SLIDE RULE

In America, Nevil Shute--British aeronautical engineer turned esteemed novelist--is best known for the bestselling ON THE BEACH, in which Aussies go gently into a nuclear good night. This, his autobiography, goes equally gently into his life and time, from birth to the threshold of WWII. And stuffily, too, at least as interpreted by narrator Michael Tudor Barnes. Though affecting considerable enthusiasm, Barnes fails to make it infectious. He even underplays or misses much of the humor, thus further reducing whatever charm the original possesses. Still, one can admire the lean, precise writing and historical color. Y.R. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 06]