Slide Rule

The autobiography of the classic author of A Town Like Alice and On the Beach.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 bestselling 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.

“Shute was a brilliant storyteller and terrific example for any writer”

Daily Express
Most of my adult life, perhaps all the worthwhile part of it, has been spent messing about with airplanes -- Nevil Shute
Any book by Nevil Shute is a delight Punch

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).

'Shute was a brilliant storyteller and terrific example for any writer' Daily Express 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 bestselling 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. See also: No Highway

English summary: The so-called Nymphaeum Traiani, discovered during the excavations of the 1950s, relates to a monumental fountain in the center of Roman Ephesus, which was constructed between 102 and 114 CE. The presented publication, appeared in the context of the series "Studies in Ephesus," covers all aspects of the structure up to the detailed architectonic reconstruction and the sculptures positioned in the aedicular facade. In the central position over the water inlet is situated a stature of the Emperor Trajan, to which the installation owes its modern name. On account of the extensive contextual analysis it can be seen that the fountain was only of minor importance for the water supply of the Roman city. The overview of the monument, however, moves into the focus its founders Tiberius Claudius Aristion and Iulia Lydia Laterane, who not only established an almost 40 km aqueduct but also had at their disposal personal connections to the emperor. Beyond the Nymphaeum Traiani it is consequently possible to come across further testaments for the use of architectural type of the "nymph facade" and for the self representation of the Roman elite in the Asia Minor during the Roman Empire. The study was published with the support of the Endowment for the Promotion of Scholarly Research (Fonds zur Forderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung /FWF). German description: Bei dem von den Ausgrabern in den 1950er Jahren so genannten Nymphaeum Traiani handelt es sich um eine monumentale Brunnenanlage im Zentrum des romischen Ephesos, die zwischen 102 und 114 n. Chr. errichtet wurde. Die im Rahmen der Reihe "Forschungen in Ephesos" vorgelegte Publikation behandelt alle wesentlichen Aspekte dieses Bauwerks, so etwa die detaillierte architektonische Rekonstruktion und die in der Tabernakelfassade aufgestellten Skulpturen. An zentrale Stelle uber dem Wasserzufluss befand sich eine Statue Kaiser Traians, der die Anlage ihren modernen Namen verdankt. Anhand der ausfuhrlichen kontextuellen Analyse lasst sich zeigen, dass der Brunnen selbst nur eine geringe Bedeutung fur die Wasserversorgung der romischen Stadt besass. Die Gesamtaussage des Monuments ruckt vielmehr seine Stifter Ti. Claudius Aristion und Iulia Lydia Laterane ins Zentrum, die nicht nur einen fast 40 km Aquadukt errichten liessen, sondern auch uber personliche Verbindungen zum Kaiser verfugten. Uber das Nymphaeum Traiani hinaus ist es somit moglich, weiterfuhrende Aussagen zur Nutzung des Bautyps "Fassadennymphaum" und zur Selbstdarstellung romischer Eliten im kaiserzeitlichen Kleinasien zu treffen. Gedruckt mit Unterstutzung des Fonds zur Forderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF)

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.