''Juggernaut'' is a first-person narrative

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

written by English author Desmond Bagley, and was first published in

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

. This was Bagley's last novel, and as he died in 1983, it was published posthumously by his widow.

Plot introduction

American narrator Neil Mannix is a troubleshooter for multinational British Electric, and is sent to former

British colony The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Bri ...

in Africa, Nyala to oversee the installation of a huge 550-ton power transformer. The newly independent Nyala is rich with oil, and hopes to prop up its shaky democracy and economy with a showcase new power station located at a remote location near its oil fields. Due to the increasing precarious political situation, the Nyalan government insists that British Electric dispatch the transformer via huge flatbed truck to reassure the populace, and suspecting difficulties, Mannix is sent to supervise the travels of "the rig". However, a civil war breaks out, and Mannix is bullied by a local doctor and an Irish nun into using the rig as a traveling hospital. He must deal with opposing armies, unsafe roads and bridges, some untrustworthy crew members and the local Nyalans who start to trek after the huge machine, which has taken on symbolic role for the populace.

External links

Crime Time review of Desmond Bagley
1985 British novels Novels by Desmond Bagley Novels published posthumously Novels set in Africa William Collins, Sons books {{1980s-thriller-novel-stub