Hammond Innes Cover Gallery part 1

Hammond Innes was one of Britain's finest - some might argue the finest - adventure writers. He began writing novels whilst on the staff of the Financial News, earning an advance of £30 per novel from Herbert Jenkins. A change of publisher, and the publication of Attack Alarm, brought his work to a wider audience, just as his writing career went on hold while he served with the Royal Artillery.

His books helped cement the adventure story formula: a lone man drawing on his own resources to combat odds that could easily overwhelm him; and an exotic location which often threatens our hero, whether it is the icy wastelands of the south pole, the searing heat of the desert or the crashing waves of the ocean.

Innes travelled extensively, which meant that he could write with authority about the backgrounds he used in his novels, and it is this authenticity that anchors his stories in reality. An early critic, Anthony Boucher, complained that the plot of one of his novels was "merely a just-strong-enough thread to hold together a series of descriptions" yet that the novel (The Blue Ice) was "as breathtaking as anything you'll find in contemporary adventure literature, fact or fiction."

And with that recommendation ringing in your ears, here's the first part of our Hammond Innes gallery.

The Doppelganger. London, Herbert Jenkins, 1936.
(no paperback edition?)

Air Disaster (Deveril). London, Herbert Jenkins, 1937.
(no paperback edition)

Sabotage Broadcast. London, Herbert Jenkins, 1938.
(no paperback edition)

All Roads Lead to Friday. London, Herbert Jenkins, 1939.
(no paperback edition)

 

Wreckers Must Breathe. London, Collins, 1940; as Trapped, New York, Putnam, 1940.
Collins White Circle 305, nd (Mar 1950), 256pp, 1/-.
Fontana Books 84, (Nov) 1955, 251pp, 2/-. Cover by unknown
----, [2nd imp.] 1957; [3rd imp.] May 1959; [4th imp.] Feb 1961
Fontana Books 832, [5th imp.] Jul 1963; [6th imp.] Aug 1963; [7th imp.] May 1964.
----, [8th imp.] Apr 1965, 191pp, 3/6. Cover by unknown
    * Note: later edition misses some reissues noted in earlier editions and reverts to 7th imp. being published in 1966.
Fontana Books 1317, [7th imp.] May 1966; [8th imp.] Oct 1966; [9th imp.] Jun 1967; [10th imp.] Jan 1968; [11th imp.] Apr 1968; [12th imp.] Oct 1968; [13th imp.] Dec 1968; [14th imp.] Jun 1969; [15th imp.] Oct 1969
----, [16th imp.] May 1970, 191pp, 5/- (25p).
----, [xth imp.] 1972
    * Note: later edition reverts to 15th imp.
Fontana Books 4328 [15th imp.] May 1976, 191pp, 65p. Cover by Paul Wright
Fontana Books 0006-16486-2, [xth imp.] 1982, 191pp.
Pan Books 0330-34233-9, 1995.

 

The Trojan Horse. London, Collins, 1941.
Pan Books 335, (May) 1955, 190pp, 2/-. Cover by Barrow
Fontana Books 346, 1960, 192pp, 2/6. Cover by unknown (signed)
Fontana Books 647, [2nd imp.] Feb 1962
----, [3rd imp.] Jul 1963
Fontana Books 1172, [4th imp.] Jul 1965, 190pp, 3/6. Cover by unknown
----, [6th imp.] 1968
Fontana Books 0006-14648-1 [14th imp], Jun 1979, 190pp, 75p.
Fontana Books 0006-16807-8, 1992, 219pp.
Pan Books 0330-34235-5, 1995, 273pp, £4.99. Cover by Larry Rostant

 

 

Attack Alarm. London, Collins, 1941; New York, Macmillan, 1942.
Fontana Books 828, 1963, 224pp, 3/6. Cover by unknown
----, [xth imp.] 1966
----, [12th imp.] 1969
Fontana Books ????, [xth imp.] 1971
Fontana Books 5766, [xth imp.] 1979, 224pp.
Fontana Books 6921, [24th imp.] Sep 1984, 224pp, £2.50. Cover by unknown
----, [26th imp.] Jun 1988, £2.95. Cover by unknown
Pan Books 0330-34234-8, 1999, 291pp.

Dead and Alive. London, Collins, 1946.
Collins White Circle 314m, nd (Apr 1951), 1/6.
Fontana Books 235, 1958, 189pp. 2/6. Cover by unknown
Fontana Books 2321, [2nd imp.] Feb 1965, 189pp, 3/6. Cover by unknown
----, [3rd imp.] Feb 1970, 158pp, 5/-. Cover: photo
HarperCollins 0002-21194-7, 1992, 184pp.
Pan Books 0330-34237-1, 1997, 193pp.

