Bulldog Drummond

Written by Sapper

Narrated by Roy McMillan

Demobilised officer, finding peace incredibly tedious, would welcome diversion. Legitimate if possible; excitement essential. When Captain Hugh Drummond, DSO, MC placed that advertisement, he was looking for adventure. What he finds is an international plot headed by the greatest criminal mastermind in the world. For the sake of the beautiful Phyllis, he faces murderous schemers, acid baths and even wild animals in his attempts to save her father – and his own life. In this, his first appearance, Bulldog Drummond is charming, undaunted and endlessly resourceful: the template of the modern action hero.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
• Release date: Jan 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9789629549336

Reviews for Bulldog Drummond

[simon_carr_18 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sapper obviously read John Buchan as Drummond owes more than a little to Buchan's Dick Hannay - he's fiercely brave, patriotic and the epitome of the Edwardian English gentlemen - but there is a Wodehousian flavour to him as well. The dialog is peppered with witticisms and I actually chuckled several times despite the sombre subject matter.One should not be surprised when reading this kind of novel; it's of it's time - a product of the troubled, class ridden society that had just emerged from the devastation of the First World War. Anti-German sentiment is hardly surprising and, given the plot, it would be a hard tale to tell without it.Overall a good escapist read, thoroughly entertaining and in the great spirit of Buchan, Childers et al.

[anager_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fascinating adventure with elements approaching, in not only time but also structure, both the James Bond and the classic Sherlock Holmes story, mixed with a strangely Wodehousian comic tone.That this book was written nearly ten years before Erich Maria Remarque's tale is a haunting and telling example of the differing national effects of the war.As the Richard Hannay stories, a competent alternative to the modern Wallander dreck.

[mrsplum_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I started Bulldog Drummond keenly, anticipating a good old-fashioned British adventure with lashings of `derring do'. My initial interest in the novel stems from the knowledge that my beloved P.G. Wodehouse read it and presumably enjoyed it, as he borrowed part of the plot for Leave it to Psmith. I am also a fan of `similar' works such as John Buchan's `The Thirty-Nine Steps', and G.K. Chesterton's `The Man Who Was Thursday'.When a reader embarks on a novel with as much good-will as I did, one is prepared to overlook minor issues of style, plot and characterisation. In the first chapter, I made `allowances' for the patronising, simpleton dialogue given to Mr and Mrs Denny, Drummond's servants. They at least fare better than the Germans in the novel, who are credited with little more than grunting speech and greedy expressions.`Sapper' wrote Bulldog Drummond shortly after WWI and it's reasonable to presume that he harboured anti-German sentiments (although many allied soldiers could empathise with their fellow foot soldiers in the opposing trenches).I was however, unable to continue making excuses after reading a disturbing account of Dummond's wartime nocturnal adventures into no-man's land, where he developed a psychopathic knack for killing. He continues to indulge his murderous habits throughout the peace-time events of the story, although most of the killings are unnecessary.The story does have some exciting moments, but on the whole it is too thin, and the author's purpose too obvious, for it to be really enjoyed. It might work better on the big screen, where one can justify an hour or two spent enjoying an implausible adventure, but I don't think I'll spend any more reading time with Sapper and his dubious psychopath hero.In short, when looking for a classic British adventure, try Buchan, Chesterton and company instead.

[dazzyj_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mildly exciting and an enjoyable period piece but Drummond (and the narratorial voice that so adores him) would have to be the most self-satisfied hero I have ever come across in popular/pulp fiction. And that includes James Bond.