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Toll For The Brave
Betrayed by his lover, beaten and almost broken by his captors, Ellis Jackson escapes from the Viet Cong with his best friend James Maxwell St. Clair. Dodging bullets, they finally break free from a living hell.
Some years later, back in England, Ellis wakes to find himself holding a 12-bore shot gun surrounded by staring faces. In the other room him mistress, together with James are both dead.
Has Ellis Jackson finally succumbed to the madness he first endured at the hands of the Viet Cong? Or is he being set up by a greater power than himself?
Some years later, back in England, Ellis wakes to find himself holding a 12-bore shot gun surrounded by staring faces. In the other room him mistress, together with James are both dead.
Has Ellis Jackson finally succumbed to the madness he first endured at the hands of the Viet Cong? Or is he being set up by a greater power than himself?
327 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 12, 1976
110 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
About the author
Jack Higgins
484 books1,280 followersThere is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Jack Higgins was best known of the many pseudonyms of Henry Patterson. (See also Martin Fallon, Harry Patterson, Hugh Marlowe and James Graham.)
He was the New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy thrillers, including The Eagle Has Landed and The Wolf at the Door. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide.
Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Patterson grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As a child, Patterson was a voracious reader and later credited his passion for reading with fueling his creative drive to be an author. His upbringing in Belfast also exposed him to the political and religious violence that characterized the city at the time. At seven years old, Patterson was caught in gunfire while riding a tram, and later was in a Belfast movie theater when it was bombed. Though he escaped from both attacks unharmed, the turmoil in Northern Ireland would later become a significant influence in his books, many of which prominently feature the Irish Republican Army. After attending grammar school and college in Leeds, England, Patterson joined the British Army and served two years in the Household Cavalry, from 1947 to 1949, stationed along the East German border. He was considered an expert sharpshooter.
Following his military service, Patterson earned a degree in sociology from the London School of Economics, which led to teaching jobs at two English colleges. In 1959, while teaching at James Graham College, Patterson began writing novels, including some under the alias James Graham. As his popularity grew, Patterson left teaching to write full time. With the 1975 publication of the international blockbuster The Eagle Has Landed, which was later made into a movie of the same name starring Michael Caine, Patterson became a regular fixture on bestseller lists. His books draw heavily from history and include prominent figures—such as John Dillinger—and often center around significant events from such conflicts as World War II, the Korean War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Patterson lived in Jersey, in the Channel Islands.
Jack Higgins was best known of the many pseudonyms of Henry Patterson. (See also Martin Fallon, Harry Patterson, Hugh Marlowe and James Graham.)
He was the New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy thrillers, including The Eagle Has Landed and The Wolf at the Door. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide.
Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Patterson grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As a child, Patterson was a voracious reader and later credited his passion for reading with fueling his creative drive to be an author. His upbringing in Belfast also exposed him to the political and religious violence that characterized the city at the time. At seven years old, Patterson was caught in gunfire while riding a tram, and later was in a Belfast movie theater when it was bombed. Though he escaped from both attacks unharmed, the turmoil in Northern Ireland would later become a significant influence in his books, many of which prominently feature the Irish Republican Army. After attending grammar school and college in Leeds, England, Patterson joined the British Army and served two years in the Household Cavalry, from 1947 to 1949, stationed along the East German border. He was considered an expert sharpshooter.
Following his military service, Patterson earned a degree in sociology from the London School of Economics, which led to teaching jobs at two English colleges. In 1959, while teaching at James Graham College, Patterson began writing novels, including some under the alias James Graham. As his popularity grew, Patterson left teaching to write full time. With the 1975 publication of the international blockbuster The Eagle Has Landed, which was later made into a movie of the same name starring Michael Caine, Patterson became a regular fixture on bestseller lists. His books draw heavily from history and include prominent figures—such as John Dillinger—and often center around significant events from such conflicts as World War II, the Korean War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Patterson lived in Jersey, in the Channel Islands.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 19, 2014
"writing in my head," so to speak, whilst browsing the endless neon amusements of Shinjuku-Takeshita-Shibuya, the thought occured to me that the one novelty Goodreads allows is that we can now identify all the precise overlap of social-network savvy individuals and heavy readers that amounts, statistically, to well,
and we can identify as well that unique subset of micro-bloggers who consist of, well,
me
so in case you haven't figured it out yet, as my parents were born in the early 1930s and had me about as biologically late possible, I am your father.