The Killer Mine. London, Collins, 1947; New York, Harper, 1947; as Run by Night, New York, Bantam, 1951. Collins White Circle 320m, nd (Mar 1952), 192pp, 1/6.
Pan Books 409, (Mar) 1957. Cover by Graham K. Barkley
Pan Books G381, (c.1960). Cover by S. R. Boldero
Fontana Books 906, 1964
----, [4th imp.] 1969
----, [5th imp.] 1970
Fontana Books 2222, [12th imp.] 1973, 222pp, 35p. Cover photo
Fontana Books 4646 [16th imp.] Feb 1977, 222pp, 70p. Cover by Paul Wright
Fontana Books 0006-16555-9, [xth imp.] 1982, 222pp.
Pan Books 0330-34238-X, 1997, 295pp, £5.99. Cover by Larry Rostant

The Lonely Skier. London, Collins, 1947; as Fire in the Snow, New York, Harper, 1947.
Collins White Circle 318m, nd (Mar 1952), 192pp, 1/6.
Fontana Books 206, 1957, 192p.
----, [2nd imp.] Jul 1959; [3rd imp.] Jul 1964
Fontana Books 1377, [4th imp.] Aug 1966
----, [5th imp.] Nov 1966; [6th imp.] Mar 1967; [7th imp.] Apr 1967
----, [8th imp.] Jan 1968, 192pp, 3/6. Cover by Pino Dell'Orco
----, [13th imp.] 1969
Fontana Books 0006-15966-4, [xth imp.] 1981, 192pp.
Pan Books 0330-34236-3, 1995, 208pp.

 

 

Maddon’s Rock. London, Collins, 1948; as Gale Warning, New York, Harper, 1948.
Collins White Circle 327m, nd (Feb 1953), 192pp, 1/6.
Pan Books 354, (Jan) 1956. Cover by Carl Wilton
Fontana Books 429, 1960, 2/6.
Fontana Books 776, [2nd imp.] Mar 1963
----, [3rd imp.] Jul 1963, 222pp, 3/6. Cover by unknown
Fontana Books 1492, [6th imp.] 1967
----, [9th imp.] 1970
Fontana Books 5263, [xth imp.] 1978
Fontana Books 6799, [23rd imp.] Jul 1983, 222pp, £1.60. Cover by unknown
Pan Books 0330-36507-6, 1995, 329pp.

The Blue Ice. London, Collins, 1948; New York, Harper, 1948.
Fontana Books 16, (Feb) 1954, 2/-.
Fontana Boooks ???, [xth imp.] 1960, 2/6. Cover by John Rose
Fontana Books 1216, [xth imp.] 1966
----, [6th imp.] 1968
Fontana Books 1787, [10th imp.] Feb 1971, 222pp, 3/6. Cover by unknown
Fontana Books 3304, [xth imp.] 1973, 222pp.
Fontana Boosk 0006-15893-0, [xth imp.] 1984.
Pan Books 0330-34218-5, 1999
---- [xth imp.], £5.99. Cover by Larry Rostant

The White South. London, Collins, 1949; as The Survivors, New York, Harper, 1949.
Fontana Books 4, (Oct) 1953,  2/-.
Penguin Books 1259, 1958, 282pp, 3/6. Cover by Richard Taylor
Fontana Books 4, [2nd imp.] Feb 1962.
---- [3rd imp.], Jul 1963;
Fontana Books 1148, [4th imp.] Jul 1965
---- [5th imp.] Sep 1966.
Fontana Books 1661, [6th imp.] Mar 1968, 256pp, 3/6. Cover by Pino Dell'Orco
---- [7th imp.] Aug 1968. Cover by Pino Dell'orco
---- [8th imp.] Mar 1969, 5/-.
Fontana Books 2517, [11th imp.] 1971, 256pp.
Fontana Books 0006-17074-9, [xth imp.] 1985, 302pp.
---- [30th imp.] n.d., 302pp, £4.50.
Pan Books 0330-34219-3, 1996, 372pp.
----, [xth imp,] £5.99. Cover by Larry Rostant

 

The Angry Mountain. London, Collins, 1950; New York, Harper, 1951.
Pan Books 274, (Feb) 1954. Cover by F.V.M.
Fontana Books 206, 1957, 254pp.
----, [2nd imp.] Nov 1961.
Fontana Books 907, [3rd imp.] Jul 1964; [4th imp.] Apr 1965
Fontana Books 1318, [5th imp.] Jun 1966
Fontana Books 1565, [6th imp.] Sep 1967
----, [7th imp.] Jan 1968
----, [8th imp.] Dec 1968, 255pp, 5/-. Cover by unknown
----, [9th imp.] Feb 1969, 255pp, 5/-. Cover by unknown
----, ]15th imp.] 1972.
Fontana Books 0006-14858-1, 1977.
Fontana Books 0006-16487-0, 1982.
----, [xth imp.] 1992.
Pan Books 0330-34220-7, 1996, 315pp.

 

 

 

Air Bridge. London, Collins, 1951; New York, Knopf, 1952.
Fontana Books 54, (Mar) 1955, 2/-. Cover by unknown
----, [2nd imp.] Mar 1956; [3rd imp.] Feb 1961
Fontana Books 916, [4th imp.] Feb 1964, 253pp, 3/6. Cover by unknown
----, [5th imp.] Jun 1964; [6th imp.] Sep 1965.
Fontana Boosk 1519, [7th imp.] Jun 1967, 253pp, 3/6. Cover by Pino Dell'orco
----, [8th imp.] Sep 1967
----, [9th imp.] Jan 1968, 253pp, 5/-. (as 7th)
----, [12th imp.] 1970.
Fontana Books 2393, [20th imp.] Jun 1974, 253pp, 35p. Cover: photo
Fontana Books 0006-16715-2, [xth imp.] 1983, 253pp.
----, [xth imp.] 1992.
Pan Books 0330-34300-9, 1997, 378pp.