On The Beach

· Random House
4.6
37 reviews
Ebook
320
Pages

About this ebook

After the war is over, a radioactive cloud begins to sweep southwards on the winds, gradually poisoning everything in its path. An American submarine captain is among the survivors left sheltering in Australia, preparing with the locals for the inevitable. Despite his memories of his wife, he becomes close to a young woman struggling to accept the harsh realities of their situation. Then a faint Morse code signal is picked up, transmitting from the United States and the submarine must set sail through the bleak ocean to search for signs of life.

On the Beach is Nevil Shute's most powerful novel. Both gripping and intensely moving, its impact is unforgettable.

Ratings and reviews

4.6
37 reviews
Kris G
August 16, 2017
You like the characters. You hope they'll be somehow alright till the last moment. And when you realise you've been foolish you will be sad. The last chapter was very painful to go through.
4 people found this review helpful
John H
October 27, 2014
Post apoccalyptic has now been done to death. Here is the starter and the key to it is... and the world will end not with a bang but a whimper.
2 people found this review helpful
Simon Barr
June 19, 2023
A brilliant story very well told. Also a story that is all too possible given current world events. A great read.

About the author

Nevil Shute was born on 17 January 1899 in Ealing, London. After attending the Dragon School and Shrewsbury School, he studied Engineering Science at Balliol College, Oxford. He worked as an aeronautical engineer and published his first novel, Marazan, in 1926. In 1931 he married Frances Mary Heaton and they went on to have two daughters. During the Second World War he joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve where he worked on developing secret weapons. After the war he continued to write and settled in Australia where he lived until his death on 12 January 1960. His most celebrated novels include Pied Piper (1942), No Highway (1948), A Town Like Alice (1950) and On the Beach (1957).

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