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Ice Station Zebra Paperback – July 4, 2005
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A classic thriller from the bestselling master of action and suspense.
The atomic submarine Dolphin has impossible orders: to sail beneath the ice-floes of the Arctic Ocean to locate and rescue the men of weather-station Zebra, gutted by fire and drifting with the ice-pack somewhere north of the Arctic Circle.
But the orders do not say what the Dolphin will find if she succeeds – that the fire at Ice Station Zebra was sabotage, and that one of the survivors is a killer…
- Print length400 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarperCollins
- Publication dateJuly 4, 2005
- Dimensions4.25 x 1 x 7 inches
- ISBN-100006161413
- ISBN-13978-0006161417
The chilling story of the abduction of two teenagers, their escape, and the dark secrets that, years later, bring them back to the scene of the crime. | Learn more
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Editorial Reviews
Review
'A thoroughly professional cliff-hanger' Sunday Telegraph
About the Author
Alistair MacLean, the son of a Scots minister, was brought up in the Scottish Highlands. In 1941 he joined the Royal Navy. After the war he read English at Glasgow University and became a schoolmaster. The two and a half years he spent aboard a wartime cruiser were to give him the background for HMS Ulysses, his remarkably successful first novel, published in 1955. He is now recognized as one of the outstanding popular writers of the 20th century, the author of 29 worldwide bestsellers, many of which have been filmed.
Product details
- Publisher : HarperCollins; New Ed edition (July 4, 2005)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 400 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0006161413
- ISBN-13 : 978-0006161417
- Item Weight : 8 ounces
- Dimensions : 4.25 x 1 x 7 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,578,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #19,117 in War Fiction (Books)
- #31,324 in Thriller & Suspense Action Fiction
- #82,804 in Suspense Thrillers
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Alistair Stuart MacLean (Scottish Gaelic: Alasdair MacGill-Eain; 21 April 1922 – 2 February 1987) was a Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers and adventure stories. His works include The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare – all three were made into popular films. He also wrote two novels under the pseudonym Ian Stuart.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book exciting and hard to put down. They describe it as a great, fun read with well-written and entertaining writing. Readers appreciate the well-developed characters and their secrets.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging with its suspenseful plot and action. They describe it as an exciting, fast-paced spy thriller set in the Arctic during the Cold War era. The story is well-written and hard to put down, with plenty of twists and surprises. Readers praise the tale of a submarine going to rescue a group of Arctic researchers as interesting and hard to put down.
"...Intriguing and exciting at times, though there were times when it was a little long winded, I enjoyed it." Read more
"...--in the sub and at the Arctic camp-- provide a tight, suspenseful framework for the story, which is itself tight & suspenseful; this is MacLean at..." Read more
"...is the first book I’ve read from Alistair MacLean, but this story is so well done that he has gone from vaguely famous to grand master as far as I’m..." Read more
"...is more complex, the characters are more numerous, and the story is very good, the development is so slow it's almost hard to read...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it an enjoyable and engaging story with compelling writing. The book keeps readers hooked for long periods, making it a favorite among them.
"...shootouts, but somehow Mr. MacLean can easily keep a reader captivated for hours on end...." Read more
"...that the main character is hiding something, which I found incredibly compelling, and once I started mistrusting the narrator I had no idea what was..." Read more
"...Both the movie and book have their own virtues and faults. The book is better but focuses on The Who Done It aspect more than the Cold War aspect...." Read more
"Excellent book! Maclean is a wonderful author! Shipped faster than I thought and arrived in perfect condition!" Read more
Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written, entertaining, and readable. The story moves smoothly and is well-plotted. Readers appreciate the attention to details and clear copy. Overall, it's an enjoyable read for them.
"I really enjoyed this book, it's well researched and well written...believable...." Read more
"...Attention to details great portrayal of the cold wat atmosphere.A little heavy but I enjoyed it especially with the audio narration" Read more
"Legendary writing in this artic bound deep deception of a classic spy thriller story without all the techy gadgets or fancy martial arts...." Read more
"story moves nicely, entertaining writing. definitely keeps you on the hooks until the very end...." Read more
Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters likable and 3D, with an intriguing mystery about the main character.
"...Exciting story, engaging characters, unexpected twists. You can’t go wrong with this one. Five stars." Read more
"...The captain and crew of the sub are likeable, 3-D characters...." Read more
"...It’s quickly established that the main character is hiding something, which I found incredibly compelling, and once I started mistrusting the..." Read more
"...While the character development is more complex, the characters are more numerous, and the story is very good, the development is so slow it's..." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2019Whenever I read a spy story today, I inevitably compare it to those who I consider to be masters of the genre. Alistair MacLean is one of those authors, and “Ice Station Zebra” is a great example of his work.
This book is a gripping suspense tale, with all the excitement one could ask for. No, there are no car chases and no amazing shootouts, but somehow Mr. MacLean can easily keep a reader captivated for hours on end. What he does offer is good storytelling, mixing the spy genre with the whodunit feel of a great detective novel.
