Hammond Innes

Hammond Innes

Ralph Hammond Innes (July 15, 1913 – June 10, 1998) was an English author who wrote over 30 novels, as well as children's and travel books.

He was born in Horsham, Sussex and educated at Cranbrook School in Kent. He left in 1931 to work as a journalist, initially with the "Financial Times" (at the time called the "Financial News"). "The Doppelganger", his first novel, was published in 1937. In WWII he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of Major. During the war, a number of his books were published, including "Wreckers Must Breathe" (1940), "The Trojan Horse" (1941) and "Attack Alarm" (1941); the last of which was based on his experiences as an Anti-Aircraft Gunner during the Battle of Britain. After being in 1946, he worked full-time as a writer, achieving a number of early successes. His novels are notable for a fine attention to accurate detail in descriptions of places, such as in "Air Bridge" (1951), set partially at RAF Gatow, RAF Membury after its closure and RAF Wunstorf during the Berlin Airlift.

Innes went on to produce books in a regular sequence of six months of travel and research and then six months of writing, with many of these works featuring the sea. His output decreased in the 1960s, but was still substantial, and he became interested in ecological themes. He continued writing until just before his death. His last novel was "Delta Connection" (1996).

Unusually for the thriller genre, Innes' protagonists were often not "heroes" in the typical sense, but ordinary men suddenly thrust into extreme situations by circumstance. Often, this involves being placed in a hostile environment (the Arctic, the open sea, deserts), or unwittingly becoming involved in a larger conflict or conspiracy. The protagonist generally is forced to rely on his own wits and making best use of limited resources, rather than the weapons and gadgetry commonly used by thriller writers.

Four of his earlier novels were made into films: "Snowbound" (1948) from "The Lonely Skier" (1947), "Hell Below Zero" (1954) from "The White South" (1949), "Campbell's Kingdom" (1957) from the book of the same name (1952) and "The Wreck of the Mary Deare" (1959) also from the book of the same name (1956). His 1973 novel "Golden Soak" was adapted into a six-part television series in 1979.

His great love and experience of the sea, as an experienced yachtsman, was reflected in many of his novels. This was also reflected in his leaving the bulk of his estate on his death to the "Association of Sea Training Organisations", to gain training and experience in sailing the element he loved.

Novels

* "The Doppelganger" (1937)
* "Air Disaster" (1937)
* "Sabotage Broadcast" (1938)
* "All Roads Lead to Friday" (1939)
* "Wreckers Must Breathe" (1940)
* "The Trojan Horse" (1940)
* "Attack Alarm" (1941)
* "Dead and Alive" (1946)
* "Killer Mine" (1947)
* "The Lonely Skier" (1947)
* "The Blue Ice" (1948)
* "Maddon’s Rock" (1948)
* "The White South" (1949)
* "The Angry Mountain" (1950)
* "Air Bridge" (1951)
* "Campbell’s Kingdom" (1952)
* "The Strange Land" (1954)
* "The Wreck of the Mary Deare" (1956)
* "The Land God Gave to Cain" (1958)
* "The Doomed Oasis" (1960)
* "Atlantic Fury" (1962)
* "The Strode Venturer" (1965)
* "Levkas Man" (1971)
* "Golden Soak" (1973)
* "North Star" (1975)
* "The Big Footprints" (1977)
* "Solomons Seal" (1980)
* "The Black Tide" (1982)
* "High Stand" (1985)
* "Medusa" (1988)
* "Isvik" (1991)
* "Target Antarctica" (1993)
* "Delta Connection" (1996)

* "The Last Voyage: Captain Cook’s Lost Diary" (fictional diary) (1978)

* Some non-fiction, including "Sea and Sky", "Sea and Islands" and children's literature

External links

* [http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/hinnes.htm Hammond Innes profile from kirjasto.sci.fi]
* [http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/Hammond_Innes.htm Book covers from fantasticfiction]
* [http://www.asto.org.uk/rhibio.htm Hammond Innes profile from ASTO (Association of Sea Training Organisations)]

An audio adaptation of the Saraifa oil/water story (The Doomed Oasis) is regularly repeated on the UK digital radio station BBC7.


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  • Hammond Innes — (Eigentlich: Ralph Hammond Innes; * 15. Juli 1913 in Horsham; † 10. Juni 1998 in Kersey) war ein britischer Romanautor. Er ließ sich von Weltreisen zu Abenteuergeschichten inspirieren, die häufig in unwirtlicher Natur spielen. Inhaltsverzeichnis… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hammond Innes — Ralph Hammond Innes (15 juillet 1913 10 juin 1998) était un auteur britannique, ayant écrit plus de trente romans ainsi que des livres pour enfants et de voyages. Sommaire 1 Biographie 2 Caractéristiques des œuvres 3 Adaptations …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hammond Innes — pseudonym of Ralph Hammond Innes …   Eponyms, nicknames, and geographical games

  • Hammond Innes, Ralph — ▪ British author pseudonyms  Ralph Hammond  or  Hammond Innes   born July 15, 1913, Horsham, Sussex, Eng. died June 10, 1998, Kersey, Suffolk       English novelist and traveler known for adventure stories in which suspense and foreign locations… …   Universalium

  • Innes — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Chris Innes (* 1976), schottischer Fußballspieler Hammond Innes (1914–1998), englischer Schriftsteller Laura Innes (* 1959), US amerikanische Schauspielerin und Regisseurin Michael Innes (1906–1994),… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Innes — is the surname of the following people: * Archibald Clunes Innes (1800 1857) was a soldier and pastoralist * Craig Innes (b. 1969), New Zealand rugby footballer * Hammond Innes (1914 1998), English author * James Dickson Innes (1887 1914), Welsh… …   Wikipedia

  • Innes —   [ ɪnɪs], Ralph Hammond, eigentlich R. Hammond Innes [ hæmənd ], englischer Schriftsteller, * Horsham (County West Sussex) 15. 7. 1913, ✝ Kersey 10. 6. 1998; schrieb Abenteuerromane, die in aller Welt spielen und Elemente des Kriminalromans… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Ralph Innes — Hammond Innes Ralph Hammond Innes (15 juillet 1913 10 juin 1998) était un auteur britannique, ayant écrit plus de trente romans ainsi que des livres pour enfants et de voyages. Sommaire 1 Biographie 2 Caractéristiques des œuvres 3 Adaptations …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Innes, Hammond — ▪ 1999       British writer (b. July 15, 1913, Horsham, Sussex, Eng. d. June 10, 1998, Kersey, Suffolk, Eng.), cultivated his thrill for adventure and travel while conducting research for his popular novels, in which the Arctic Ocean and other… …   Universalium

  • Liste der Biografien/In — Biografien: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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