When Tintin spots an old model ship at a Brussels market, he believes that it will make the perfect birthday gift for his friend Captain Haddock. It quickly becomes apparent though that Tintin is not the only one interested in the ship and he has to avoid the aggressive bargaining of two other would-be purchasers before he is able to get the model safely back to his flat. It doesn’t stay safe for long though as Snowy, Tintin’s loyal doggy companion, is scampering about the flat and knocks the ship over, breaking one of the masts. However, after a quick bit of repair work, the ship is patched up and duly presented to Captain Haddock.

Haddock is delighted with the gift, quickly realising that the ship is a model of the Unicorn, a 17^th century warship that was captained by his ancestor, Sir Francis Haddock. His delight is short lived though as the ship is subsequently stolen but, with the aid of an old diary detailing the exploits of Sir Francis Haddock and a mysterious parchment that had been hidden in the broken mast, Tintin is soon on the trail of the thieves and, accompanied by the wonderfully bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson [no relation], the dynamic trio of Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock set off to uncover the secret of the Unicorn.

Together with its sequel Red Rackham’s Treasure, The Secret of the Unicorn is arguably Tintin’s greatest adventure and so it is no surprise that these two books were chosen as the basis for Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin film [due out in the UK on 26^th October]. There are two mysteries central to The Secret of the Unicorn – most obviously that surrounding the model ship and the history of Sir Francis Haddock, but also that of a serial pickpocket being ineptly pursued by Thomson and Thompson. These co-existing mysteries that eventually twist together in a very convincing fashion ensure that The Secret of the Unicorn involves plenty of thrills and spills as well as plenty of humour and intrigue.

Although Hergé had to make some changes to the world of Tintin in order to accommodate the time in which The Secret of the Unicorn was written [Belgium being occupied by the Nazis in 1943], the ethos of the series and its sense of adventure is preserved. In keeping with the political climate of the time, Tintin is no longer officially a reporter on the hunt for political intrigue but he is still a skilled investigator. Although aided by his friends, it is Tintin who is first on the trail of the stolen model ship and who throws himself into danger at every turn. He is also, fortunately, in a position to assist Thomson and Thompson with their pickpocket investigation and to help Captain Haddock unravel the secrets of his ancestor.

As well as providing background information on Captain Haddock’s famous ancestor, The Secret of the Unicorn is perhaps the book that best establishes the Captain’s own heroic character. Although he was introduced in The Crab with the Golden Claws and featured in The Shooting Star, it is in this book that [a relatively sober] Captain Haddock is established as an attention worthy character in  himself as well as a firm friend and loyal adventuring companion of Tintin. This book is also notable for the introduction of Nestor the butler and of Marlinspike Hall, both of which play important roles in Captain Haddock’s future.

The Secret of the Unicorn shows Tintin at his adventurous best and Hergé at his creative peak. It is a great mix of historical mystery and contemporary intrigue that leads in nicely to the equally excellent Red Rackham’s Treasure.

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