What do you think?
Rate this book
Dr. Adolph Grundt #2
The Return of Clubfoot
In thrillers of the twenties, there are remarkably few German villains around. Writers like John Buchan deliberately introduced “good” Germans into their stories, and others presented the Germans as misled by a few evil men.
An exception is The Return of Clubfoot (1922), by Valentine Williams. During the war, Williams had invented the character of Dr Adolf Grundt, head of the Kaiser’s secret service, whose plots had been foiled by the gallant English brothers, Francis and Desmond Okewood.
In 1922 (according to the serial in the Premier Magazine) Desmond Okewood was on a treasure hunt in the South Seas, and perhaps inevitably comes across his old enemy, “that giant, ape-like cripple” who had shot his brother Francis.
Things unfold at a cracking pace, particularly because there is a beautiful but headstrong young girl called Marjorie, who insists on joining the adventure but manages to get herself captured by the enemy. there is a very strong scene where she is told that if she does not reveal the whereabouts of the hero, she will be delivered over to a deformed black member of the crew, to do whatever he wishes with her. Williams is strong on deformities, and also on racial stereotypes; there is an “unsavoury-looking red-haired Jew with a scrubby auburn beard”, who also features in the story.
It’s all very reprehensible, but a remarkably fast-paced story.
An exception is The Return of Clubfoot (1922), by Valentine Williams. During the war, Williams had invented the character of Dr Adolf Grundt, head of the Kaiser’s secret service, whose plots had been foiled by the gallant English brothers, Francis and Desmond Okewood.
In 1922 (according to the serial in the Premier Magazine) Desmond Okewood was on a treasure hunt in the South Seas, and perhaps inevitably comes across his old enemy, “that giant, ape-like cripple” who had shot his brother Francis.
Things unfold at a cracking pace, particularly because there is a beautiful but headstrong young girl called Marjorie, who insists on joining the adventure but manages to get herself captured by the enemy. there is a very strong scene where she is told that if she does not reveal the whereabouts of the hero, she will be delivered over to a deformed black member of the crew, to do whatever he wishes with her. Williams is strong on deformities, and also on racial stereotypes; there is an “unsavoury-looking red-haired Jew with a scrubby auburn beard”, who also features in the story.
It’s all very reprehensible, but a remarkably fast-paced story.
- GenresMystery
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1923
About the author
Valentine Williams
109 books4 followersAka Douglas Valentine (1 work)
George Valentine Williams (1883 - 1946) was the son of G Edward Williams, Chief Editor of the Reuters News Agency. After being privately educated in Germany, he joined Reuters as a sub editor in 1902. In 1909, Williams became a reporter for the Daily Mail (then the most popular British newspaper and the first to achieve a daily circulation of one million copies). In this capacity, he reported on international events such as the Portuguese Revolution of 1910 and the Balkan Wars of 1912 - 1913. During the early stages of the First World War, reporters were not permitted direct access to the Western Front. Williams therefore obtained a commission with the Irish Guards in December 1915. He saw action during the Battle of the Somme, where he was seriously wounded in 1916, and was awarded the Military Cross. Williams then joined the small group of accredited war correspondents based at British General Headquarters and continued to serve as the accredited correspondent for the Daily Mail until the end of the War. After the War, Valentine Williams was in charge of reporting the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919 for the Daily Mail. In addition to journalism, Williams also became a popular writer of mystery fiction, publishing a series of 28 books from 1918 until his death in 1946.
George Valentine Williams (1883 - 1946) was the son of G Edward Williams, Chief Editor of the Reuters News Agency. After being privately educated in Germany, he joined Reuters as a sub editor in 1902. In 1909, Williams became a reporter for the Daily Mail (then the most popular British newspaper and the first to achieve a daily circulation of one million copies). In this capacity, he reported on international events such as the Portuguese Revolution of 1910 and the Balkan Wars of 1912 - 1913. During the early stages of the First World War, reporters were not permitted direct access to the Western Front. Williams therefore obtained a commission with the Irish Guards in December 1915. He saw action during the Battle of the Somme, where he was seriously wounded in 1916, and was awarded the Military Cross. Williams then joined the small group of accredited war correspondents based at British General Headquarters and continued to serve as the accredited correspondent for the Daily Mail until the end of the War. After the War, Valentine Williams was in charge of reporting the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919 for the Daily Mail. In addition to journalism, Williams also became a popular writer of mystery fiction, publishing a series of 28 books from 1918 until his death in 1946.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 6, 2012
“The Return of Clubfoot” by Valentine Williams was a delightful novel about a treasure hunt on a Pacific Island by the intrepid Major Okewood. The circumstances of how Okewood gains knowledge of the treasure and the subsequent pursuit by Okewood's nemesis, Clubfoot, made for a fast-paced, suspenseful, and entertaining read highlighted by a romantic interest and a satisfying ending. The only drawback was the frequent passages in German that lacked translation into English – translations that would have added to the average non-German speaking reader's enjoyment.
January 18, 2024
The "grimy negress" and the "Jap" in the first few pages were a bit too much for me.
February 20, 2013
This one was fun: a rollicking treasure hunt in the South Seas, with Desmond Okewood and Clubfoot. And we all thought he was dead!! Not so. I like William's strong female characters. Marjorie, in this book, is a good love interest for Desmond.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews