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Ice Station Zebra: A pulse-pounding suspense thriller set in the Arctic Kindle Edition

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,332 ratings

A classic thriller from the bestselling master of action and suspense.

The atomic submarine Dolphin has impossible orders: to sail beneath the ice floes of the Arctic Ocean, and somehow locate and rescue the men of weather-station Zebra, gutted by fire and drifting with the ice-pack somewhere north of the Arctic Circle.

But the orders do not say what the Dolphin will find if she succeeds – that the fire at Ice Station Zebra was sabotage, and that one of the survivors is a killer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A thoroughly professional cliffhanger.

-- "Sunday Telegraph (London)"

About the Author

Michael Jayston is a highly regarded actor, having appeared in numerous films, among them Cromwell, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Zulu Dawn, and Nicholas and Alexandra. He has many television credits to his name as well, such as Element of Doubt, A Bit of a Do, Outside Edge, and Only Fools and Horses, while on stage he has been seen in Henry V and Hamlet for the RSC, as well as Private Lives and The Way of the World. His audiobook work has won him six AudioFile Earphones Awards.



Alistair MacLean (1922-1987) was born in Glasgow. A former torpedo man in the Royal Navy and teacher, he published his first adventure novel, HMS Ulysses, a bestseller, at age thirty-three. The Guns of Navarone is his most renowned title and was made into a film. He also published two novels under the pseudonym Ian Stuart.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0046A9MO0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins (July 8, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 8, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1703 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 401 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,332 ratings

About the author

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Alistair MacLean
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Alistair Stuart MacLean (Scottish Gaelic: Alasdair MacGill-Eain; 21 April 1922 – 2 February 1987) was a Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers and adventure stories. His works include The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare – all three were made into popular films. He also wrote two novels under the pseudonym Ian Stuart.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,332 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book exciting and hard to put down. They describe it as a great, fun read with well-written and entertaining writing. Readers appreciate the well-developed characters and their secrets.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

43 customers mention "Suspenseful"39 positive4 negative

Customers find the book engaging with its suspenseful plot and action. They describe it as an exciting, fast-paced spy thriller set in the Arctic during the Cold War era. The story is well-written and hard to put down, with plenty of twists and surprises. Readers praise the tale of a submarine going to rescue a group of Arctic researchers as interesting and hard to put down.

"...Intriguing and exciting at times, though there were times when it was a little long winded, I enjoyed it." Read more

"...is the first book I’ve read from Alistair MacLean, but this story is so well done that he has gone from vaguely famous to grand master as far as I’m..." Read more

"...--in the sub and at the Arctic camp-- provide a tight, suspenseful framework for the story, which is itself tight & suspenseful; this is MacLean at..." Read more

"...Ice Station Zebra is as chilly as its Arctic setting. I found it tense and exciting, even if the characters were never well defined...." Read more

37 customers mention "Readability"37 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it an enjoyable and engaging story with compelling writing. The book keeps readers hooked for long periods, making it a favorite among them.

"...shootouts, but somehow Mr. MacLean can easily keep a reader captivated for hours on end...." Read more

"...that the main character is hiding something, which I found incredibly compelling, and once I started mistrusting the narrator I had no idea what was..." Read more

"...Ice Station Zebra, is more whodunnit than cold war spy novel, but a good read just the same." Read more

"...One of Alistair MacLean’s better novels, way better than the movie. Definitely worth reading, and this is also available in Kindle format." Read more

20 customers mention "Writing quality"17 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written, entertaining, and readable. The story moves smoothly and is well-plotted. Readers appreciate the attention to details and clear copy. Overall, it's an enjoyable read for them.

"I really enjoyed this book, it's well researched and well written...believable...." Read more

"...Not as good as I expected but readable." Read more

"...Attention to details great portrayal of the cold wat atmosphere.A little heavy but I enjoyed it especially with the audio narration" Read more

"Legendary writing in this artic bound deep deception of a classic spy thriller story without all the techy gadgets or fancy martial arts...." Read more

10 customers mention "Character development"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters likable and 3D, with an intriguing mystery about the main character.

"...Exciting story, engaging characters, unexpected twists. You can’t go wrong with this one. Five stars." Read more

"...It’s quickly established that the main character is hiding something, which I found incredibly compelling, and once I started mistrusting the..." Read more

"...The captain and crew of the sub are likeable, 3-D characters...." Read more

"...Hanson, Rawlings and Zabrinski. They are phenomenal characters." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2019
    Whenever I read a spy story today, I inevitably compare it to those who I consider to be masters of the genre. Alistair MacLean is one of those authors, and “Ice Station Zebra” is a great example of his work.

    This book is a gripping suspense tale, with all the excitement one could ask for. No, there are no car chases and no amazing shootouts, but somehow Mr. MacLean can easily keep a reader captivated for hours on end. What he does offer is good storytelling, mixing the spy genre with the whodunit feel of a great detective novel.

    In fact, the killer is revealed during the course of the book, as the author does drop a clue that would reveal the guilty party. The clue, however, was so subtle that I missed it, and I believe most folks would miss it also. To me, this is the beauty of a successful plotline, when the author can leave a clue in plain sight and have readers overlook it.

