• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

General Knowledge Quiz

Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

randyrippley

Established Member
Joined
21 Feb 2016
Messages
5,383
Yes it was the Iraqi supergun(s)
But who was the designer ? (he was Canadian, and also behind the American Project HARP)
 

randyrippley

Established Member
Joined
21 Feb 2016
Messages
5,383
Looks like no-one is going to get this
He was Gerald Bull, assassinated (probably by the Israelis) in Belgium

Project Babylon was the Iraqi supergun, Gloster was the first to ID this so I hand the target over to him
 

Gloster

Established Member
Joined
4 Sep 2020
Messages
9,908
Location
Up the creek
That his first name was Gerald or Gerard wandered into my brain sometime in the night, but not his surname..

Regrettably, although I do not like doing so, I will have to declare ’open floor’ as important matters have come up in the last day.
 

Calthrop

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2015
Messages
3,482
I'll offer one, if I may. One of Frederick Forsyth's most-acclaimed thrillers, The Fist Of God, is about the 1990/91 Gulf War, including the matter of Project Babylon. A rather lesser-known such work by this author, involves a tense stand-off between the USSR and the Western powers (with -- perhaps "prophetically half a century-odd, from publication date", Russia-versus-Ukraine doings), plus "environmental terrorism". Please give the name of this novel.
 
Last edited:

Xenophon PCDGS

Veteran Member
Joined
17 Apr 2011
Messages
33,598
Location
A semi-rural part of north-west England
I'll offer one, if I may. One of Frederick Forsyth's most-acclaimed thrillers, The Fist Of God, is about the 1990/91 Gulf War, including the matter of Project Babylon. A rather lesser-known such work by this author, involves a tense stand-off between the USSR and the Western powers (with -- perhaps "prophetically half a century-odd, from population date", Russia-versus-Ukraine doings), plus "environmental terrorism". Please give the name of this novel.
I remember reading one of his novels called "Icon" that tells of a Russian political party organisation with strong views that would threaten the West, but I am sure that I am off-track to the clues in the raised question.
 

Calthrop

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2015
Messages
3,482
Although the book prominently features things Russian / Soviet; I'm afraid it's it's neither Icon nor The Odessa File.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

Veteran Member
Joined
17 Apr 2011
Messages
33,598
Location
A semi-rural part of north-west England
The only other Forsyth novel that I recall was made into a film of the same name called "The Fourth Protocol" in which Anton Rogers played the part of a naive patriot who was handing secret documentation information to a South African when the Apartheid regime was in power in the belief that South Africa were sworn enemies of the USSR, whereas the truth was the South African was a Russian agent.
 

Calthrop

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2015
Messages
3,482
The only other Forsyth novel that I recall was made into a film of the same name called "The Fourth Protocol" in which Anton Rogers played the part of a naive patriot who was handing secret documentation information to a South African when the Apartheid regime was in power in the belief that South Africa were sworn enemies of the USSR, whereas the truth was the South African was a Russian agent.
Not that one, I fear.
 

Peter Mugridge

Veteran Member
Joined
8 Apr 2010
Messages
15,426
Location
Epsom
Thank you. :)

Remaining with the subject of Frederick Forsyth's novels - one in particular has long been rumoured to have been based closely on the real actions of a powerful businessman trying ( and failing ) to do something very audacious in order to boost his business.

We don't need a discussion on who the businessman may or may not have been, but we do need the title of the novel concerned...
 

MotCO

Established Member
Joined
25 Aug 2014
Messages
4,719
Thank you. :)

Remaining with the subject of Frederick Forsyth's novels - one in particular has long been rumoured to have been based closely on the real actions of a powerful businessman trying ( and failing ) to do something very audacious in order to boost his business.

We don't need a discussion on who the businessman may or may not have been, but we do need the title of the novel concerned...

Is it on the shelf behind you? :D
 

Calthrop

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2015
Messages
3,482
Thank you. :)

Remaining with the subject of Frederick Forsyth's novels - one in particular has long been rumoured to have been based closely on the real actions of a powerful businessman trying ( and failing ) to do something very audacious in order to boost his business.

We don't need a discussion on who the businessman may or may not have been, but we do need the title of the novel concerned...
The Dogs Of War -- enterprising gent concerned, wishes to take over for his benefit, a hapless African country; but those whom he hires to implement his plan, turn out to have other ideas...
 

Peter Mugridge

Veteran Member
Joined
8 Apr 2010
Messages
15,426
Location
Epsom
The Dogs Of War -- enterprising gent concerned, wishes to take over for his benefit, a hapless African country; but those whom he hires to implement his plan, turn out to have other ideas...
That's the one... you'd better pen us a new question. :)

@MotCO - it is actually... :lol:
 

Xenophon PCDGS

Veteran Member
Joined
17 Apr 2011
Messages
33,598
Location
A semi-rural part of north-west England
When I was researching artifacts from the Micronesian Islands in the South Pacific region many years ago, I came across a rather strange form of stone currency in the Yap (?) Islands which was a circular block of stone almost two metres in height when stood on end, with a small hole in the middle, reminiscent of a giant Polo Mint. It was said this stone currency was not from the islands in question, but were ferried on large rafts.
 

Calthrop

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2015
Messages
3,482
@Xenophon PCDGS -- as often, you prove to know more about the matter concerned; than I the setter, do ! "Short version" -- the Yap island region in the Pacific (a US territory, I believe) is indeed where the relevant unwieldy currency obtains, or did.

I'd better not break into pidgin-English -- that would probably be reckoned non-PC nowadays -- will just say: it's your go.
 

Top