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Parallel Motion: A Biography of Nevil Shute Norway
The first thorough and in depth biography of Nevil Shute, covering his life from childhood to his last years in Australia. Nevil Shute was the world famous and best-selling author of "A Town Like Alice", "On the Beach", and over 20 other novels. "Parallel Motion is the first true biography of Nevil Shute. Based on meticulous research, it contains a wealth of information about this wonderful (and often-overlooked) novelist. Biographer John Anderson, is, like Shute, an engineer, and he brings that knowledge and Shute spirit to this long-overdue chronicle of Shute's life. " - Michael S. Berliner, Editor, Letters of Ayn Rand
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
344 pages, Hardcover
First published July 15, 2011
3 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
John Anderson
3 books8 followersThere is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads' database
A professional engineer for more than 40 years, John Anderson obtained degrees in Mechanical Engineering and the History of Science and Technology at Manchester University. He has long been a devote of the novelist Nevil Shute and in 2011 his biography of Shute was published by Paper Tiger. His research for that book, and a fascination for the history of airships, led him to the writing of Airship on a Shoestring.
He worked in industry on tribology consultancy and structural testing before running a small engineering company. Other interests include sailing and astronomy. He is married with one daughter and lives in Cheshire.
A professional engineer for more than 40 years, John Anderson obtained degrees in Mechanical Engineering and the History of Science and Technology at Manchester University. He has long been a devote of the novelist Nevil Shute and in 2011 his biography of Shute was published by Paper Tiger. His research for that book, and a fascination for the history of airships, led him to the writing of Airship on a Shoestring.
He worked in industry on tribology consultancy and structural testing before running a small engineering company. Other interests include sailing and astronomy. He is married with one daughter and lives in Cheshire.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 9, 2011
Nevil Shute is one of my favorite authors. I think Trustee from the Toolroom may be one of my favorite books of all time ;)
So, when I get an opportunity to read about Shute's life I jump at the chance -because he loved to fly and sail and live in the country and his life choices and experiences(like those of his characters) are quite interesting.
What is missing here is a true look at his romantic, domestic and community life (the stories of all three remain very truncated and formal). However the rest of what's here more than makes up for it! How interesting to read about his airship work, his tax protest, his sailing and aviation outings.
For the student of literature, there is enough here to tie the genesis for his fiction into his life story and to see where his different stories fit into his life experience.
For the history buff who is a student of pre & post WWII England and Australia, Shute's life is a terrific portal into two countries and their peoples and how the war changed them both forever.
So, when I get an opportunity to read about Shute's life I jump at the chance -because he loved to fly and sail and live in the country and his life choices and experiences(like those of his characters) are quite interesting.
What is missing here is a true look at his romantic, domestic and community life (the stories of all three remain very truncated and formal). However the rest of what's here more than makes up for it! How interesting to read about his airship work, his tax protest, his sailing and aviation outings.
For the student of literature, there is enough here to tie the genesis for his fiction into his life story and to see where his different stories fit into his life experience.
For the history buff who is a student of pre & post WWII England and Australia, Shute's life is a terrific portal into two countries and their peoples and how the war changed them both forever.
September 29, 2011
This is a much better biography than Julian Smith's, linking the life to the works supremely well. The author has researched Nevil Shute Norway's life thoroughly, looking into primary sources ranging from UK National Archives, Airspeed's files, Shute's education at the Dragon School, Shrewsbury and Balliol College, Oxford, as well as manuscripts from USA to Australia. We get a rounded picture of the man and the influence of his experiences upon his writing, important when considering a novelist who wrote so well of what he knew. So when we hear of, for instance, experimental flying in 'Landfall' (which was favourably reviewed by George Orwell), and the sinking of one of our own submarines, we know that Shute knew what he was talking about. You don't have to have read this biography to enjoy the 20+ novels Shute wrote; but once you do and are hooked, this is the book which will help you gain deeper insights into the writer.
August 16, 2012
essential addition to any "shutist" library. i've read everything i can find by and about nevil shute. i love him because whatever i pick up by him i am immediately involved in. his writing is so deceptively simple and straightforward, he is just a natural story teller.
this is the most generally informative of the biographies of nevil shute norway. "slide rule", his early autobiography, is bogged down in technical detail and mainly about his engineering career. "a biography" by julian smith is basically a book review, and "flight of fancy", the story of his flight to australia and back in 1949 by his fellow traveller james riddell, is essentially about james riddell (and his dreams).
i see some mild criticism here that there is not enough about his love life/friendships, but i think nevil shute was so self-disciplined and "straight", that it would be difficult to dig up anything but the known facts. he was someone who kept himself constantly busy with work, writing, hobbies and family.