yes, I am your father, and I am very disappointed in you.
you did poorly in school. you do not play well with your classmates, and you constantly withdraw from social settings to bury yourself in fictional universes.
as your father and caretaker, it is my regretful duty to inform you that I will be taking measures to ensure you grow up healthier!
or maybe actually that's BS.
maybe actually...our relationship is like this, goodreads. I am your dealer, and you are the user! I am the product here. I am giving you little bon-bons to digest and if you don't like my reviews, I won't write you any more. where are you going to be, then, goodreads? what psychologist is going to treat your psychic wounds?
so before we get any further, let's take a moment to click on that little "like" button located conveniently at the bottom of this review. you hit that button, you get another writing passage. you fail to hit that button, and, man, you're out ! you're in the wilderness, all by yourself. we all know that it takes 2-3 hours to read a novel, and who has 2-3 hours in this busy 2013 of ours. face it, you are addicted, you need book reviews, I have oodles of them, I can provide many more on demand, and best yet, just to show sincerity on my part, I can ensure that my book reviews are the full 20000 characters or 4000 words that goodreads permits!
is this not an excellent deal? are you not getting your monies worth? all that and it slices potatoes too.
you need some book review smack! don't resist that urge to click on yet another book review! 2% of goodreads users are 60% of the traffic, by god! alexa.com told me so. and quantcast confirmed it.
################################
but whatever, okay, that unpleasantness is over. of course I could do the jokey thing and put up a picture of Jason Derulo, then make
however, the psychiatrists are probably already too interested in these scribblings, and I'm writing under observation, as usual. actually there's been an acid aside from the African guy present here (friend of the Vietnamese Frenchie and some of the others); what he, and other extroverted Frenchies in general fail to understand is that
English Reserve Beats French Elan
I can keep up this attitude longer than you can figure out what I can or can't understand about your conversations, Etienne!
bwahahaha
rule #1 of writing: over-dramatize all conflict
confession #1 of hotel h: only ONE email from HR. no pleadings from the group to bring me back. sob.
or I'm stone cold sober. I'm making all this up.
whatever. this is called 1920s style smash-up writing in case you don't already know.
now I can tell you about this book, but personally I'm shocked at the only 18 reviews it has received. many of the BOOKOFFS in Japan have multiple Jack Higgins works, so he is clearly being read, somewhere, and somehow. however, in general continuation of 2014 trends, I guess I'll stick to more bloggish ramblings of life. now bear in mind that it takes my fingers 4-5 calories to type out each paragraph, but you can read it with less than half a calorie of eye movement. so I am the one working here; I am the sucker. I think. I'll have to cogitate on that some more, late at night, listening to girlish laughter and the sound of typewriters.
separate to that issue, there is the larger question of topic. now since sentiment did not ask me to explore the emir fanfare, nobody particularly cares about French girls (or at least, not as much as I do), the hotel thing has clearly been worn to the bone, I guess the remaining topic is... artists and society. hooray!
specifically, after listening to Gwen Stefani's 2005 Love, Angel, Music, Baby, the realization did sink in that the album notes, formerly something printed on the back of vinyl records, have now become, through the magic device of the CD and jewel case, a book! OMG! a new genre has developed: the CD insert. but wait, everyone in America is already rolling their eyes. you still use CDs!?!? yes, I am afraid that the Japanese piracy market works a little differently from the West (or even Korea). Japanese pirate their CDs after renting them for 105 yen onto MDs-- magnetic tapes! exploring the ramifications of this unique "galapagos" japan-only technology is probably something that could take a good non-fiction writer two volumes to explore. but, having set myself the goal of filling out the ENTIRE 20000 characters, I now find myself afflicted with a wearying fatigue.
yeah instead of doing that I'll just gush... sorry folks, sometime when it isn't 11:33pm
okay first things first. reddit is hot. everyone is redditing these February / March 2014s of the world. second, love is in the air. many people are having babies or getting married. third, I totally explored the taste palate of marinara sauce, getting the bechamel reactions rocking on oysters-beef-chicken, and despising the Japanese tendency to mix pork into their beef (1:4 ratio, yuck). but then, the Japanese do have green tea kit kats, and that is some consolation for losing turkey cold cuts and cheap mexican food.
