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Nevil Shute

104quotes

Nevil Shute: A Life of Purpose and Imagination


Full Name and Common Aliases


Nevil Shute Norway was a British-Australian novelist, aviator, and engineer. He is commonly known as Nevil Shute.

Birth and Death Dates


Born on January 25, 1899, in Ealing, London, England, Nevil Shute passed away on January 5, 1960, at the age of 60.

Nationality and Profession(s)


Shute held dual British and Australian citizenship. He worked as a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot during World War I, an engineer for Vickers-Armstrongs, and later as a novelist.

Early Life and Background


Growing up in London, Shute developed a strong sense of adventure and a love for flying at an early age. His father, Stanley Frederick Norway, was a Norwegian-born solicitor who instilled in Nevil a passion for engineering and innovation. Shute attended the prestigious Repton School in Derbyshire before enrolling in the University of Oxford's Queen's College.

Major Accomplishments


Before turning to writing full-time, Shute had an illustrious career as a pilot and engineer. He served during World War I, flying reconnaissance missions for the RAF, and later worked on designing innovative aircraft at Vickers-Armstrongs. His experiences as a pilot influenced his writing, particularly in his novel _No Highway!_.

Notable Works or Actions


Shute's literary output includes 24 novels, several short stories, and two autobiographies. Some of his most notable works include:

_No Highway!_, a novel that explores the consequences of technological advancements on society.
 *_On the Beach_, a post-apocalyptic novel set in Australia after a nuclear war.
 **_A Town Like Alice_, which tells the story of a woman's journey to rebuild her life in Australia during World War II.

Impact and Legacy


Shute's writing often explored themes of technology, humanity, and the complexities of modern life. His novels have been praised for their thought-provoking narratives, memorable characters, and meticulous research. Shute's experiences as an engineer and pilot informed his writing, giving his stories a unique blend of technical accuracy and literary flair.

Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered


Shute's legacy extends beyond his literary contributions. His work has inspired countless readers to reflect on the consequences of human actions and technological advancements. As a writer who balanced intellectual curiosity with storytelling ability, Shute continues to captivate audiences with his thought-provoking and engaging narratives.

Nevil Shute's life was marked by a sense of purpose and imagination. From his early days as a pilot to his later years as a novelist, he demonstrated a passion for innovation and a commitment to exploring the complexities of human experience. His writing continues to be celebrated for its insight, nuance, and literary merit.

Quotes by Nevil Shute

Before she had been a year at Ford Janet came to look forward to her next pass with something close to apprehension; it was pitiful to see her mother ageing and be unable to help her, to see her father turning into just another poor old man.
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Before she had been a year at Ford Janet came to look forward to her next pass with something close to apprehension; it was pitiful to see her mother ageing and be unable to help her, to see her father turning into just another poor old man.
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I would divide the senior executives of the engineering world into two categories, the starters and the runners, the men with a creative instinct who can start a new venture and the men who can run it to make it show a profit... I was a starter and useless as a runner.
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I would divide the senior executives of the engineering world into two categories, the starters and the runners, the men with a creative instinct who can start a new venture and the men who can run it to make it show a profit... I was a starter and useless as a runner.
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He met the femme de chambre upon the landing. ‘I have made up my mind,’ he said heavily. ‘La petite Rose may come with us to England; I will take her to her father. She must be ready to start to-morrow morning, at seven o’clock.
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He met the femme de chambre upon the landing. ‘I have made up my mind,’ he said heavily. ‘La petite Rose may come with us to England; I will take her to her father. She must be ready to start to-morrow morning, at seven o’clock.
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He is a good man, and will climb up to the Six Blissful Seats. He has known sin and trouble and it has not made him bitter; he has known sorrow and it has not made him sad. In these last months that have been granted to him he is trying to do good, not.
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He is a good man, and will climb up to the Six Blissful Seats. He has known sin and trouble and it has not made him bitter; he has known sorrow and it has not made him sad. In these last months that have been granted to him he is trying to do good, not.
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I had travelled the world and I had come to realise, in faint surprise, that I had seen no countryside that could compare in pastoral beauty with that of my own home. It takes a long time for an Australian to accept the fact that the wide, bustling, sophisticated world of the northern hemisphere cannot compare with his own land in certain ways;.
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I had travelled the world and I had come to realise, in faint surprise, that I had seen no countryside that could compare in pastoral beauty with that of my own home. It takes a long time for an Australian to accept the fact that the wide, bustling, sophisticated world of the northern hemisphere cannot compare with his own land in certain ways;.
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It was her dog getting killed that put the lid on it,” said Viola, seven years later. “Funny, that, wasn’t it? She stood up quite well when your brother got killed and when her father got killed, but when the dog got killed it finished her. I suppose she felt responsible or something.” “I suppose she did,” I said. “What happened after.
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It was her dog getting killed that put the lid on it,” said Viola, seven years later. “Funny, that, wasn’t it? She stood up quite well when your brother got killed and when her father got killed, but when the dog got killed it finished her. I suppose she felt responsible or something.” “I suppose she did,” I said. “What happened after.
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A Congreve clock?’ Captain Petersen was puzzled. ‘It’s a clock that keeps time by a steel ball running on a zig-zag track down an inclined plane,’ Keith told him. ‘Only it doesn’t keep very good time. It takes thirty seconds for the ball to run down one way – then the plane tilts and it runs back again. It’s quite fascinating to watch.
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A Congreve clock?’ Captain Petersen was puzzled. ‘It’s a clock that keeps time by a steel ball running on a zig-zag track down an inclined plane,’ Keith told him. ‘Only it doesn’t keep very good time. It takes thirty seconds for the ball to run down one way – then the plane tilts and it runs back again. It’s quite fascinating to watch.
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Professor O’Leary was Professor of Mediaeval Literature at Ann Arbor University in Michigan, just outside Detroit.
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Professor O’Leary was Professor of Mediaeval Literature at Ann Arbor University in Michigan, just outside Detroit.
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She said, “Aye, they’re getting for him everything the heart of man could desire, saving the one thing.” I asked, “What’s that?” She said, “A wife.” She’s very shrewd.
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She said, “Aye, they’re getting for him everything the heart of man could desire, saving the one thing.” I asked, “What’s that?” She said, “A wife.” She’s very shrewd.
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Mary looked at her gratefully. “Well, that’s what I think. I mean, I couldn’t bear to – to just stop doing things and do nothing. You might as well die now and get it over.” Moira nodded. “If what they say is right, we’re none of us going to have time to do all that we planned to do. But we can keep on doing it as long as we can.
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Mary looked at her gratefully. “Well, that’s what I think. I mean, I couldn’t bear to – to just stop doing things and do nothing. You might as well die now and get it over.” Moira nodded. “If what they say is right, we’re none of us going to have time to do all that we planned to do. But we can keep on doing it as long as we can.
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