from a distance of 50-100 years, john anderson has produced a commendable portrait of a good, if conservative man, who could have easily been drawn from his own catalogue of "good men" populating his novels. i particularly enjoyed reading of the post war years and the problems leading to him emigrating to australia. i did wonder though how his family felt about leaving such an apparently idyllic location in england.
i feel i know him better for having read this book.
thank you
this is the most generally informative of the biographies of nevil shute norway. "slide rule", his early autobiography, is bogged down in technical detail and mainly about his engineering career. "a biography" by julian smith is basically a book review, and "flight of fancy", the story of his flight to australia and back in 1949 by his fellow traveller james riddell, is essentially about james riddell (and his dreams).
i see some mild criticism here that there is not enough about his love life/friendships, but i think nevil shute was so self-disciplined and "straight", that it would be difficult to dig up anything but the known facts. he was someone who kept himself constantly busy with work, writing, hobbies and family.
from a distance of 50-100 years, john anderson has produced a commendable portrait of a good, if conservative man, who could have easily been drawn from his own catalogue of "good men" populating his novels. i particularly enjoyed reading of the post war years and the problems leading to him emigrating to australia. i did wonder though how his family felt about leaving such an apparently idyllic location in england.
i feel i know him better for having read this book.
thank you
July 13, 2015
Parts of this were quite interesting, but it seemed very slow going. There was quite a bit about the r100 which was in Shute's autobiography, and a lot of stuff seemed a little more detailed and more dryly written than what I like to read.
October 13, 2020
Recommended by a friend from the Navy days, also quite the mathematician and a Shute fan. Read this in parallel with 'Slide Rule' and 'On the Beach.' While this is not comparable to some of the classics of biography (Peter the Great, Sandberg's Lincoln) it is really well done. If you're a Shute fan and haven't read this as well as 'Slide Rule' - you should. You'll gain some great insights into Shute the man and Shute the author. Plan to eventually work my way through all of his works. To paraphrase William Goldman, if you're thinking about borrowing - borrow from the best :)
April 27, 2012
Nevil Shute is one of my favorite authors and the author of one of my favorite books A Town Like Alice. I learned a lot about his life from reading this book, which I appreciate, but I also thought it was a bit of a slog. My friend, Natalie, owner of the book who reviewed the book and then lent it to me said "What is missing here is a true look at his romantic, domestic and community life (the stories of all three remain very truncated and formal)." Now, I am taking this out of context, because she likes the things that I thought could have been written better.
I really wanted to know more about his life and his friends and family. There was a lot of detail of his work at Airspeed and in the British Royal Navy, which was way to detailed and almost made me give up on the book. Still, I appreciated knowing how much Shute had to do with the infancy of aircraft design and production in the UK.
I thought some parts of the book were confusing and it made me wonder if the target audience was UK engineers who enjoyed a good novel. There was a long section about the R100, which I knew nothing about and was confused as to what it actually was? A blimp? A Zeppelin? A dirigible. I inferred that it was, but 'airship' is not a term with which I am familiar.
One of the best things about this book was the chart in the back listing all of his books and the order they were written. I also appreciated the references to radio dramas, such as Saturday Night Theatre, and other ways in which the books were produced. I have hopes that some of the recordings will become available via podcast or audiobooks. I also appreciated his approach to writing, which was, basically, WRITE!
I really wanted to know more about his life and his friends and family. There was a lot of detail of his work at Airspeed and in the British Royal Navy, which was way to detailed and almost made me give up on the book. Still, I appreciated knowing how much Shute had to do with the infancy of aircraft design and production in the UK.
I thought some parts of the book were confusing and it made me wonder if the target audience was UK engineers who enjoyed a good novel. There was a long section about the R100, which I knew nothing about and was confused as to what it actually was? A blimp? A Zeppelin? A dirigible. I inferred that it was, but 'airship' is not a term with which I am familiar.
One of the best things about this book was the chart in the back listing all of his books and the order they were written. I also appreciated the references to radio dramas, such as Saturday Night Theatre, and other ways in which the books were produced. I have hopes that some of the recordings will become available via podcast or audiobooks. I also appreciated his approach to writing, which was, basically, WRITE!
February 5, 2015
Very detailed coverage of Shute's life - much more than in his autobiographical "Slide Rule" or the earlier biography. Includes the events in his childhood that may have led to some of his later actions and stories, as well as his later life through his death. Definitely a "must read" for any Nevil Shute aficionado.
June 19, 2015
This book was written by my Dad so I may be a bit biased in this review, but it is a very readable biography of Shute and the aim to write about Shute the person - in contrast to just his novels or just his engineering - has been achieved.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews