The Great Train Robbery (novel)

The Great Train Robbery is a novel by American author Michael Crichton from the year 1975. Theme of the book is the Great Train Robbery of 1855, in which a group of criminals around 200 lbs. Gold (equivalent to 91 kg ) from a moving train stolen, who was on the way to Folkestone.

The book is set during the Victorian era against the backdrop of the Crimean War, the action takes place in London for the most part. The Edward Pierce described as a " gentleman " plans with a group of accomplices rob a gold transport by train during the journey. After months of preparation by means of observations, bribery and deceit the group imprints of safe keys, lead bullets procured as weight dummies, and finally access to the trolley, in which the gold is transported. The robbery succeeds, however, the perpetrators are caught.

The novel is largely on historical facts, while the names of the protagonists have been modified. The former Bahnangesellten William Pierce is in the book of Gentleman Edward Pierce, from the career criminal Edward Robert Agar is Agar.

Error

Pierce mentioned the climber Coolidge, WAB Coolidge was actually only 5 years old at this time, so not part of the golden age of alpinism, but the Silver Age.

The Bank President Trent has a Dr. Scott's Electric Hair Brush. Electric motors were not yet common at that time and there was no power supply.

Filming

The novel was made ​​into a film in 1979, directed by Crichton starring Sean Connery as Edward Pierce, Donald Sutherland and Robert Agar and Lesley- Anne Down as Miriam under the title The Great Train Robbery; the music was composed by Jerry Goldsmith.

The film was nominated for the Best Cinematography Award by the British Society of Cinematographers and the Best Motion Picture by the Edgar Allan Poe Award by the Mystery Writers Association of America.

Expenditure

  • The Great Train Robbery. Knopf, New York, 1975, ISBN 0-394-49401-6.
  • The Great Train Robbery. German by Hans -Joachim Maass, Rowohlt, Reinbek b. Hamburg 1994, ISBN 3-498-00844-7.
W. A. B. Coolidge Lesley-Anne Down
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