Хэммонд Иннес — о писателе

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литературной деятельностью, сочетая ее с продолжительными путешествиями - шесть месяцев путешествий и исследований, а затем шесть месяцев в письменном виде, со многими из этих работ с изображением моря. Самым значительным увлечением писателя было море, и прежде чем приступить к созданию очередного морского романа, писатель обязательно отправлялся в морской поход к местам действия будущей книги. Он побывал в Антарктике и Индийском океане, Атлантике и на греческих островах. В Англии Иннес занимал пост вице-президента Ассоциации подготовки моряков.

В 80-е годы писатель увлекается проблемами экологии, затрагивая эту тему в своих произведениях. Он также скупает значительные земельные угодья в Англии, Уэльсе и Австралии, с целью восстановления лесов на этих землях. За свою литературную деятельность Хэммонд Иннес получил награду ведущего детективного фестиваля Bouchercon и звание Коммандора Британской империи.

Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at Cranbrook School in Kent. He left in 1931 to work as a journalist, initially with the Financial Times (at the time called the Financial News). The Doppelganger, his first novel, was published in 1937. In WWII he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of Major. During the war, a number of his books were published, including Wreckers Must Breathe (1940), The Trojan Horse (1941) and Attack Alarm (1941), the last of which was based on his experiences as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Battle of Britain at RAF Kenley. After being demobilized in 1946, he worked full-time as a writer, achieving a number of early successes. His novels are notable for a fine attention to accurate detail in descriptions of places, such as in Air Bridge (1951), set partially at RAF Gatow, RAF Membury after its closure and RAF Wunstorf during the Berlin Airlift.

Innes went on to produce books in a regular sequence, with six months of travel and research followed by six months of writing. Many of his works featured events at sea. His output decreased in the 1960s, but was still substantial. He became interested in ecological themes. He continued writing until just before his death. His last novel was Delta Connection (1996).

Unusually for the thriller genre, Innes' protagonists were often not "heroes" in the typical sense, but ordinary men suddenly thrust into extreme situations by circumstance. Often, this involved being placed in a hostile environment (the Arctic, the open sea, deserts), or unwittingly becoming involved in a larger conflict or conspiracy. The protagonist generally is forced to rely on his own wits and making best use of limited resources, rather than the weapons and gadgetry commonly used by thriller writers.

Innes' great love and experience of the sea, as an experienced yachtsman, was reflected in many of his novels. He and his wife Dorothy both travelled in and raced their yachts Triune of Troy and Mary Deare. At his death he left the bulk of his estate to the Association of Sea Training Organisations, to enable others to gain training and experience in sailing the element he loved.