The Wild Geese

The Wild Geese is a 1978 novel by Rhodesian author Daniel Carney published by Bantam Books. He originally titled it The Thin White Line, but it went unpublished until its film adaptation The Wild Geese was made. Carney could not get his novel published until a chance meeting with film producer Euan Lloyd. Lloyd loved the story about mercenaries in Africa on a mission to rescue a deposed leader, and purchased the rights to adapt it into a film. Carney in return asked for his novel to be published and Lloyd agreed, as he had already had an offer from an American publisher when he had first taken the novel to Hollywood. The novel was finally published as The Wild Geese just before the film's release. The story May 1968 Deposed Congolese President Julius Limbani is on a flight to Israel, when his bodyguard is murdered. The CIA have hijacked the plane as part of a Cold War deal with current Congo president General Ndofa. Waiting in the Tel Aviv airport for Limbani is an Anglo-South African mercenary soldier Colonel Allen Faulkner. Faulkner is under contract to take Limbani back to the Congo and mount a coup d'état. When Limbani fails to arrive, Faulkner is left unemployed and returns to South Africa.