(I can also talk right now about Ukraine, but my brain is zonked.)
so, to return to Stefani, the thing about her work is that it included the hilarious joke (in the liner notes), an angel is slang for someone who never gets caught. it also opens up the possibility of goodreads diverging into audio review territory. should we review CDs as well? surely we'd have to start with some Joy Division, and then we'd really see some sparks fly
LAMB (2005) is, if you really think about, a Cindy Sherman-esque exploration of feminities. Stefani is exploring the different faces of Eve, so to speak, ranging from 1950s sodajerk glam doll to 1990s Harajuku girls to the sounds of east coast nyc. I listened to it enough times to get in touch with my feminine side.
compare it to: (drum roll) YUMENO NO HAJIME RIN RIN, just out. a song that also explores all of Caroline Charyplop's past faces and identities.
or, like, in my life, I've been...
but only on alternate weekends.
and the CONTROLMASTERS are going to NERVE STAPLE all of us in 2023.
so you've been warned. you've been warned clearly.
#####################################
art's a weird world. so are governments. but then, so are the folk masses. I spent 118 minutes in Shibuya today, and you spent 0. however, the way things are going, I'm not sure I won't have to take the nuclear option later in 2014. or possibly I'll be married, I dunno. scarily, the minimum age of marriage in some southern states is below that which it is in good taste to refer to in anonymous internet settings. and I have my eye on you. I really do.
the brilliance of Stefani's work is that it also serves as an album of almost all hits. I really admire musicians who can do that rather than the one hit wonders of the world. although of course she's also just cloning a lot of other sounds.
eggs.
#################################
the acid vernacular is that this review may or may not appeal to you. and actually, as fatigue does really really does set in, I'll have to cut my ambition. 10000 characters. yes I can do that. still using the shared computer workspace and possibly mildly ticking off peoples. 1400 more to go. such faces in a stream on Omotesando, the Champs-Elysees of Tokyo. wealthy districts* Azabu-Juban, Ginza, and then separate new constructions such as Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills. the Futako Tamagawa Rise complex. look 'em up. and then look up how to troll Wikipedia
1. add 500 minor facts
2. add 1 minor lie
3. get the lie inserted into a textbook or phd thesis (not that hard; grad students are overworked and underpaid)
4. CITE THE FACT on wikipedia
5. there, human beings in 2100 will now believe that "danestheld Cruxia the IVth invaded Baghdad and set up an agrarian commune in 812 AD," AND NOBODY WILL BE ABLE TO DISPROVE THIS
I am totally serious about the above.
############################
the acid vernacular is that with white sniper rifles and white camouflage, we're totally invisible in the snow. and whiteness is the theme of this work as well, from the smack to the snow to the hidden drug references that pop out only to the educated user. or, as they say, PON PON PON
############################
we're in the home stretch, man! fifty more words to go, means that I will actually state that I think the Higgins thrillers are under-rated. and I despise certain voices and don't mind others. still, we're all stuck in this financial setting together, and if multiple contracts all have to be rewritten shortly, well, that is a function of character versus time versus fate and plot. the novel should have all five of course.
heroin
and we can identify as well that unique subset of micro-bloggers who consist of, well,
me
so in case you haven't figured it out yet, as my parents were born in the early 1930s and had me about as biologically late possible, I am your father.
yes, I am your father, and I am very disappointed in you.
you did poorly in school. you do not play well with your classmates, and you constantly withdraw from social settings to bury yourself in fictional universes.
as your father and caretaker, it is my regretful duty to inform you that I will be taking measures to ensure you grow up healthier!
or maybe actually that's BS.
maybe actually...our relationship is like this, goodreads. I am your dealer, and you are the user! I am the product here. I am giving you little bon-bons to digest and if you don't like my reviews, I won't write you any more. where are you going to be, then, goodreads? what psychologist is going to treat your psychic wounds?
so before we get any further, let's take a moment to click on that little "like" button located conveniently at the bottom of this review. you hit that button, you get another writing passage. you fail to hit that button, and, man, you're out ! you're in the wilderness, all by yourself. we all know that it takes 2-3 hours to read a novel, and who has 2-3 hours in this busy 2013 of ours. face it, you are addicted, you need book reviews, I have oodles of them, I can provide many more on demand, and best yet, just to show sincerity on my part, I can ensure that my book reviews are the full 20000 characters or 4000 words that goodreads permits!
is this not an excellent deal? are you not getting your monies worth? all that and it slices potatoes too.
you need some book review smack! don't resist that urge to click on yet another book review! 2% of goodreads users are 60% of the traffic, by god! alexa.com told me so. and quantcast confirmed it.
