Customer Reviews
Outstanding literature - By: PeterPiper, 27 Apr 2008 
Nevil Shute has written some great literature (and some that is not great literature, but simply a great story). This is by far his greatest work.
The story starts off as an enjoyable yarn about a man setting up an aviation business in the Middle East. Graduallly, though, you realise you are reading a completely different story about one of his employees who espouses simple truths about how to live religion (of whatever flavour) in daily life. His message is accepted by a wide range of people from different cultural & spiritual backgrounds, without compromising their own faith.
The gentleness with which this second story unfolds doesn't prepare you for the shatteringly thought provoking final pages which leaves any thinking person pondering deeply about life, faith & mortality.
I am on my six or seventh reading of the book. On each reading I get more depth out of the characters, more enjoyment out of the carefully worked storyline, & more inspiration for my own daily life.
A truly amazing book.
All Religions are NOT the same. - By: Andrew Moules, 17 Aug 2007 
It's obvious that Nevil Shute wrote with the impressions of his travels, & as in his other books some of those impresions come through very strongly. THis book is about Asia. It follows the format of some of his other books, involving the aircraft industry & some aspects of flight, but here those are weak & enthusiasts will find nothing on the level of Tom Clancey as afr as technical details go.
Asia is of course religious. Nearly alll rligions find their roots in Asia (or is that because Asia is so big?), & air travel is only the vehicle for an analysis of religion, which this book reallly is. As a novel, it follows a few twists told from the perspective of Tom Cutter, married, but without putting any investment into his marriage, only into his air cargo service. His wife dies a suicide, his child disappears from the story, & the ensuing trauma is non existant (miraculously).
The central character (Connie)is a half chinese half Russian mystic of no fixed religion. Amazingly he appeals to alll asian religions, & gathers a following of muslims, Buddhists & Hindus (whilst Cutter remains a nominal Christian with such a spineless belief system that he is open-minded to the extent that his brain has falllen out).
In the end this book could only be written from a western perspective, with scientific rationalism negating alll spiritual belief (holding the highest form of arragance that declares that alll the blind men feeling different parts of the elephant have only a smalll part of the truth, whereas the story teller knows better, thus placing himself on the level of God).
The following quote sums it alll up:" You can't help being influenced by it, Tom - alll these aeroplanes that come here every day, at such expense, full of people who believe in him. People who have spent their life savings just to make this journey, because Connie is a man that they can pin their faith to. All they want is to do is just to hear him say a few words, or if that's not possible, then just to see him, or touch something that he has touched. It's - it's like the Bible, Tom. Like people were wanting to see Jesus. They believe in him."
This is one of 2 or three times that Jesus is mentioned in the book. Buddha & Mohammed are far more frequently mentioned, perhaps because Jesus Christ makes a nonsense of the story? Who, then, is reallly round the bend?
Excellent book - By: P. Mullaney, 18 Nov 2006 I read this book about 15 years ago, & was immediately impressed, I still think of it today, & rate it amongst the best Novels I have ever read.
Why you should read this book... - By: , 26 Feb 2004 Shute gives us yet another inspiring tale filled with hope for humanity. Told by a pilot in the post-war period it charts his experiences through the Middle & Far East & the people who touch his life. Shute's characters, as ever, are beautifully drawn & wholly believable & face life with a dignity missing from many authors' work. As we are shown glimpses of the nature of faith, redemption, & love against the unlikely background of aeroplane engineering we cannot fail to be moved.
One of the strongest titles from the master-storyteller it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up with sheer emotion.
His best - By: , 03 Sep 2003 Having read several of Nevil Shutes books, & finding pleasure in many of them, this is the one that I keep coming back to. In my opinion, it's his best, with "A town like Alice" coming second.
The story takes you through the mid-east & south Asia, bringing up subjects like work ethics, religion & tolerance between ethnic groups.
Even though a lot has changed in the world as compared to when the book was written, it is still a book to read, & to ponder on.
