"Breaking the Ice" - Your views on John Gardner's Icebreaker (1983)?

As there's never been a specific thread here on John Gardner's third James Bond continuation novel Icebreaker (1983) I thought that I would remedy this fact and start a thread where we can discuss, review, criticise and even help conduct some research on the novel.

For many literary Bond fans (myself included) this is one of John Gardner's best James Bond novels, and some even call it the best. It's known that it was one of John Gardner's personal favourites from his Bond back catalogue, his ultimate favourite being the similarly plotted The Man From Barbarossa (1991).

Icebreaker saw John Gardner return the literary Bond to the subject of the Nazis, past and present (see Sir Hugo Drax in Ian Fleming's Moonraker) and a neo-Nazi group called the National Socialist Action Army (NSAA) who were killing Communist Party members and associates the world over in a terrorist campaign designed to usher in a Fourth Reich in Europe. The NSAA may have been based on this similarly-titled Neo-Nazi political party of the early 1980s in Britain (linked below) which also attacked Communists and was involved (like the villain Count Konrad von Gloda) in arms smuggling to further its nefarious ends:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Socialist_Action_Party

Digging around, I've also found this neo-Nazi LP. I don't know whether or not it is influenced by Gardner's Icebreaker or not but it is interesting nonetheless:

http://www.popsike.com/LEGION-88-ICEBREAKER-85-TEST-LP-SKINHEAD-FRENCH-OI/4813090475.html

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this novel and what I've written about the possible inspiration for Gardner's NSAA villain's organisation in this thread. Let's get a good conversation going here.

It's been some time since I read it and I've been meaning to do a complete series re-read. When I first read it it felt like a step backwards from FOR SPECIAL SERVICES at first-but suddenly the book clicked in my mind and it moved like a really good old fashioned spy thriller narrative set in the snowy climate.
I'd rate it as one of his best even if it is more like a film than a convoluted spy novel. It certainly moves quickly and is an enjoyable read with some good characters, double crosses and setpieces. I still remember to left foot brake in icy driving moments thinking I'm in the Saab with the snow plow coming out at me from nowhere.

I think I'd rate it close to the top of Gardner Bonds probably something like this:
1. For Special Serives
2. Nobody Lives Forever
3. Role of Honour
4. Icebreaker
5. Licence Renewed
6. Win Lose or Die
7. Death is Forever
8. No Deals Mr. Bond
9. Scorpius
10. Brokenclaw
11. Man From Barbossa
12. Seafire
13. Never Send Flowers
14. Cold Fall

I recently re-read Icebreaker a few months ago. Like many during Lockdown, I've done
plenty of reading. I enjoyed the first six of Gardner's novels, then they became a bit
the same, Bond in a group with at least  one double or triple agent. More Maclean  than
Fleming. With Icebreaker, bringing back the Nazi's is always a standard thriller idea, and I
enjoyed the location. It has a few great sequences like the journey across the border at night
on skidoos. Where I learnt not to throw out my leg on the snow to turn one. The cold water
torture part is also very good.

Agreed on all points. The first six Gardners from LR to No Deals have the most energy and feel most like Bond novels. After that the others have their moments with Death is Forever being the best of them. Gardner Bonds do have their traits and hangups-and will deviate from Bondian feeling but they should be better discussed and acknowledged for sure. He came up with some nice sequences, characters and death scenes along with tortures. The O-kee-pa in Brokenclaw always jumps to mind.

Reranking for me nowadays:
1. For Special Serives
2. Nobody Lives Forever
3. Role of Honour
4. Licence Renewed
5. Icebreaker
6. No Deals Mr. Bond
7. Death is Forever
8. Win Lose or Die
9. Scorpius
10. Brokenclaw
11. Man From Barbossa
12. Seafire
13. Never Send Flowers
14. Cold Fall

Nice ranking list. I too love For Special Services, a great gig Bond adventure.

I need to go through them all at some point. I have them but when I was younger there was only the first four in my house so I still tend to read those, even though I've all of Gardner's now including LTK and GE.

He did a good job considering.

I'd definitely Rate Gardner far higher than R Benson.  Also since discovering Audio Books, I regularly
listen to them when driving, or walking the dog etc,

I've always enjoyed Icebreaker, despite the fact that Bond is at his least proactive. He's led along by the nose and double-crossed by each member of the team at least once. As Thunderpussy said, more Alistair MacLean than Fleming, but the atmosphere and heady plot more than make up for any shortcomings.

I much prefer Icebreaker to FSS, TMFB and DIF. Those are all in the bottom half of my ranking, dwarfed by LR, IB, NLF, SC, WLoD and BC.

Of Benson's contributions I like ZMT and HTTK (aka ABTD). The latter is rather reminiscent of IB as it steps out of the usual formula and pits Bond against the harsh elements as much as against enemy agents.