################################
but whatever, okay, that unpleasantness is over. of course I could do the jokey thing and put up a picture of Jason Derulo, then make
declaration of beef wit Hotel H! it takes a nation of millions to keep up down, it takes a multinational of 300000 to find out where I'm staying tonight
however, the psychiatrists are probably already too interested in these scribblings, and I'm writing under observation, as usual. actually there's been an acid aside from the African guy present here (friend of the Vietnamese Frenchie and some of the others); what he, and other extroverted Frenchies in general fail to understand is that
English Reserve Beats French Elan
I can keep up this attitude longer than you can figure out what I can or can't understand about your conversations, Etienne!
bwahahaha
rule #1 of writing: over-dramatize all conflict
confession #1 of hotel h: only ONE email from HR. no pleadings from the group to bring me back. sob.
or I'm stone cold sober. I'm making all this up.
whatever. this is called 1920s style smash-up writing in case you don't already know.
now I can tell you about this book, but personally I'm shocked at the only 18 reviews it has received. many of the BOOKOFFS in Japan have multiple Jack Higgins works, so he is clearly being read, somewhere, and somehow. however, in general continuation of 2014 trends, I guess I'll stick to more bloggish ramblings of life. now bear in mind that it takes my fingers 4-5 calories to type out each paragraph, but you can read it with less than half a calorie of eye movement. so I am the one working here; I am the sucker. I think. I'll have to cogitate on that some more, late at night, listening to girlish laughter and the sound of typewriters.
separate to that issue, there is the larger question of topic. now since sentiment did not ask me to explore the emir fanfare, nobody particularly cares about French girls (or at least, not as much as I do), the hotel thing has clearly been worn to the bone, I guess the remaining topic is... artists and society. hooray!
specifically, after listening to Gwen Stefani's 2005 Love, Angel, Music, Baby, the realization did sink in that the album notes, formerly something printed on the back of vinyl records, have now become, through the magic device of the CD and jewel case, a book! OMG! a new genre has developed: the CD insert. but wait, everyone in America is already rolling their eyes. you still use CDs!?!? yes, I am afraid that the Japanese piracy market works a little differently from the West (or even Korea). Japanese pirate their CDs after renting them for 105 yen onto MDs-- magnetic tapes! exploring the ramifications of this unique "galapagos" japan-only technology is probably something that could take a good non-fiction writer two volumes to explore. but, having set myself the goal of filling out the ENTIRE 20000 characters, I now find myself afflicted with a wearying fatigue.
yeah instead of doing that I'll just gush... sorry folks, sometime when it isn't 11:33pm
okay first things first. reddit is hot. everyone is redditing these February / March 2014s of the world. second, love is in the air. many people are having babies or getting married. third, I totally explored the taste palate of marinara sauce, getting the bechamel reactions rocking on oysters-beef-chicken, and despising the Japanese tendency to mix pork into their beef (1:4 ratio, yuck). but then, the Japanese do have green tea kit kats, and that is some consolation for losing turkey cold cuts and cheap mexican food.
(I can also talk right now about Ukraine, but my brain is zonked.)
so, to return to Stefani, the thing about her work is that it included the hilarious joke (in the liner notes), an angel is slang for someone who never gets caught. it also opens up the possibility of goodreads diverging into audio review territory. should we review CDs as well? surely we'd have to start with some Joy Division, and then we'd really see some sparks fly
LAMB (2005) is, if you really think about, a Cindy Sherman-esque exploration of feminities. Stefani is exploring the different faces of Eve, so to speak, ranging from 1950s sodajerk glam doll to 1990s Harajuku girls to the sounds of east coast nyc. I listened to it enough times to get in touch with my feminine side.
compare it to: (drum roll) YUMENO NO HAJIME RIN RIN, just out. a song that also explores all of Caroline Charyplop's past faces and identities.
or, like, in my life, I've been...
but only on alternate weekends.
and the CONTROLMASTERS are going to NERVE STAPLE all of us in 2023.
so you've been warned. you've been warned clearly.
#####################################
art's a weird world. so are governments. but then, so are the folk masses. I spent 118 minutes in Shibuya today, and you spent 0. however, the way things are going, I'm not sure I won't have to take the nuclear option later in 2014. or possibly I'll be married, I dunno. scarily, the minimum age of marriage in some southern states is below that which it is in good taste to refer to in anonymous internet settings. and I have my eye on you. I really do.
the brilliance of Stefani's work is that it also serves as an album of almost all hits. I really admire musicians who can do that rather than the one hit wonders of the world. although of course she's also just cloning a lot of other sounds.
eggs.
#################################
the acid vernacular is that this review may or may not appeal to you. and actually, as fatigue does really really does set in, I'll have to cut my ambition. 10000 characters. yes I can do that. still using the shared computer workspace and possibly mildly ticking off peoples. 1400 more to go. such faces in a stream on Omotesando, the Champs-Elysees of Tokyo. wealthy districts* Azabu-Juban, Ginza, and then separate new constructions such as Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills. the Futako Tamagawa Rise complex. look 'em up. and then look up how to troll Wikipedia
1. add 500 minor facts
2. add 1 minor lie
3. get the lie inserted into a textbook or phd thesis (not that hard; grad students are overworked and underpaid)
4. CITE THE FACT on wikipedia
5. there, human beings in 2100 will now believe that "danestheld Cruxia the IVth invaded Baghdad and set up an agrarian commune in 812 AD," AND NOBODY WILL BE ABLE TO DISPROVE THIS
I am totally serious about the above.
############################
the acid vernacular is that with white sniper rifles and white camouflage, we're totally invisible in the snow. and whiteness is the theme of this work as well, from the smack to the snow to the hidden drug references that pop out only to the educated user. or, as they say, PON PON PON
############################
we're in the home stretch, man! fifty more words to go, means that I will actually state that I think the Higgins thrillers are under-rated. and I despise certain voices and don't mind others. still, we're all stuck in this financial setting together, and if multiple contracts all have to be rewritten shortly, well, that is a function of character versus time versus fate and plot. the novel should have all five of course.
heroin
July 19, 2020
This book, for me, is a rarity. A novel by one of my favourite authors that is new to me. Toll For The Brave was out of print for a long time, but is now fortunately available again.
This is a different story from most of the Jack Higgins books I've read. Most of the others have been either set in World War Two, or have a strong IRA link running through them. Toll For The Brave, however, sees its main character fight with the Americans in Vietnam.
Ellis Jackson was orphaned at a young age and his indifferent grandfather brought him up. Ellis was 'encouraged' to join the family firm--the army--and went to Sandhurst. He was thrown out of officer training, so went to join the American forces and fought against the Viet Cong. This is where, in captivity, he met with James Maxwell St Claire, a big, black American officer. They forged a freindship and escaped together.
Moving forward over a decade, Ellis apparently has flashbacks to Nam and has gone to live in a cottage on the marshes with a female companion. One day, he has a particularly vivid moment where he sees the Viet Cong on the marshes. He goes back to the cottage and when he wakes up, there are two dead bodies in the bedroom and a shotgun by his side.
Ellis is then put in a hospital for mentally ill people, where he protests his innocence. He also feels that one of the nurses is trying to kill him. Ellis becomes paranoid. He escapes from the hospital and tracks down the people he believes are trying to kill him. He still has times where he isn't at all lucid and believes he's crazy, but he pulls himself together and manages to sort his life out.
This is a different story from most of the Jack Higgins books I've read. Most of the others have been either set in World War Two, or have a strong IRA link running through them. Toll For The Brave, however, sees its main character fight with the Americans in Vietnam.
Ellis Jackson was orphaned at a young age and his indifferent grandfather brought him up. Ellis was 'encouraged' to join the family firm--the army--and went to Sandhurst. He was thrown out of officer training, so went to join the American forces and fought against the Viet Cong. This is where, in captivity, he met with James Maxwell St Claire, a big, black American officer. They forged a freindship and escaped together.
Moving forward over a decade, Ellis apparently has flashbacks to Nam and has gone to live in a cottage on the marshes with a female companion. One day, he has a particularly vivid moment where he sees the Viet Cong on the marshes. He goes back to the cottage and when he wakes up, there are two dead bodies in the bedroom and a shotgun by his side.
Ellis is then put in a hospital for mentally ill people, where he protests his innocence. He also feels that one of the nurses is trying to kill him. Ellis becomes paranoid. He escapes from the hospital and tracks down the people he believes are trying to kill him. He still has times where he isn't at all lucid and believes he's crazy, but he pulls himself together and manages to sort his life out.
