Appointment with Venus

This article is about the novel. For its film adaptation, see Appointment with Venus (film).
Appointment with Venus

First edition
Author Jerrard Tickell
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre War novel
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date
 1951
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)

Appointment with Venus (LCCN 51-39007) is a novel by Jerrard Tickell published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1951, leading to a British film adaptation the same year and a Danish film adaptation in 1962. The story is based on a real incident of the evacuation of Alderney cattle from the Channel Island during World War II.[1]

Plot summary

In 1940, after the fall of France, the fictitious Channel Island of Armorel is occupied by a small garrison of German troops under the benign command of Hauptmann Weiss. He finds that the hereditary ruler, the Suzerain, is away in the army, leaving the Provost in charge.

Back in London, the Ministry of Agriculture realise that Venus, a valuable pedigree Guernsey cow, remains on the island. They petition the War Office to mount a rescue operation, and Major Valentine Morland is assigned the mission, with the assistance of the Suzerain's sister Nicola Fallaize who joined the A.T.S. at the outbreak of war.

They travel to Armorel by submarine, contact the Provost and other friends on the island, and discover that Weiss, a cattle breeder in civilian life, is about to have the cow shipped to Germany. By a series of elaborate deceptions, they extract Venus from Weiss's command and succeed in returning her to England.

Armorel

The island of Armorel appears to be a fictionalised version of Sark; the two islands occupy the same location near Herm and have many other similarities. Sark was used as a location when making the film adaptation.

Other adaptations

BBC World Service broadcast a 4-part dramatisation by Michael Bartlett featuring Karen Archer and Michael Cochrane in 1992.

A 1993 audio cassette version of the novel was produced by Soundings Ltd (ISBN 185496822X).

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Alderneysociety.org Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
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