The Lost Flying Boat

by Alan Sillitoe

Two years after World War II, an RAF bomber crew regroups for a seemingly ordinary commercial mission that turns out to be a dangerous treasure hunt led by the unstable Captain Bennett

287 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 1983

About the author

Alan Sillitoe was an English writer, one of the "Angry Young Men" of the 1950s (although he, in common with most of the other writers to whom the label was applied, had never welcomed it).
For more see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Sil...

Reviews

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Sillitoe was a writer of far greater range than usually given credit for. Most notably, he is associated with the school of British realism, of the "kitchen sink" variety, that flourished in the 1950s and early 1960s. His first novel, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, undoubtedly contributed to that. And so did Sillitoe's continuing career long interest in working class protagonists. He did, however, manage forays into symbolism and other semi abstract writing. He also wrote cross genre works. Lost Flying Boat is one of those. It's a combination of working class disillusionment with the post war world that finds an outlet in pure adventure.

I do like books and stories about seaplanes. There should be an acknowledged seaplane genre. If there were, Lost Flying Boat would be at the top of the list. But there are plenty of others, with seaplanes appearing in Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto novels. And I've found flying boats appear as a plot device in the Hugh North series I've been going through. Hammond Innes also made it the feature of one of his novels. And one especially not to be forgotten is James Norman Hall's The High Barbaree, which is probably the most mystical and magical of the bunch. Too, a seaplane plays a pivotal role in the movie, The Devil at 4 O'Clock, and so I assume it's also there in Max Catto's novel. I'm not sure, because I can't get hold of the book. Anyway, Sillitoes' is probably the best of them all.

[Bf110c4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Working-class Brits, bored and desperate to find a future after WWII are recruited to fly a war-surplus flying boat to remote Kerguelen Island in the South Indian Ocean. Unpredictable and rich with detail about wireless communication, flying boats and the mysterious Desolation Islands. Recommended.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot was intriguing for those who enjoy this era, far away locations, navigation and aviation. It was a literary book that surpasses any typical “adventure” story. If you have any interest in flying boats, this story will be very appealing. It was nice to also learn of a new island in the Kereguelans. The captain of the plane does remind me of the captain from Kipling’s “Captains Courageous”; a character I always enjoyed.