19 replies to this topic

[Goldencobra]

I'm a fan of the Boysie Oakes series by John Gardner. Recently i read on a website that Gardner also wrote several Boysie Oakes short stories.I did some research online and found 2 short story books by Gardner "Hideaway" and "The Assassination file" but i can't find any information on these books besides the title.

Does anyone here own these 2 books and if so do they include the Boysie Oakes stories?
What other short stories are included?

Thanks

[Zing!]

Sure wish Gardner would have contributed a book of Bond short stories during his tenure. It would have provided a nice change of pace, particularly during a brief stretch where his stories were feeling a little uninspired.

[Goldencobra]

I have a copy of John Gardner's 1968 book 'Hideaway' and it contains two Boysie Oakes short stories, called, I think, 'Corkscrew' and 'A Handful of Rice'. I'll post again later with more information just to confirm the titles for you. I'll also post details on the other John Gardner short stories included in 'Hideaway', but I don't have the short story collection 'The Assassination File' unfortunately. Good to see another Boysie Oakes fan on here.

Hi Silhouette Man,

Thanks for the info. I'm currently looking for these 2 seemingly rare books, no luck yet.

The Boysie Oakes books are fantastic, it's a pity they are long out of print. I was lucky to find all 8 books at the same time at a used book store. The Liquidator has seen better days but the rest are all in excellent condition.

[Goldencobra]

Goldencobra, glad to help. For more information on 'Hideaway', here are a list of all the short story titles in John Gardner's 'Hideaway' in order,


NOBODY LIKED CECIL
A HANDFUL OF RICE (A Boysie Oakes short story)
THE TWO VOICES OF MAURICE
FRIDAY NIGHT
THE ELOPEMENT (previously appeared in PENTHOUSE MAGAZINE)
KINKY FOR SHROUDS
CORKSCREW (Another Boysie Oakes short story, previously appeared in SHE magazine)
A LIVING THING
I HAVE

THe basic, and rather interesting premise of the short stories of 'Hideaway' is that they are all read by the lead character between the stories, Dymore, whose spy network has just been blown. From the back cover,

"So Dymore disappeared - on a round-the-world flight that caused him to meet all kinds of people and hear all kinds of tales: funny, sad, exciting, macabre."

The stories are read from magazines by Dymore as I think he is on the plne, so there are the immediate stories and then the back story of Dymore as a 'real' event in betwwen each of the stories he reads and at the beginning and end. This is quite an interesting literary device given to us by John Gardner.


Any luck yet in tracking doiwn these two short story collections, Goldencobra?
I still need three of the Boysie Oakes novels for my collection to be complete.

Silhouette Man thankyou so much for all that info, the book does indeed sound interesting, unfortunately i still haven't found this book, every used book store i've been to carry Gardner novels except "Hideaway" and "The Assassination file"
What does the cover look like?
What company published this book, was it Pan or coronet?
I've still got a couple of places to look, hopefully i'll get lucky.
Fingers crossed
By the way what 3 Boysie novels do you still need?

[spynovelfan]

Perhaps a silly question, but have you both an aversion to buying books from the internet? Used copies of HIDEAWAY are on Amazon.co.uk from

Edited by spynovelfan, 20 April 2005 - 09:34 AM.

[Blofeld's Cat]

It's interesting that the descriptions given for these 2 books in couple of book searchers refer to them as being part of the Boysie Oakes series.

[spynovelfan]

Well, they are, aren't they? Wouldn't you describe FOR YOUR EYES ONLY as part of the James Bond series?

[Blofeld's Cat]

But not all the stories are Oaks, though.

[spynovelfan]

Ah, right - sorry. Seems I made the same mistake as the book listers. Mea culpa.

[Blofeld's Cat]

As far as I know THE ASSASSINATION FILE does not have any Boysie Oakes stories in it at all, as the source mentioned two Boysie stories, and these are accounted for in HIDEAWAY.

It would be nice to know the contents of THE ASSASSINATION FILE just to see if there are in fact any Oaks stories in it.

Ah, right - sorry. Seems I made the same mistake as the book listers. Mea culpa.

Wishful thinking perhaps.

[Blofeld's Cat]

WOO HOO!!

Biblioz has just located a copy each of HIDEAWAY and THE ASSASSINATION FILE, so I ordered them.

Both paperbacks @ AUS$70 in total. Oh well.

*sigh*

[Goldencobra]

Goldencobra - glad to help. The cover of the paperback Corgi edition that I have depicts Dymore running towards an aeroplane at an airport with a gun and suitcase in his hand looking at you over his shoulder as he does so. You get the impression he thinks someone is following him. The lettering along the spine is in green block capitals 'HIDEAWAY'.

The three Boysie books that I still need are;
Madrigal
Traitor's Exit
A Killer For A Song

I have all of the others. I read 'The Liquidator' about six years ago but have been looking out for the others a long time.

