From Publishers Weekly
This is the last novel left unpublished at the author's death in 1983, and, while it may not be the best of Bagley (The Golden Keel, Night of Error, the old pro's smooth yarn-spinning still works nicely. American narrator Neil Mannix is the corporate troubleshooter for multinational British Electric. Nyala, a former British colony newly rich with oil, hopes to prop up its shaky democracy and economy with a new power station near its oil fields. The Nyalans insist that British Electric must dispatch a 300-ton transformer for display to the populace, and Mannix is sent to supervise the travels of "the rig" on a huge flatbed. Civil war breaks out, and Mannix is bullied by a local doctor and an Irish nun into using the rig as a traveling hospital. He must deal with opposing armies, possibly unsafe roads and bridges, some untrustworthy crew members and Nyalans who trek after the machinery, which has taken on symbolic, even mythic meaning. The logistics are occasionally over-detailed, but the story, like the rig-juggernaut, keeps rolling through colorful West Africa and a lively cast of characters.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--Ce texte provient d'une édition qui n'est plus publiée ou qui est non diponible.
From Library Journal
The original juggernaut was a huge idol of the Indian god Krishna. Once a year it was dragged through the streets while sacrificial victims were crushed beneath its weight. This last novel by Bagley (who died in 1983) is a modern action tale set in the West African state of Nyala, and in it the "juggernaut" is a huge 550-ton transformer to be conveyed up-country by a group of British contractors. American troubleshooter Neil Mannix must see that delivery occurs on time despite obstacles including the outbreak of civil war. His plans are further complicated when the giant rig is transformed into a mobile field hospital, which Nyalan victims of the war follow through the bush to safety. Though this novel is too long, it is a fairly diverting adventure yarn that Bagley's devoted readers will enjoy. Recommended for general fiction and YA collections. William C. McCully, Park Ridge P.L., Ill.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--Ce texte provient d'une édition qui n'est plus publiée ou qui est non diponible.
