 1963 - Cover artist: Renato Fratini © HarperCollins Publishers.

The Golden Keel

Desmond Bagley - High Citadel - 1965 - Cover artist: Pino Dell'Orco © HarperCollins Publishers.

High Citadel

Desmond Bagley - Wyatt's Hurricane - 1966 - Cover artist: Pino Dell'Orco © HarperCollins Publishers.

Wyatt’s Hurricane

Desmond Bagley - Landslide - 1967 - Cover artist: Michael (Michel) Atkinson © HarperCollins Publishers.

Landslide

Desmond Bagley - The Vivero Letter - 1968 - Cover artist: Gino D’Achille © HarperCollins Publishers.

The Vivero Letter

Desmond Bagley - The Spoilers - 1969 - Cover artist: Norman Weaver © HarperCollins Publishers.

The Spoilers

Desmond Bagley - Running Blind - 1970 - Cover artist: Norman Weaver © HarperCollins Publishers.

Running Blind

Desmond Bagley - The Freedom Trap - 1971 - Cover artist: Norman Weaver © HarperCollins Publishers.

The Freedom Trap

Desmond Bagley - The Tightrope Men - 1973 - Cover artist: Graham Miller © HarperCollins Publishers.

The Tightrope Men

Desmond Bagley - The Snow Tiger 1975 - Cover artist: Ronald Clark © HarperCollins Publishers.

The Snow Tiger

Desmond Bagley - The Enemy - 1977 - Cover artist: Mark Lawrence © HarperCollins Publishers.

The Enemy

Desmond Bagley - Flyaway - 1978 - Cover artist: David Leeming © HarperCollins Publishers.

Flyaway

Desmond Bagley - Bahama Crisis - 1980 - Cover artist: Donald McPherson © HarperCollins Publishers.

Bahama Crisis

Desmond Bagley - Windfall - 1982 - Cover artist: Donald McPherson © HarperCollins Publishers.

Windfall

Desmond Bagley - Night of Error - 1984 - Cover artist: Donald McPherson © HarperCollins Publishers.

Night of Error

Desmond Bagley - Juggernaut - 1985 - Cover artist: Steve Jones © HarperCollins Publishers.

Juggernaut

Domino Island by Desmond Bagley © HarperCollins Publishers.

Domino Island

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AVAILABLE NOW!

The unpublished memoirs of Desmond Bagley, master of the adventure novel. A rare glimpse into the early life and formative influences of the best-selling novelist. Edited by Philip Eastwood with a foreword by Mike Ripley. FREE download available now!

Feature Articles: The Bagley Brief

Writer – An Enquiry into a Novelist

Writer – An Enquiry into a Novelist

Explore the unpublished autobiographical work of Desmond Bagley. Writer – An Enquiry into a Novelist reveals his early life, influences, and path to becoming a bestselling author. Edited and annotated by Philip Eastwood with foreword by Mike Ripley.

Project American – DECLASSIFIED

Project American – DECLASSIFIED

Read Project American – DECLASSIFIED, an early science-fiction tale by Desmond Bagley reproduced in full — a rare speculative story first published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.

The Le Vasseur connection

The Le Vasseur connection

Discover the friendship between Desmond Bagley and artist Peter Le Vasseur, including the story of the Moon Fantasy portrait and its artistic significance.

The Bagleys’ Blue Plaque

Desmond and Joan Bagley - Blue Plaque Guernsey © The Bagley Brief.

The Desmond Bagley Collection at the Priaulx Library

The Desmond Bagley Collection at the Priaulx Library, Candie House, Candie Gardens, St. Peter Port, Guernsey. © The Bagley Brief.

The Desmond Bagley Suite at the Albany Apartments

Desmond Bagley Website

Visit Nigel Alefounder's main website & archive

Listen to the Desmond Bagley Podcast

Listen to Nigel Alefounder's series of podcasts about the life and career of Desmond Bagley.
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