Have you seen the film of 'The Liquidator', Goldencobra. I managed to get it taped from TCM last year. It stays pretty faithful to the novel. It would have been great to have seen some of the other Boysie Oakes books from Gardner filmed.

Incidentally, have you read any of Gardner's other non-Bond novels, like the Herbie Kruger series?

[/quote]


Hi Silhouette Man

Thanks for the info, i actually located a fair copy of Hideaway the other day at a used book store, i'll be starting it this week.
Yes i have seen the Liquidator i actually taped mine off TCM as well. Rod Taylor was excellent in the role it's a shame more novels weren't adapted, I guess the movie wasn't a big hit. I would have loved to have seen Madigral my favourite of the Boysie novels adapted.
I hope the Liquidator gets a dvd release soon.
There was talk a couple of years ago of a remake of the Liquidator but nothing has materialised since, a pity, it would have been interesting to see who they would have cast as Boysie Oakes.

The only Gardner novels i've read are his Bond and the Boysie Oakes novels. Are the Herbie Kruger novels any good?

[Goldencobra]

[quote name='spynovelfan' date='20 April 2005 - 20:33']Perhaps a silly question, but have you both an aversion to buying books from the internet? Used copies of HIDEAWAY are on Amazon.co.uk from

[Goldencobra]

WOO HOO!!

Biblioz has just located a copy each of HIDEAWAY and THE ASSASSINATION FILE, so I ordered them.

Both paperbacks @ AUS$70 in total. Oh well.

*sigh*

$70 total??
Well i hope they're in excellent condition and you enjoy them.

By the way does anyone know if these 2 books were originally released in Hardback?

[DLibrasnow]

[quote name='Goldencobra' date='24 April 2005 - 20:46'][quote name='spynovelfan' date='20 April 2005 - 20:33']Perhaps a silly question, but have you both an aversion to buying books from the internet? Used copies of HIDEAWAY are on Amazon.co.uk from

[Blofeld's Cat]

WOO HOO!!

Biblioz has just located a copy each of HIDEAWAY and THE ASSASSINATION FILE, so I ordered them.

Both paperbacks @ AUS$70 in total. Oh well.

*sigh*

$70 total??
Well i hope they're in excellent condition and you enjoy them.

I'm getting them from diferent vendors and they both describe their book's condition as "very good," so I hope they are correct.

[spynovelfan]

[quote name='Goldencobra' date='25 April 2005 - 01:46'][quote name='spynovelfan' date='20 April 2005 - 20:33']Perhaps a silly question, but have you both an aversion to buying books from the internet? Used copies of HIDEAWAY are on Amazon.co.uk from

[Mona Lovesit]

As mentioned above, HIDEAWAW contains 2 Boysie Oakes stories, "A Handful of Rice" and "Corkscrew."

The book has 9 short stories interconnected by a one that is the title of the book (so there are really 10 stories in all).

The first Oakes story ("A Handful of Rice") has Boysie on a company sponsored holiday in Hong Kong, so he is forever wondering if he is really there to do a job. Anyway, while sightseeing on the mainland with a local lady they stumble into a valley that is being used to film what the irate director says is “the epic spy movie to end all spy movies.” It’s called YOU ONLY DIE ONCE.

This book was published in 1968 so I guess Gardner is having a dig at You Only Live Twice which was only released the year before.

[spynovelfan]

Interesting find! I believe YOU ONLY DIE ONCE was Gardner's suggested title for NOBODY LIVES FOREVER.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Just received a real good condition Corgi 1974 paperback copy of THE ASSASSINATION FILE through eBay!

Can't really add any more to what SILHOUETTE MAN posted on the book earlier, except to list how many pages long each story (not listed as chapters) is:

Story 1 - Brief Day of Glory (7.5pp)
Story 2 - Boysie Oakes and The Explosive Device (21.5pp)*
Story 3 - The Character of Jonathan Fielder (33pp)
Story 4 - The Man Who Passed 'Go' (29pp)
Story 5 - The Hit (8pp)
Story 6 - Here Is Your Life (9pp)
Story 7 - Boy Meets Girl (10pp)
Story 8 - Bang To Rights (11.5pp)
Story 9 - Sunset At Paleokastritsa (19pp)*
Story 10 - Day of Brief Glory (10pp)

Story 1 and 10 may be related, based on the similar though twisted titles, but I can't confirm this yet.

The two Boysie Oakes stories (*) represent about 25% of the book so it's still good value if you want to buy it just for Boysie.

And this is the text from Gardner at the beginning of the book, although it is not called a Forward or such like.....

Disraeli once said that assassination has never changed the history of the world: a statement which can be doubted though never disproved to any satisfaction. However, there are many kinds of assassination - some more subtle than those conducted in the full glare of world events, using the knife, poison, the pistol or high-powered rifle.
Daily, men and women are assassinated with thoughts, words, political stricture, attitudes, love, lack of love, indiscipline and hate. Assassination may never change the history of the world, but it certainly alters the history of individuals.

John Gardner,
Rowledge,
Surrey.

April 1973