I have to say it - this was a rollicking good read! Rollicking - exuberantly lively and amusing - this is the perfect description for Whisky Galore! Set durning WW2 on two neighbouring Hebridean islands. Can you believe it? Both islands are dry, there’s not a drop of whisky nor a bottle of beer to be had anywhere! How can a man be hospitable if he can’t offer up a dram or two to a visitor. If the ship hadn’t run aground when it did, life wouldn’t have been worth living. Now all the villagers have to do is get the thousands of bottles of whisky salvaged before the excise men arrive. Can they do it?? Lots of great characters and a good fun read! ( )

Can't figure out how I never wrote a review for this book while I remember that I throroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps I just never pressed save. ( )

Hilarious, and yet with some placid, sentimental (in the best sense of the word) moments. I must have read it at least half a dozen times, and although it no longer makes me roar with laughter, it still never fails to improve my mood. ( )

An amusing tale of involuntarily abstemious Scottish island life during WWII, with unforgettable characters and a lot of rollicking fun. ( )

A very surprising book. The plot is quite simple. The natives of two small islands in the Highlands region of Scotland are suffering privation; the supply of whisky has run out, because (as this is World War II) the supply must be sent to the US to earn money to fight the war. The natives feel this very keenly. One even dies from the shock of being told he can't have any spirits. Meanwhile, two different couples are trying to get around obstacles to marriage -- one, a father-in-law who has a difficult time committing to anything, and the other, a ferocious, domineering mother-in-law. A deus ex machina (very much holy, as some of the prelates on the islands note) comes in the form of a shipwreck that provides thousands upon thousands of bottles of prime Scotch whisky to the thirsty natives. Much to the annoyance of the pompous and officious commander of the local Home Guard forces. All's well that end's well, however, as couples get their love, and the natives keep their whisky out of the hands of the Excise. A surprisingly mild, colourful, and indeed romantic novel, which is a pleasure to read. No one, save the S/S Cabinet Minister, is truly hurt during the proceedings, though a few get mildly embarrassed. The book was later adapted into two highly successful film versions, one (the 1949 one) being a classic of Ealing-type comedy. Warmly recommended. ( )