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Tommy Hambledon #25
House at Pluck's Gutter
TOMMY HAMBLEDON'S ADVENTURES.. A DAZZLER THAT SEES HIM AND HIS AMATEUR AIDES, CAMPBELL AND FORGAN, IMPERILED, INCARCERATED, AND IN HOT WATER ALL OVER EUROPE
192 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1972
About the author
Manning Coles
49 books10 followersFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Manning Coles is the pseudonym of two British writers, Adelaide Frances Oke Manning (1891–1959) and Cyril Henry Coles (1899–1965), who wrote many spy thrillers from the early 40s through the early 60s. The fictional protagonist in 26 of their books was Thomas Elphinstone Hambledon, who works for the Foreign Office.
Manning and Coles were neighbors in East Meon, Hampshire. Coles worked for British Intelligence in both the World Wars. Manning worked for the War Office during World War I. Their first books were fairly realistic and with a touch of grimness; their postwar books perhaps suffered from an excess of lightheartedness and whimsy. They also wrote a number of humorous novels about modern-day ghosts, some of them involving ghostly cousins named Charles and James Latimer. These novels were published in England under the pseudonym of Francis Gaite but released in the United States under the Manning Coles byline.
Many of the original exploits were based on the real-life experiences of Coles, who lied about his age and enlisted under an assumed name in a Hampshire regiment during World War I while still a teenager. He eventually became the youngest officer in British intelligence, often working behind German lines, due to his extraordinary ability to master languages. Coles had 2 sons (Michael and Peter, who were identical twins and who are both still alive, living in the UK) and the Ghost stories were based on the tales he used to tell his young sons when he was 'back from his travels'.
Manning Coles is the pseudonym of two British writers, Adelaide Frances Oke Manning (1891–1959) and Cyril Henry Coles (1899–1965), who wrote many spy thrillers from the early 40s through the early 60s. The fictional protagonist in 26 of their books was Thomas Elphinstone Hambledon, who works for the Foreign Office.
Manning and Coles were neighbors in East Meon, Hampshire. Coles worked for British Intelligence in both the World Wars. Manning worked for the War Office during World War I. Their first books were fairly realistic and with a touch of grimness; their postwar books perhaps suffered from an excess of lightheartedness and whimsy. They also wrote a number of humorous novels about modern-day ghosts, some of them involving ghostly cousins named Charles and James Latimer. These novels were published in England under the pseudonym of Francis Gaite but released in the United States under the Manning Coles byline.
Many of the original exploits were based on the real-life experiences of Coles, who lied about his age and enlisted under an assumed name in a Hampshire regiment during World War I while still a teenager. He eventually became the youngest officer in British intelligence, often working behind German lines, due to his extraordinary ability to master languages. Coles had 2 sons (Michael and Peter, who were identical twins and who are both still alive, living in the UK) and the Ghost stories were based on the tales he used to tell his young sons when he was 'back from his travels'.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 8, 2020
It's been many years since I read Manning Coles' Tommy Hambledon stories. I'd forgotten how boy's-own-adventures they are. Also, laden with stereotypes, including in this case plucky British nurses, amorous Italians, elitist noblemen, cool-headed Scotland Yard inspectors, johnny-on-the-spot old school chums, nefarious villains, and a hero with a propensity for carrying on despite repeatedly being beaten up and whacked on the head! This was not one of Manning Coles' better efforts. As I recall, several of his books were adapted into pretty good films. The screenplay folks skipped this one, thank goodness.
April 7, 2015
While I'd rate Tommy Hambledon as my favorite spy, it's not a genre that appeals to me too much. The first Hambledon books, however, are detailed portraits of England and Germany between the wars and clearly aspire to something greater than genre fiction. After that, they become lighter, though still suspenseful. This one reads as though it were written by a different author, as Tommy goes to Belgium to find a bit of microfilm, aided and impeded by his two friends Forgan and Campbell. He ends up with phlebitis--this is a bit unusual for what is an action-oriented character. This is one of the few books in this series with a prominent woman character and a hint of romance, which (of course) comes to nothing. It's not so much that the authors are anti-woman; it's just that they seem to think women are something that happens to someone else.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews