The Golden Rendezvous
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''The Golden Rendezvous'' is a
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 Scottish author
Alistair MacLean Alistair Stuart MacLean ( gd, Alasdair MacGill-Eain; 21 April 1922 – 2 February 1987) was a 20th-century Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers and adventure stories. Many of his novels have been adapted to film, most notably '' The G ...
, and was first published in
1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
. One of MacLean's most popular works, it combines mystery, suspense, action, clever bluffs and double bluffs, with MacLean's trademark self-deprecating wit.


Plot introduction

Aboard the cargo vessel converted into a luxury
cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as "s ...
SS ''Campari'' somewhere in the Caribbean, all is not well. For Johnny Carter, the
Chief Officer A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the ship ...
, the voyage has already begun badly; a revolution in the small Caribbean nation where the Campari lies in port; a tragedy that causes some passengers to be summoned home, while their places are taken by mysterious newcomers; and even the disappearance of a tactical nuclear missile from an area the ship had just visited. In addition, he suffers from a moody captain and unwanted attention from beautiful young Susan Beresford, traveling with her immensely wealthy family. However, when the ''Campari'' sails after a succession of delays attributable to
sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...
, he realizes something is seriously wrong. A member of the crew is suddenly missing and the unsuccessful stem-to-stern search only increases tension. Then violence erupts and suddenly the whole ship is endangered by a master criminal whose intention is not a simple
hijacking Hijacking may refer to: Common usage Computing and technology * Bluejacking, the unsolicited transmission of data via Bluetooth * Brandjacking, the unauthorized use of a company's brand * Browser hijacking * Clickjacking (including ''like ...
and ransoming of the wealthy hostages on board. The exact nature of his goal forms part of the mystery.


Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

''
Golden Rendezvous ''Golden Rendezvous'' is a 1977 South African action thriller film directed by Ashley Lazarus and starring Richard Harris, Ann Turkel and David Janssen. It was based on the 1962 novel '' The Golden Rendezvous'' by Alistair MacLean. Plot The '' ...
'' appeared in
cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking * ...
in a 1977 release directed by Ashley Lazarus. The
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
, John Carter, was played by
Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in ''This Sporting ...
, romantic interest Susan Beresford by Ann Turkel, and with Gordon Jackson,
David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer) (March 27, 1931February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series '' The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen also ...
and
Burgess Meredith Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed theater, film, and television. Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" and "on ...
in supporting roles. The basic film plot follows that of the book for almost the entire story with only a few differences; for example, in the book Captain Bullen is wounded by gunfire during the taking of the 'Campari,' whilst in the film, Bullen is shot dead. As the book character spent the remainder of the story incapacitated, the plot continued in much the same way without him. However a different ending was scripted for the film in order to increase plot tension and create something far more dramatic and spectacular. The concluding fifteen minutes of the screenplay led to an ending that bore little resemblance to the book plot. Perhaps because of this deviation from the original story, and any resulting disagreements following its release, the film was later renamed ''Nuclear Terror''.


Historical background

The often-referenced Caribbean island nation which had experienced a Socialist revolution some time before the plot begins, and which suffers from serious economic problems due to sanctions imposed by the US, is clearly
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, with its leader, "The Generalissimo", being
Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...
– though neither name is ever mentioned explicitly. An older historical reference, from which the book's name derives, is to the fabulous
Spanish treasure fleet The Spanish treasure fleet, or West Indies Fleet ( es, Flota de Indias, also called silver fleet or plate fleet; from the es, label=Spanish, plata meaning "silver"), was a convoy system of sea routes organized by the Spanish Empire from 1566 to ...
s of the 17th and 18th centuries, which attracted the attention of English
pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
s during the
Golden Age of Piracy The Golden Age of Piracy is a common designation for the period between the 1650s and the 1730s, when maritime piracy was a significant factor in the histories of the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, the Indian Ocean, North America, and West Africa ...
. In the book is depicted a reversal of the historical linguistic roles, with 20th-century Spanish-speaking pirates seeking to loot a large consignment of gold ingots being secretly transported between the United States and Britain.


Reception

The ''Observer'' called the book "a bit crude and crazy; reminds you rather of a serial in a boys newspaper at the turn of the century." The ''Los Angeles Times'' said that "for pure undiluted excitement with constant fun along the way, ''Golden Rendezvous'' is a runaway success." The book became a best seller.


References


External links


Book review at AlistairMacLean.com



Internet Movie Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Golden Rendezvous, The 1962 British novels Novels by Alistair MacLean Novels set in the Caribbean British novels adapted into films William Collins, Sons books