May 10, 2022
When Higgins died last month, it struck me that I’d not read any of his work for perhaps a couple of decades; and that, apart from a signed copy of ‘Cold Harbour’ dating back to 1990, I didn’t have anything by him in the collection - this for an author whose paperbacks I virtually hoovered up from the library back in my teens. I came across ‘Toll for the Brave’ in a second hand bookshop last week and bumped it to the top of the “to read” pile. Raced through it in a couple of days. The plot is hackneyed - borderline ludicrous - and every narrative development occurs in the service of an action set piece. The attitudes are definitely of its time (it was first published in 1977) and it wouldn’t pass muster with today’s PC brigade. But you know what? It’s fast paced, often suspenseful, the hero is impressively flawed and Higgins at least bothers to give us some psychological background. And, like Alistair MacLean’s ‘Fear is the Key‘, it’s a mainstream thriller that ends on a melancholy, hardly crowd-pleasing note. ‘Cold Harbour’ next, I think.
Read
August 16, 2022The twenty-ninth #jackhiggins #martinfallon #hughmarlowe #harrypatterson #henrypatterson #jamesgraham novel #tollforthebrave published in 1971. A former prisoner of war suffering from a PTSD leads you to believe the narrator is unreliable. But as the saying goes “it’s not paranoia when they really are after you”. Short, fast paced and entertaining. Some twists and turns as well as interesting relationships between the characters. Higgins is still fascinated by eastern philosophy and martial arts. The atmosphere is great as usual for Higgins. You can really feel yourself sneaking around the English countryside in the rain.
October 10, 2020
This early work of Higgins is a tremendously weak story where a thoroughly unlikeable and incompetent neurotic Vietnam vet ends up—among other things—having sex with every woman in the narrative. He faces down Communist Chinese who, oddly, speak Cantonese instead of Mandarin and who practice a hodgepodge of martial arts philosophy and techniques.
He is sort of a Rambo character. Skilled in the martial arts and firearms (both of which Higgins clearly knows nothing about), he ends up defeating the bad guys in ridiculously implausible combat.
Don’t waste your time.
He is sort of a Rambo character. Skilled in the martial arts and firearms (both of which Higgins clearly knows nothing about), he ends up defeating the bad guys in ridiculously implausible combat.
Don’t waste your time.
May 12, 2013
I don't have a lot positive to say about this novel, it was alright but initially seemed to meander all over the place. There was flashbacks and what not then about a third to halfway through things start making a bit more sense.
It's a vietnam prisoner of war/espionage tale with the focus on the events surrounding circumstances rather than the actual espionage.
It's a vietnam prisoner of war/espionage tale with the focus on the events surrounding circumstances rather than the actual espionage.
April 26, 2016
Didn't have the best first impression about the author since the first work of his I got to read felt mediocre to me, but this set the bar so high and I'd definitely look for more like it. The story lives up to the title; intriguing, full of suspense and thrilling action. Highly recommended for the fans of this genre.
October 25, 2020
One of the few Higgins books I almost stopped reading before the end. Because it is a Jack Higgins book I soldiered on to the finish, but I did not like this one.
Next Higgins I read will be an old familiar favorite to make up for this one...
Next Higgins I read will be an old familiar favorite to make up for this one...
October 25, 2024
This novel stands apart from the usual offerings of Jack Higgins. Unlike many of his works that delve into the intricacies of World War II or have strong connections to the IRA, Toll For The Brave transports readers to the tumultuous backdrop of the Vietnam War, featuring a protagonist who aligns with American forces.
The narrative revolves around Ellis Jackson, a young man orphaned early in life and raised by a callous grandfather. Pressured to conform to family expectations, Ellis enters Sandhurst but finds himself dismissed from officer training. Undeterred, he joins the American military and engages in combat against the Viet Cong. During his time as a prisoner of war, he meets James Maxwell St. Claire, a prominent African American officer, and the two form a deep bond that ultimately leads to their escape.
Over a decade later, Ellis has retreated to a secluded cottage near the marshes, living with a female companion. He grapples with haunting flashbacks to his time in Vietnam, particularly a disturbing vision where he perceives Viet Cong soldiers in the marshlands. After a disorienting episode, he wakes to find two dead bodies in his bedroom and a shotgun at his side, leading to a spiraling chain of events.
