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'Broadsword Calling Danny Boy'
- On Where Eagles Dare
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 2 hrs and 22 mins
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'Broadsword Calling Danny Boy'
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Summary
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of 'Broadsword Calling Danny Boy' by Geoff Dyer, read by Roy McMillan.
From the acclaimed writer and critic Geoff Dyer, an extremely funny scene-by-scene analysis of Where Eagles Dare - published as the film reaches its 50th anniversary
A thrilling Alpine adventure starring a magnificent, bleary-eyed Richard Burton and a coolly anachronistic Clint Eastwood, Where Eagles Dare is the apex of 1960s war movies, by turns enjoyable and preposterous. 'Broadsword Calling Danny Boy' is Geoff Dyer's tribute to the film he has loved since childhood: an analysis taking us from its snowy, Teutonic opening credits to its vertigo-inducing climax. For those who have not even seen Where Eagles Dare, this book is a comic tour-de-force of criticism. But for the film's legions of fans, whose hearts will always belong to Ron Goodwin's theme tune, it will be the fulfilment of a dream.
'Geoff Dyer's funniest book yet. Who else would work in Martha Gellhorn on the first page of a book on the film Where Eagles Dare?' Michael Ondaatje
'One of our greatest living critics, not of the arts but of life itself, and one of our most original writers' Kathryn Schulz, New York Magazine
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What listeners say about 'Broadsword Calling Danny Boy'
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Roger Smith
- 30-01-24
Great fun - witty and perceptive
Wonderful observations on a very good bad film that has become part of our culture.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- THUNDERCHIEF
- 07-09-23
Hugely Entertaining
A marvellous entertaining analysis of a great film. Almost poetic in nature. Have listened to this repeatedly.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stirzaker Photography
- 30-04-19
One the most pleasant two hours I have ever spent
When as a mature student I was studying for my degree, I was fortunate to meet Geoff Dyer, when he delivered a lecture at Manchester's Cheethams Library. His Ongoing moment became a set text for my speciality. I became a fan.
This scene by scene review of a film I love as much as Dyer clearly does is a pleasure. It is written and delivered with great humour. Dyer must be around my age because we both saw this film at around the same age. at a cinema. I doubt the cotton wool society we live in now would allow such young eyes to view this. It reflects his life and maps out the way he was influenced, and I felt in a lot of ways it mirrored my own early years.
It was one the most pleasant two hours I have ever spent with an audiobook
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Scott
- 28-10-19
Perfect companion piece
If you know the film, and who doesn't, then this is an affectionate treat.
Starting from the opening titles it describes, annotates and enlightens - sometimes with imagined internal monologues by the stars - what is happening on screen. Think of it as a great discussion down the pub with a mate who, like you, knows and loves every scene.
Not a film buff critique, rather it readily accepts this is one of the greatest movies ever made, celebrates it and knows the joy of watching and rewatching it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike La-Traille
- 04-01-22
Eagles Dared!
If you are a fan of the movie Where Eagles Dare, then you no doubt will have seen it like me and the author of this book many many times! I came to it because of Clint Eastwood when I was a child and while revisiting often find myself drawn more to the Burton character now, probably because I now understand him more.
This is a very funny and critical look at the film, and the author is correct this is a classic movie and should be accepted as so, not all great movies need to be Citizen Kane, films can be great and classic for so many reasons and this is a good example.
The narration is engaging and well read. I found myself going back to re-listen to passages throughout. I will listen again after I have rewatched the movie (again!).
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Graham G Grant
- 03-06-24
Where Egos Dared
Where Eagles Dare is a tour de force war movie from the late 1960s, starring a rarely sober Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood, leading a daring Allied rescue mission on a Nazi-held castle in the Bavarian Alps. It’s wall-to-wall carnage - and a brilliantly entertaining film, written by Alistair MacLean (there’s also a novel). Dyer was a MacLean aficionado as a child but in an afterword admits his books now seem fairly underwhelming now that he’s an adult - including Where Eagles Dare (Dyer has very little time for the novel these days). This harsh judgment of MacLean’s published work seemed a bit unfair to me - I am a fan! That said, this is a book about the movie, with only a short reflection on MacLean’s literary output. It’s an irreverent and indeed very funny analysis of Where Eagles Dare, almost scene by scene. The anachronisms and implausibilities are unpacked. Burton was frequently sozzled and even went AWOL while filming; he plainly thought the movie was beneath his usual standards. This is as much a love letter as a critique - fans will lap it up. The narration is really well done. Listen now!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Simon Peter Crane
- 23-01-22
Very good niche product
As someone who grew up watching ‘Where Eagles Dare’, the unpacking of this film process was very interesting and it allows one to recall the visual specifics surprisingly clearly.
I enjoyed the process of the analysis, and because of this, was able to appreciate the film in greater detail.
It’s not a long listen, but it takes one on a chronological journey through the film with some particularly insightful commentary.
Some unusual moments of wholly unnecessary and inexplicable bad language do appear from time to time, which did surprise me. These were ill-advised and neither improved the book, nor were appropriate to the audience of a WW2 yarn that contained none of these expletives.
This aspect was a poor choice of the writer.
In summary though I enjoyed this listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ron G.
- 09-04-24
Great Read
I had to stop listening g on the train wearing ear buds as I kept giggling and sniggering.
Thoroughly enjoyed. It’s a short listen at just over 2 hours but perfect for a train ride in between biographies
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