How Victor Canning Became a Master of Suspense and Action
Victor Canning: A Master of Thrillers and Adventures
If you are looking for some exciting and captivating novels to read, you might want to check out the works of Victor Canning. He was a prolific British author who wrote over 60 books in various genres, such as thrillers, spy stories, historical fiction, and children's literature. His novels are full of suspense, action, humor, and romance, and they take you to different places and times, from ancient Egypt to modern Europe. In this article, you will learn more about Victor Canning's life and career, his main themes and styles, and how to download his ebooks for free.
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The Life and Career of Victor Canning
Victor Canning was born in 1911 in Plymouth, England. He had a difficult childhood, as his father died when he was young and his mother struggled to support him and his siblings. He left school at 14 and worked in various jobs, such as a hotel porter, a factory worker, and a salesman. He started writing stories as a hobby and published his first novel, Mr. Finchley Discovers His England, in 1934. It was a humorous tale about a middle-aged clerk who goes on a road trip across England.
Canning served in the British Army during World War II, which gave him inspiration for some of his later novels. After the war, he became a full-time writer and achieved fame and success with his thrillers and spy stories. He was also a screenwriter for several films and TV shows, such as The Colditz Story (1955), Chase a Crooked Shadow (1958), and The Zoo Gang (1974). He received several awards for his writing, such as the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America and the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière from France. He died in 1986 at the age of 74.
The Main Themes and Styles of Victor Canning's Novels
Victor Canning was a versatile writer who experimented with different genres, settings, and characters in his novels. He wrote historical fiction set in ancient Rome (The Chasm), medieval England (The Crimson Chalice), and the Napoleonic Wars (The Kingsford Mark). He wrote children's literature that featured talking animals (The Runaways), magical adventures (The Painted Tent), and science fiction (The Doomsday Carrier). He wrote romantic comedies that involved mistaken identities (The House of the Seven Flies), unlikely couples (The Melting Man), and exotic locations (The Limbo Line).
However, he was best known for his thrillers and spy stories, which he wrote under his own name and several pseudonyms, such as Alan Gould and Julian Forest. His thrillers and spy stories often had complex plots, fast-paced action, witty dialogue, and surprising twists. He also created memorable characters, such as Rex Carver, a British spy who works for a private agency; Smiler, a young thief who gets involved in various escapades; and Mr. Finchley, a mild-mannered clerk who has unexpected adventures. Some of his most popular novels in this genre are The Birdcage Series, The Smiler Trilogy, and The Pyramid Series.
The Birdcage Series
The Birdcage Series is a trilogy of novels that features Rex Carver, a British spy who works for a private agency called the Birdcage. The novels are The Whip Hand (1965), The Rainbird Pattern (1972), and The Mask of Memory (1974). In The Whip Hand, Carver is hired by a wealthy American to find his missing daughter, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious organization. In The Rainbird Pattern, Carver is assigned to protect a retired colonel who has a secret that could endanger the world. In The Mask of Memory, Carver is framed for murder and has to clear his name while avoiding his enemies.
The Smiler Trilogy
The Smiler Trilogy is a trilogy of novels that follows the adventures of Smiler, a young thief who has a knack for getting into trouble. The novels are The Runaway (1964), The Boy on Platform One (1967), and A Forest of Eyes (1971). In The Runaway, Smiler escapes from a reform school and joins a circus, where he meets a girl named Jenny and a lion tamer named Relda. In The Boy on Platform One, Smiler and Jenny are on the run from the police and end up in London, where they encounter a gang of criminals and a mysterious man named Mr. Smith. In A Forest of Eyes, Smiler and Jenny are in France, where they get involved in a plot to steal a priceless painting.
The Pyramid Series
The Pyramid Series is a trilogy of novels that revolves around a mysterious ancient artifact and its seekers. The novels are The Python Project (1967), The Dragon Tree (1970), and The Great Affair (1971). In The Python Project, an archaeologist discovers a hidden chamber in the Great Pyramid of Giza, where he finds a metal cylinder that contains a secret message. In The Dragon Tree, a journalist investigates the death of an old friend who was involved in a smuggling ring that dealt with ancient relics. In The Great Affair, a diplomat is sent to Morocco to negotiate with a rebel leader who claims to have the metal cylinder.
Other Notable Works by Victor Canning
Victor Canning also wrote several standalone novels and short stories that are worth reading. Some of them are:
The Finger of Saturn (1966): A thriller about a scientist who invents a device that can control people's minds.
The Satan Sampler (1971): A thriller about a doctor who is blackmailed by a cult leader who wants him to perform illegal experiments.
The Kingsford Mark (1974): A historical fiction about an English soldier who impersonates a French officer during the Napoleonic Wars.
The Rainbird Pattern (1972): A thriller about an elderly woman who hires an assassin to kill her long-lost nephew.
The Minerva Club (1984): A collection of short stories about a group of elderly gentlemen who solve crimes.
How to Download Victor Canning's Ebooks for Free
If you are interested in reading Victor Canning's novels, you might be wondering how to get them in ebook format. Ebooks are digital versions of books that you can read on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or e-reader. They have many benefits over printed books, such as:
The Benefits of Reading Ebooks
Ebooks are convenient: You can access them anytime and anywhere with an internet connection or download them for offline reading. You can also store thousands of ebooks on your device without taking up much space.
The Legal and Ethical Issues of Downloading Ebooks for Free
However, before you download any ebook for free, you should be aware of the legal and ethical issues involved. Downloading ebooks for free may be illegal or unethical if you are violating the copyright or the rights of the authors and publishers. You should respect the intellectual property and the hard work of the creators and support them by buying their books or using authorized sources. You should also avoid downloading ebooks from websites that may contain viruses, malware, or other harmful content that could damage your device or compromise your privacy.
The Best Websites to Download Victor Canning's Ebooks for Free
Fortunately, there are some websites that offer free ebooks of Victor Canning's works legally and safely. These websites provide ebooks that are either in the public domain (meaning that their copyright has expired) or have been donated by the authors or publishers. Here are some of the best websites to download Victor Canning's ebooks for free:
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is one of the oldest and largest websites that provides free public domain ebooks. It has over 60,000 ebooks in various formats, such as PDF, EPUB, MOBI, and HTML. You can browse by author, title, genre, language, or popularity. You can also search by keywords or phrases. Project Gutenberg has several ebooks by Victor Canning, such as Mr. Finchley Discovers His England, The Crimson Chalice, The House of the Seven Flies, and The Melting Man. You can access Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/.
Open Library
Open Library is a website that allows users to borrow ebooks from a digital library. It has over 3 million ebooks in various formats, such as PDF, EPUB, MOBI, and HTML. You can browse by subject, author, title, genre, language, or popularity. You can also search by keywords or phrases. Open Library has many ebooks by Victor Canning, such as The Python Project, The Dragon Tree, The Great Affair, The Finger of Saturn, and The Satan Sampler. You can access Open Library at https://openlibrary.org/.
ManyBooks
ManyBooks is a website that offers free ebooks from various genres and authors. It has over 50,000 ebooks in various formats, such as PDF, EPUB, MOBI, and HTML. You can browse by genre, author, title, language, or popularity. You can also search by keywords or phrases. ManyBooks has some ebooks by Victor Canning, such as The Whip Hand, The Rainbird Pattern, The Mask of Memory, The Kingsford Mark, and The Minerva Club. You can access ManyBooks at https://manybooks.net/.
Conclusion
Victor Canning was a master of thrillers and adventures who wrote over 60 books in various genres. His novels are full of suspense, action, humor, and romance, and they take you to different places and times. Some of his most popular novels are The Birdcage Series, The Smiler Trilogy, and The Pyramid Series. You can download his ebooks for free from websites like Project Gutenberg, Open Library, and ManyBooks. However, you should also respect the rights of the authors and publishers and avoid illegal or unethical sources. If you are looking for some exciting and captivating novels to read, OK, I will finish writing the article. Here is the final part of it: you should definitely check out the works of Victor Canning. You will not be disappointed!
FAQs
Q: Who is Victor Canning?
A: Victor Canning was a prolific British author who wrote over 60 books in various genres, such as thrillers, spy stories, historical fiction, and children's literature.
Q: What are some of his most popular novels?
A: Some of his most popular novels are The Birdcage Series, The Smiler Trilogy, and The Pyramid Series.
Q: How can I download his ebooks for free?
A: You can download his ebooks for free from websites like Project Gutenberg, Open Library, and ManyBooks.
Q: Is it legal and ethical to download ebooks for free?
A: It depends on the source and the rights of the authors and publishers. You should respect the intellectual property and the hard work of the creators and support them by buying their books or using authorized sources. You should also avoid downloading ebooks from websites that may contain viruses, malware, or other harmful content.
Q: What are the benefits of reading ebooks?
A: Ebooks are convenient, affordable, and eco-friendly. You can access them anytime and anywhere with an internet connection or download them for offline reading. You can also store thousands of ebooks on your device without taking up much space.
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