In fact, the killer is revealed during the course of the book, as the author does drop a clue that would reveal the guilty party. The clue, however, was so subtle that I missed it, and I believe most folks would miss it also. To me, this is the beauty of a successful plotline, when the author can leave a clue in plain sight and have readers overlook it.
Exciting story, engaging characters, unexpected twists. You can’t go wrong with this one. Five stars.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2024I really enjoyed this book, it's well researched and well written...believable. Intriguing and exciting at times, though there were times when it was a little long winded, I enjoyed it.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2017I fell in love with MacLean's books when I was about 9, and this is one of my all-time faves of his. The settings --in the sub and at the Arctic camp-- provide a tight, suspenseful framework for the story, which is itself tight & suspenseful; this is MacLean at his best. I think his most effective books are in nearly claustrophobic settings --this, the ship in "HMS Ulysses" (my vote for #1), the eponymous Bear Island, the harsh sea & barren islands in "When Eight Bells Toll."
As is often the case in MacLean's work, the protagonist is more than he appears, and is a person dealing with a deep, personal pain. The captain and crew of the sub are likeable, 3-D characters. It's been so many decades since I first read this I really am no judge of how likely it is that a new reader will be able to figure out who the bad guy(s) is/are, but I think MacLean does a good job of concealing his/their identity/identities without cheating. The fire under the ice is one of the more exciting, truly knuckle-biting episodes in fiction. And as always, MacLean sprinkles bits of wry humor throughout.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2018Ice Station Zebra had a bit of a slow start for me, but it quickly picked up steam. Dr. Carpenter is a physician, or so he says, and his mission is to reach a meteorological station in the Arctic called Drift Ice Station Zebra which has had a catastrophic fire. To do this he enlists the help of a nuclear submarine called the Dolphin which can survive under the solid ice of the polar ice cap.
The accident is soon revealed to not have been an accident at all, but a cover for murder. Someone at Ice Station Zebra is hiding a secret, and he's not the only one. Dr. Carpenter is also extremely secretive, and is withholding vital information from the crew of the Dolphin about his true intentions.
I found the book extremely hard to put down. There is a lot of time in this book devoted to detailed technical descriptions of how submarines work, which might be a drag to other people, but not to me. I absolutely loved this aspect of it.
I am looking forward to read other books by this author!
- Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2015Wow, I love this book, I devoured it like a drowning man reading instructions to inflate a life raft! The first person point-of-view, perfect for this story, gave me an immediate sense of being on ship and part of the action. It’s quickly established that the main character is hiding something, which I found incredibly compelling, and once I started mistrusting the narrator I had no idea what was about to happen.
This is the first book I’ve read from Alistair MacLean, but this story is so well done that he has gone from vaguely famous to grand master as far as I’m concerned. I’ve already tracked down copies of his two Guns of Navarone novels which I plan to read with all haste. This guy really knows his stuff and is very skilled at spinning an interesting tale. I especially enjoyed the parts in the sub where they’re poking around looking for thin enough ice to surface through. I loved this book so much I rented the classic film and watched it. I had remembered the movie being fantastic, but now I’m a little spoiled by the book, which is now one of my favorites.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2021I recently watched the Rock Hudson movie and thought I’d read the book too. Very interesting to see how Hollywood rewrote the book. Both the movie and book have their own virtues and faults. The book is better but focuses on The Who Done It aspect more than the Cold War aspect. There are no characters like the Russian spy played by Ernest Borgnine and the marine played by Jim Brown in the movie. There is no military confrontation at the North Pole. There is an Agatha Christie like meeting where all the potential suspects are rounded up and Russian spy/killer(s) are exposed. An enjoyable read.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2023Excellent book! Maclean is a wonderful author! Shipped faster than I thought and arrived in perfect condition!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2016There are so many "Oh, I loved the book so much more than the movie!" reviews everywhere. This is not one of them.
I happened to like the movie more than the book. While the character development is more complex, the characters are more numerous, and the story is very good, the development is so slow it's almost hard to read. I thought the changes for the sake of the movie were actually done well, and in good taste.
Top reviews from other countries
- Uma D.Reviewed in India on July 20, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars The book was in good print...
Allister McLean is my favourite....I have almost all the books.....but Ice Station Zebra....am happy....you helped me to get one....thanks Amazon...
- Christopher JamesReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
As always the book is better than the film.. And believe me the Hollywood version, saturated with cold war paranoia though it is, will always be a favourite of mine, comes second to this wonderfully British spy thriller. In the same way the Bear Island film and book differ in the Author's vision and the director's box office income diverge..
- philetienneReviewed in Italy on March 29, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Il libro e' arrivato intatto.
I was curious to read the novel, as I rather like the film directed by John Sturges (although I am not blind to its faults); the movie is "opened" after its initial episodes, I suppose few people still wish to spend two hours-plus in a submarine, but the novel takes place almost entirely aboard the submarine and MacLean is quite good at making the reader claustrophobic. The best scene in the movie (the meeting between the admiral and the captain) is not in the book.
- IgorReviewed in Japan on September 20, 2021
1.0 out of 5 stars Not interesting
The book describes a lot how submarine works. I stopped after 30%. Totally boring
- Tom Angliss KindleReviewed in Australia on November 11, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Good read