Admitted to a mental health facility, Ellis insists on his innocence but grows increasingly suspicious of one of the nurses, believing she may be plotting against him. His paranoia intensifies, prompting him to flee the hospital and seek out those he believes are after him. Despite battling moments of uncertainty and self-doubt, Ellis gradually manages to regain his footing and navigate his tumultuous circumstances.
The narrative revolves around Ellis Jackson, a young man orphaned early in life and raised by a callous grandfather. Pressured to conform to family expectations, Ellis enters Sandhurst but finds himself dismissed from officer training. Undeterred, he joins the American military and engages in combat against the Viet Cong. During his time as a prisoner of war, he meets James Maxwell St. Claire, a prominent African American officer, and the two form a deep bond that ultimately leads to their escape.
Over a decade later, Ellis has retreated to a secluded cottage near the marshes, living with a female companion. He grapples with haunting flashbacks to his time in Vietnam, particularly a disturbing vision where he perceives Viet Cong soldiers in the marshlands. After a disorienting episode, he wakes to find two dead bodies in his bedroom and a shotgun at his side, leading to a spiraling chain of events.
Admitted to a mental health facility, Ellis insists on his innocence but grows increasingly suspicious of one of the nurses, believing she may be plotting against him. His paranoia intensifies, prompting him to flee the hospital and seek out those he believes are after him. Despite battling moments of uncertainty and self-doubt, Ellis gradually manages to regain his footing and navigate his tumultuous circumstances.
April 8, 2025
After reading an endless parade of James Bond and Nick Carter and Mack Bolan novels, I found this novel to be an interesting, contrasting breath of fresh air. There are a handful of similarities given the standard, 1980s, "Men's Adventure" elements, but unlike those above-the-line, big name heroes, the protagonist is given a lot more depth and vulnerability. The book doesn't quite come together into a fully formed package, but this has definitely put Higgins on the map for me.
December 18, 2023
I really love Jack Higgins. This book was so unreal; I was almost laughing out loud. The action is unbelievable, but it's so much fun. I will forgive it.
This isn't one of his best books, but it was a thrilling ride. He truly has a gift for the word, and I will read many many more of this silly books. Thank you, Jack!
This isn't one of his best books, but it was a thrilling ride. He truly has a gift for the word, and I will read many many more of this silly books. Thank you, Jack!
October 2, 2020
A strange book from a brilliant author
I devour the Sean Dillon books. Other classics from this iconic author. So where did this one come from? Strange from start to end. Of course it was still quite a good read.
I devour the Sean Dillon books. Other classics from this iconic author. So where did this one come from? Strange from start to end. Of course it was still quite a good read.
September 17, 2021
Dated. Story was a bit all over the place in the begining but that kept me interested but this was a typical Higgins book with impromptu decisions made by the main character which always turns out for the best. The usual template with the final confrontation at the end in difficult circumstances.
March 25, 2017
boleh la...
July 12, 2017
Unusual thriller. Very intense. I read it a long time ago and enjoyed it immensely. The novel is still one of my favourites.
July 25, 2017
I didn't like it much. It's a great read chapterwise but it runs around all over the place. Kinda confusing but great writing.
June 13, 2019
Possibly the easiest book to read I’ve read this year, but a fairly plodding predictable plot let it down... great book to read on a rainy day, long haul flight or weekend away but nothing memorable.
July 19, 2020
Enjoying Jack Higgins so much!
June 29, 2021
Ok,, but not one of his best
It was an ok read but I found I had to force myself to push on through to the finish
It was an ok read but I found I had to force myself to push on through to the finish
October 17, 2021
Good thriller, published in 1976 about a British Vietnam vet who had escaped from Vietnamese army and Chinese prison
August 11, 2022
3 pluss to 3.5. Read in Norwegian
October 2, 2023
Saw it coming
July 22, 2024
its a fucking magazine not a clip call it a magazine you piece of shit you were a vietnam vet you know its a magazine fuck you.
July 21, 2020
A silly, horribly cliché story but entertaining and easy to read on a beach holiday
January 5, 2023
Another good higgins book
July 18, 2012
This is my 2nd Jack Higgins novel. For the first 94 pages I was not that impressed and then something changed. A skilled twist in the story. For parts of the book it seems a little slow. The story bounces around a bit.