    Exciting story, engaging characters, unexpected twists. You can’t go wrong with this one. Five stars.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2024
    I really enjoyed this book, it's well researched and well written...believable. Intriguing and exciting at times, though there were times when it was a little long winded, I enjoyed it.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2015
    Wow, I love this book, I devoured it like a drowning man reading instructions to inflate a life raft! The first person point-of-view, perfect for this story, gave me an immediate sense of being on ship and part of the action. It’s quickly established that the main character is hiding something, which I found incredibly compelling, and once I started mistrusting the narrator I had no idea what was about to happen.

    This is the first book I’ve read from Alistair MacLean, but this story is so well done that he has gone from vaguely famous to grand master as far as I’m concerned. I’ve already tracked down copies of his two Guns of Navarone novels which I plan to read with all haste. This guy really knows his stuff and is very skilled at spinning an interesting tale. I especially enjoyed the parts in the sub where they’re poking around looking for thin enough ice to surface through. I loved this book so much I rented the classic film and watched it. I had remembered the movie being fantastic, but now I’m a little spoiled by the book, which is now one of my favorites.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2018
    Ice Station Zebra had a bit of a slow start for me, but it quickly picked up steam. Dr. Carpenter is a physician, or so he says, and his mission is to reach a meteorological station in the Arctic called Drift Ice Station Zebra which has had a catastrophic fire. To do this he enlists the help of a nuclear submarine called the Dolphin which can survive under the solid ice of the polar ice cap.

    The accident is soon revealed to not have been an accident at all, but a cover for murder. Someone at Ice Station Zebra is hiding a secret, and he's not the only one. Dr. Carpenter is also extremely secretive, and is withholding vital information from the crew of the Dolphin about his true intentions.

    I found the book extremely hard to put down. There is a lot of time in this book devoted to detailed technical descriptions of how submarines work, which might be a drag to other people, but not to me. I absolutely loved this aspect of it.

    I am looking forward to read other books by this author!
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2017
    I fell in love with MacLean's books when I was about 9, and this is one of my all-time faves of his. The settings --in the sub and at the Arctic camp-- provide a tight, suspenseful framework for the story, which is itself tight & suspenseful; this is MacLean at his best. I think his most effective books are in nearly claustrophobic settings --this, the ship in "HMS Ulysses" (my vote for #1), the eponymous Bear Island, the harsh sea & barren islands in "When Eight Bells Toll."

    As is often the case in MacLean's work, the protagonist is more than he appears, and is a person dealing with a deep, personal pain. The captain and crew of the sub are likeable, 3-D characters. It's been so many decades since I first read this I really am no judge of how likely it is that a new reader will be able to figure out who the bad guy(s) is/are, but I think MacLean does a good job of concealing his/their identity/identities without cheating. The fire under the ice is one of the more exciting, truly knuckle-biting episodes in fiction. And as always, MacLean sprinkles bits of wry humor throughout.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2013
    These Days, I think more people are familiar with the 1968 feature film than MacLean's 1963 novel. If you have seen the film, you should still find the novel enjoyable as it departs significantly from the later screenplay. Released just months after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Ice Station Zebra borrows its premise from a real life incident involving early spy satelites, and sets its story mainly on board a submarine at the time when arctic undersea exploration was in the news. Don't expect a warm and fuzzy ride. Ice Station Zebra is as chilly as its Arctic setting. I found it tense and exciting, even if the characters were never well defined. Maclean's fans will find familar reading. A cool central protagonist embarks on a desparate mission, beset by a host of vague characters, not all of whom are trustworthy. With aspects of Arctic survival stories and Hollywood submarine movies, Ice Station Zebra, is more whodunnit than cold war spy novel, but a good read just the same.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2021
    Exciting novel, set in the Arctic, Cold War era. One of Alistair MacLean’s better novels, way better than the movie. Definitely worth reading, and this is also available in Kindle format.
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2017
    An old book, no longer in publication. Not as complex as I had hoped. I expected a geo-political thriller but that is not what this is. It is merely an adventure story similar to the Shackleton story. Only this is a novel. And it takes place in the 50's and has a submarine and a cold war listening station in it. Not as good as I expected but readable.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Uma D.
    5.0 out of 5 stars The book was in good print...
    Reviewed in India on July 20, 2023
    Allister McLean is my favourite....I have almost all the books.....but Ice Station Zebra....am happy....you helped me to get one....thanks Amazon...
  • Christopher James
    5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2022
    As always the book is better than the film.. And believe me the Hollywood version, saturated with cold war paranoia though it is, will always be a favourite of mine, comes second to this wonderfully British spy thriller. In the same way the Bear Island film and book differ in the Author's vision and the director's box office income diverge..
  • philetienne
    5.0 out of 5 stars Il libro e' arrivato intatto.
    Reviewed in Italy on March 29, 2022
    I was curious to read the novel, as I rather like the film directed by John Sturges (although I am not blind to its faults); the movie is "opened" after its initial episodes, I suppose few people still wish to spend two hours-plus in a submarine, but the novel takes place almost entirely aboard the submarine and MacLean is quite good at making the reader claustrophobic. The best scene in the movie (the meeting between the admiral and the captain) is not in the book.
  • Igor
    1.0 out of 5 stars Not interesting
    Reviewed in Japan on September 20, 2021
    The book describes a lot how submarine works. I stopped after 30%. Totally boring
  • Tom Angliss Kindle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in Australia on November 11, 2019
    Good read

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