warfare and of course his foretelling problems of metal fatigue in aircraft in No Highway. Here are firm beliefs being put forward in parables.
Also in On the Beach he has Commander Towers going to sit in the tranquillity of a little church to face the coming end of the world. This is very similar to what Tom Cutter did in Round the Bend and one has a feeling that Nevil Shute is describing an experience of his own.
And then it must be mentioned that Julian Smith tells us that just before his death Nevil Shute had started to write Incident at Eucla and that it was to deal with a miraculous birth of a baby at a deserted telegraph station on the barren coast of Australia and that evidence suggests that three wise men will assemble and bring gifts. Do have a look at this in Julian Smith's book about Nevil Shute (pages 148-150).
Then we should note that towards the end of his life he gave half the cost of building a magnificent modern church at Langwarrin. And that tells us two things about him. That he had a deep respect for the Christian faith and that he expected the local people to pay their share.
My conclusion is that Nevil Shute believed that there was something of importance in all religions though there were questions about all of them and that as he had been brought up with emphasis on the Christian religion that this was the one he followed in practice, at a distance and with some reservations but that religion was the only ultimate guide as to what was right and wrong and this belief is written into many of his novels.
If this has been of interest may I suggest that you read/re-read Julian Smith's biography with this question in mind? Certainly I am sure that many people who have read Nevil Shute's stories have learnt a lot about morality.
Revd. John B. Wilcox
5 Duncan Avenue
Redcar
TS10 5BX
Tel. (01642) 489683
Permission has kindly been given by A. P. Watt Ltd, on behalf of the Trustees of the Estate of the late N. S. Norway, for the various quotations from the books by Nevil Shute mentioned above to be used.
