I think it must be more than forty years since I first read this marvellous adventure story. I remember that i loved it back then, but I hadn't thought about it for years until a fellow LibraryThing member reviewed Serraillier's other classic story "The Silver Sword", which i had also loved as a child. I re-read that, and loved it: it certainly worked as well in adulthood as it had when i was a child - in fact I probably found it even more moving.

This novel has also retained its magic, and I think that it if weren't for the illustrations and the fact that it was published by Puffin rather than in the mainstream Penguin series, there would be no reason to think of this as being specifically a children's story. Set in the 1950s in a fictitious area of eastern Europe torn by war (similar to what would happen to the Balkans forty years later) it tells of how Peter Howarth parachutes into the conflict to try to bring out a beleaguered scientist who has been working on significant developments of radar technology. , crucial to Britain's defence strategies.

Seraillier weaves a deft plot, full of twists and turns, that never veers from the plausible and credible, and keeps the excitement at fever pitch throughout. I found it very reminiscent of John Buchan (another great favourite from my childhood and early adolescence whose books I have been revisiting recently): clear, well-crafted prose, engaging characters and good, solid excitement. Very enjoyable :) ( )