Secondhand Nevil Shute Collection Bargain Book Box SP2359

Secondhand Nevil Shute Collection Bargain Book Box

This collection features fourteen secondhand novels by Nevil Shute, presented in the distinctive red faux-leather binding with gold spine tooling (the Heron Books Complete Works edition). Shute is renowned for his ability to weave technical detail—particularly regarding aviation and engineering—into compelling narratives about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.

1. In the Wet A speculative novel set in the then-future of the 1980s. It tells the story of an ageing pilot in the Australian bush who recounts a vision of saving the Queen and the Commonwealth from political collapse.

2. Stephen Morris Shute's earliest written novel, though published later. It focuses on the pioneering days of aviation, following a young pilot testing a new and dangerous aircraft design.

3. Most Secret A World War II thriller involving a covert mission to use a flame-throwing weapon on the coast of Brittany. It explores the moral complexities of war and the bravery of the Free French forces.

4. So Disdained Also known as The Mysterious Aviator, this is a spy thriller set in the interwar period. A pilot discovers his friend has been coerced into spying for the Soviets and must decide between loyalty and country.

5. The Rainbow and the Rose The story of a seasoned pilot who crashes on a remote Tasmanian airstrip. As a rescue mission is mounted, the narrative flashes back through his life and loves across three decades of flying.

6. Pastoral Set on an RAF bomber base during World War II. The plot centres on a pilot whose fishing hobby and romance with a WAAF officer become intertwined with the tension of his night raids over Germany.

7. An Old Captivity An aviator is hired to fly an archaeologist to Greenland. The expedition turns mysterious as the pilot falls into a coma-like state, experiencing visions of the Vikings who settled there centuries before.

8. Ruined City A wealthy banker suffers a health scare and decides to investigate a decaying shipbuilding town in the north of England. He resorts to unorthodox (and illegal) financial methods to revive the town's industry.

9. Landfall A wartime mystery involving an RAF pilot accused of sinking a British submarine in the Channel. His girlfriend, a barmaid, plays a crucial role in uncovering the truth and clearing his name.

10. No Highway A prophetic novel about metal fatigue in aircraft. An eccentric scientist predicts a new airliner will fail after a specific number of hours, but he is ignored until he finds himself a passenger on that very plane.

11. Beyond the Black Stump A culture-clash romance contrasting a remote Western Australian sheep station with a small town in Oregon. An American geologist visiting the station finds his values challenged by the harsh, isolated life of the outback.

12. Lonely Road A thriller involving a naval officer turned coastal writer who stumbles upon a gun-running operation. The investigation leads him into a conspiracy that threatens the stability of the upcoming election.

13. The Chequer Board A man given a year to live decides to track down three men he met in a hospital ward during the war. The journey takes him to Burma and Cornwall, exploring themes of race, justice, and redemption.

14. Marazan Shute's first published novel. It is an adventure story about a pilot who crashes and is rescued by an escaped convict. The two team up to dismantle a drug-smuggling ring operating in the English Channel.