Ellis Jackson is captured in Vietnam and is unfortunate in that he lands in a special prison camp run by the Chinese-a Psy-Ops affair. There Ellis meets Black Max, an American Brigadier-General whom, as time progresses, Ellis admires more and more. One day they take advantage of an opportune moment to escape into the jungle where they fight and survive for 52 days until they are rescued.
Ellis is back in England living in his cottage in the marshes. One morning something happens that turns Ellis' life upside down. His live-in girlfriend Sheila believes Ellis is losing it, which considering his background doesn't seem hard to believe. Even Ellis doubts his sanity. It doesn't make sense that the Viet Cong would be roaming around in the marshes of England. Ellis later wakes up feeling sick to find Sheila and Black Max victims of violence in his cottage. Ellis is taken to a mental institution. But is all as it appears? Ellis feels something is off.
Ellis Jackson is captured in Vietnam and is unfortunate in that he lands in a special prison camp run by the Chinese-a Psy-Ops affair. There Ellis meets Black Max, an American Brigadier-General whom, as time progresses, Ellis admires more and more. One day they take advantage of an opportune moment to escape into the jungle where they fight and survive for 52 days until they are rescued.
Ellis is back in England living in his cottage in the marshes. One morning something happens that turns Ellis' life upside down. His live-in girlfriend Sheila believes Ellis is losing it, which considering his background doesn't seem hard to believe. Even Ellis doubts his sanity. It doesn't make sense that the Viet Cong would be roaming around in the marshes of England. Ellis later wakes up feeling sick to find Sheila and Black Max victims of violence in his cottage. Ellis is taken to a mental institution. But is all as it appears? Ellis feels something is off.
May 16, 2016
Toll for the Brave isn’t the sort of book that I’d normally read and I’m not sure how I came about reading it, but it happened and was a fairly enjoyable read. I did find myself growing bored towards the end but it picked up at the last little bit. There’s not much to say about this book so I’ll keep the review short.
Years after returning from the Vietnamese war, Ellis finds himself the prime suspect in the murder of his girlfriend and best friend. He’s locked up in a mental institute and adamant that he's
innocent. All he has to do now is prove it, and make sure that he doesn’t get killed the in process.
The first time I read this I fully believed in the main character’s innocence and believed his narrative was the truth. The second time I read it I could see how even the reader could come to doubt his sanity and question his innocence.
Overall this book was an action packed read that mostly kept me entertained.
Years after returning from the Vietnamese war, Ellis finds himself the prime suspect in the murder of his girlfriend and best friend. He’s locked up in a mental institute and adamant that he's
innocent. All he has to do now is prove it, and make sure that he doesn’t get killed the in process.
The first time I read this I fully believed in the main character’s innocence and believed his narrative was the truth. The second time I read it I could see how even the reader could come to doubt his sanity and question his innocence.
Overall this book was an action packed read that mostly kept me entertained.
July 20, 2011
good book. ellis jackson escapes from the viet cong with his friend james st claire. years later when back in england he lives with his mistress who helps him when he has bad memories of his imprisonment. whilst out one day he sees some some viet cong and he comes home and tellsher about this.she then phones sean ohara about this. when ellis awakes he finds shelia and james his best friend dead and he has a shotgun in his hand which he had found on the floor. ellis goes out to prove that he did not kill them.
August 26, 2013
Another re-release of an older Jack Higgins book. Originally published in 1971 under the pseudonym Harry Peterson. The back story of this thriller is a POW camp in Vietnam, where a British expatriate is put in a cell with an American military legend. The real problems begin when the Brit returns home.
When this book was written, the war was still going on, and was a divisive issue - in America and overseas. Higgins makes it clear which side he's on, but also recognizes the complexity of warfare and the struggle our soldiers faced.
When this book was written, the war was still going on, and was a divisive issue - in America and overseas. Higgins makes it clear which side he's on, but also recognizes the complexity of warfare and the struggle our soldiers faced.
December 28, 2016
Toll For The Brave is a fairly fast-paced action yarn that reminds me of the classic 60's noir/spaghetti war films that I loved watching as a kid. I can see Jim Brown or Fred Williams in the lead role of Ellis Jackson. Towards the end I wasn't sure if the character of Ellis Jackson should have been portrayed by Jim Kelly or Chuck Norris. Higgins takes Richard Condon's The Manchurian Candidate and adds a Freudian Oedipal Complex to a combination of LSD and brainwashing that reminds me of Sam Peckinpah's vision of Robert Ludlum's The Osterman Weekend.
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