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Slide Rule
- Autobiography of an Engineer
- Narrated by: James Faulkner
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
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She was from the hills of Yorkshire, country born and bred. He was a city boy. By the stream where they fished they were two young people falling in love. Overhead, the bombers roared, threatening to blow their idyllic world, so young, so fresh, to smithereens.
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Stay with this book; it's worth it!
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Davina Porter is a wonderful narrator
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This story lingers
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Great Story!
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Another world another time.
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Bittersweet
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One of My All Time Favorires
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Australia is one of the last places where life still exists after nuclear war starts in the Northern Hemisphere. A year on, an invisible cloak of radiation has spread almost completely around the world. Darwin is a ghost town, and radiation levels at Ayres Rock are increasing. An American nuclear-powered submarine has found its way to Australia where its captain has placed the boat under the command of the Australian Navy.
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What could have been.
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Publisher's Summary
Nevil Shute was a power and a pioneer in the world of flying long before he began to write the stories that made him a best-selling novelist. This autobiography charts Shute's path from childhood to his career as a gifted aeronautical engineer, working at the forefront of the technological experimentation of the 1920s and ‘30s. The inspiration for many of the themes and concerns of Shute's novels can be identified in this enjoyable and enlightening memoir.
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- John
- 12-12-13
I love Shute's novels but found this to be dull.
I am a huge fan of Shute's novels and have enjoyed over a dozen. I was eager to listen to this given the good reviews but was disappointed. This is a fairly straightforward recounting of Shute's business career, focusing on his work launching an aeroship in the UK in the 1920's and then his experience helping launch and run an airplane manufacturer in the 1930's and beyond. There is little detail on his personal life. There are some enjoyable tidbits but they weren't nearly enough to carry the book.
2 people found this helpful
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- Michael
- 01-23-20
Nothing like his books
I have really enjoyed Nevil Shute's novels over the years, so I thought his biography would be an interesting read as well as informing of his life. Boy was I wrong. This is more like a dissection of projects he was involved in. There were several chapters about his involvement in the development of an airship for the British government. And much complaining and speculating about how and why things went drastically wrong.
Then he started a period when he tried to start an airplane manufacturing company. I couldn't take anymore and quit. I am returning the book after slogging through a little more than half the book. Especially after I realized that I was not even listening, but treating it as background noise.
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- Lisa kelly
- 03-13-21
I’ve listened to this book 3 times already and am about to embark on a fourth .
This book is full of the most surprising information from his teenage witnessing of the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916 to the production of the R100 Airship. His ability to vividly bring to life the history and Engineering projects of his time is masterful and keeps the reader interested at all times..
2 people found this helpful
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- David
- 04-16-15
Fascinating insight...
... Into early years of aircraft development. I was hoping to find out more about the man Nevil Shute Norway and though much of this book is about the business of aircraft manufacture, perhaps I do now know some of the personality of the man that I could not glean from his novels. I was surprised to learn that his dedication to his work as an engineer made his writing a secondary pursuit and that he was at the centre of the aircraft industry during what were arguably its most interesting years.
2 people found this helpful
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- JamesDevon
- 03-01-15
Fascinating insight
I've enjoyed Neville Shute for years so it was good to hear of the man's life. Gives a helpful context to enjoy his books even more
1 person found this helpful
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- Linda Ellis
- 06-14-22
Fascinating history of early flight
The first few chapters are dull but once Shute starts talking about his work on the R100 airship I was riveted. So much I didn't know, a fascinating listen.
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- Jim Davie
- 06-10-22
Excellent
Full of great engineering detail and a vivid snapshot of industry between the wars. Highly recommended.
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- mpd
- 01-31-22
Surprising account by Neville Shute of his pre-2nd World War in the early years of the aircraft industry
Really interesting account of the early days of aviation. Story and performance carry one forward into WW2. Conveys the risks taken, the opportunities, the frailties and the courage of those concerned within the social environment of the time plus a clear picture of the author within the narrative.
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- Mark H
- 12-27-21
Excellent biography as described in the title
This is an excellent biography of a talented and interesting individual. It covers his early years that includes: his schooling, being a stretcher bearer in the Easter Sunday uprising in Ireland and his time in the army and university. It gives a detailed account of his role in creating and testing the R101 airship and his subsequent creation of the aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Ltd. He came over as an intelligent, hardworking, thoughtful, caring and moral individual. As might be expected, it was very well written and easy to listen to. It was also very well nead by the narrator However, be aware that it barely mentioned his life as a best selling author.
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- Julian
- 11-20-21
Fascinating autobiography of the novelist
This book was very well read. The accent seemed just right for 1920s and 30s. Very clearly enunciated.
The story was interesting of Shute's development of Air Speed Ltd in early aeronautical engineering as well as the development of airships.
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- Seamus Flynn
- 08-14-20
starting a business
enjoyed the narrator. suited this story of a life journey in a new technology, could even be of today.
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- Seayeaitch
- 02-02-20
An interesting view of Aviation History.
An inside view of history from a very accomplished novelist, that helps one to understand not just the time frame but a personal perspective of the start of the Aviation industry, well read with the narration by James Faulkner.