Product Description
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Customer Reviews (1)

This was the only biography of Shute I could find.
I suppose you could call me a Nevile Shute fan for the simple reason I have read almost all his books over the years.

In the early 70s I was on the Malaysian Island of Penang and found in the mezzanine of my old hotel a small book store operated by an Indian family. Laid out in a row I discovered about a dozen of Nevil Shute's major works in paperback. I bought them all. They made perfect background reading for my travels. The Shute mentality still floated around that part of the world.

Years later I was surprised to find that there was really only one biography of this unique author. There is an a autobiography but Smith's book seems to be the only real biography.

I have nothing to compare it to. As a Shute admirer I read it with interest. It is not a long book but fills in the facts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another Marvelous Story
Nevil Shute is one of the most wondrous storytellers I've ever read. He uses such simple premises, he gives you details you'd never think of, his books are peopled with ordinary people who do extraordinary things. This book begins at the end of WWII and continues through the early 50's. A Leading Wren who loses everyone she loves. A man who searches for her in vain only to find her in a most unusual place when it's too late. Shute uses a most unusual style in telling this story, but he manages to still keep it straightforward and entertaining. What a great read!

Nevil Shute is one of the greatest writers of our time
The Breaking Wave is set in the aftermath of World War II, the story of a British Wren and an Australian airman.Nevil Shute, as usual, draws one in with his subtle character development and outstanding descriptions.The twist in the way the story is laid out was deftly handled leaving me in awe of the author's skill by the conclusion.The story moved me as few others I have ever read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

poor quality binding/author Nevil Shute terrific
As soon as I opened the book, the cardboard cover cracked and split along the joint between the front cover and spine. I have had difficulty reaching the bookseller (Heron Books) through the Amazon website. Exercise caution!

On the positive side, this version does not contain the persistent (typesetting?) error that occurs in the dialogue on page 67 of the paperback published by Random House/Ballantine Books. Somebody over there PLEASE fix this! You do a disservice to a classic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

CASUALTIES OF WAR
Nevil Shute's gentle and very clever way of telling a story really shines here. This one sneaks up on you as you slowly find yourself caught up in the emotions of the characters, all of whose lives have been forever shaped and scarred by their experiences in WWII. Masterfully told in partial flashback, the mystery of the suicide of a parlourmaid at an Australian sheep station turns out to have profound implications for everyone involved in her life. A deeply moving and haunting novel, Mr. Shute deftly shows us how "Like some infernal monster, still venemous in death, a war can go on killing people for a long time after it's all over."

This is a stunning novel by a master storyteller. Highly recommended.

NOTE: This is also published as 'Requiem For A Wren'

Don't miss out on this magnificent novel!
The story of Alan Duncan begins with his homecoming to Coombargana, a sheep farming station in the Western District of Australia. On the day before his return, the trusted parlor maid on the station, of whom his parents were very fond, died in her room unexpectedly; coincidence?

Beginning with the pursuit of a law degree at Oxford University, the years of Alan's absence from family and homeland taught him much, very quickly. Not surprising: he is drawn into the World War-II effort as a fighter pilot, risking all he has in life, just like his younger brother Bill.

Also like his brother, he is attracted to the English girl, Janet Prentice, a WREN on active duty, assigned to maintenance of ordinance used in preparation of the D-Day invasion. The terrible war has left each one with terrible losses, of which the consequences carry the reader through Alan's quest to find Janet in the years that follow its end in 1945.

Janet's friend, Viola Dawson, is Alan's greatest source of information to lead him towards the end of his search but is she successful? Where will he ultimately find Janet in this world where distance both separates and binds together those on opposite sides of the globe? ... Read more

Product Description
Nevil Shute best describes this autobiography in his own words: "Most of my adult life, perhaps all the worthwhile part of it, has been spent messing about with airplanes. For 30 years there was a period when airplanes would fly when you wanted them to, but there were still fresh things to be learned on every flight, a period when airplanes were small and so easily built that experiments were cheap and new designs could fly within six months of the first glimmer in the mind of the designer.

"That halcyon period started about 1910 and it was in full flower after WW I when I was a young man; it died with WW II when airplanes had grown too costly and too compli- cated for individuals to build or even to operate. I count myself lucky that that fleeting period coincided with my youth and my young manhood, and that I had a part in it." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fascinating to anybody interested in dirigibles
The detailed account of the design and transatlantic flight of the dirigible R-100 is the most fascinating part of this book. The description of the pre-computer work of a large roomfull of engineers calculating and recalculating the stresses (iterative calculation) on the framework of the airship is amazing.

Observations of Shute Norway
I read all of Nevil Shute's books, except this autobiography, at a much earlier time. I've periodically searched for this book for the last twenty years, and now I'm so glad to have read it. It helps to explain why I enjoyed the man's novels so much.

I was aware that Mr. Shute worked in aeronautical engineering, but had no idea he played such an important role in the industry. I had pictured his early engineering work much like his character in "No Highway in the Sky", a task oriented almost 'nerd-like' man with no interest beyond the laboratory. In an age when people seem to do all possible to elevate their public persona it is refreshing to look at a man who possessed humility.

I realize now how Mr. Shute could develop such wonderful characters in his novels, people with a full range of foibles but also the quiet courage that perserveres through struggles. He had his own life and his own dignity to build upon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This is an abridge version of the novel.
This version of A Town Like Alice has been heavily modified for younger readers, glossing over the early and later chapters of the novel. There are helpful illustrations, including a map and good study guide questions.

It is really worthwhile looking for the full version, as the characters are given much greater depth. Nevil Shute researched this novel very thoroughly and I found it totally engrossing. ... Read more