On the Beach
Feb 2010 · Sold by Vintage
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78 reviews
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About this ebook
Nevil Shute’s most powerful novel—a bestseller and a post-apocalyptic fiction classic for decades after its 1957 publication—is an unforgettable vision of a dystopian future in the aftermath of World War III.
“The most haunting evocation we have of a world...after an atomic war.” —The New York Times
After a nuclear World War III has destroyed most of the globe, the few remaining survivors in southern Australia await the radioactive cloud that is heading their way and bringing certain death to everyone in its path. Among them is an American submarine captain struggling to resist the knowledge that his wife and children in the United States must be dead. Then a faint Morse code signal is picked up, transmitting from somewhere near Seattle, and Captain Towers must lead his submarine crew on a bleak tour of the ruined world in a desperate search for signs of life.
Both terrifying and intensely moving, On the Beach is a remarkably convincing portrait of how ordinary people might face the most unimaginable nightmare.
“The most haunting evocation we have of a world...after an atomic war.” —The New York Times
After a nuclear World War III has destroyed most of the globe, the few remaining survivors in southern Australia await the radioactive cloud that is heading their way and bringing certain death to everyone in its path. Among them is an American submarine captain struggling to resist the knowledge that his wife and children in the United States must be dead. Then a faint Morse code signal is picked up, transmitting from somewhere near Seattle, and Captain Towers must lead his submarine crew on a bleak tour of the ruined world in a desperate search for signs of life.
Both terrifying and intensely moving, On the Beach is a remarkably convincing portrait of how ordinary people might face the most unimaginable nightmare.
Nevil Shute’s most powerful novel—a bestseller and a post-apocalyptic fiction classic for decades after its 1957 publication—is an unforgettable vision of a dystopian future in the aftermath of World War III.
“The most haunting evocation we have of a world...after an atomic war.” —The New York T...
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Ratings and reviews
78 reviews
Lucas Hile
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July 11, 2022
A wasted opportunity. This author had an amazing premise in mind and squandered it with his inability to write realistic dialogue (even if this was the late 50's). Additionally, the novel is written in Third Party Omniscient viewpoint but he jumps scenes (and characters) inside chapters. The result is the story seems disjointed and without structure.
Kathleen Ball
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October 1, 2026
I read this book sometime after reading Alas Babylon. I much prefer Alas Babylon because in On the Beach everyone on earth will die. how depressing. also I think the movie changed the name of the submarine. it was originally the Scorpion, which sank I think in May 1968. the Thresher sank in 1963. both sank the year a Kennedy was killed. Anyway, there wasn't even time to grow a baby in this book.
Bruce Horvath
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December 21, 2024
I've read this book three times and it never fails to make me wonder about the world we live in. This story is about life, love, near love, commitment, and death for the human race and how people deal with them. I hope Dwight made it to Mystic and Moira joined him. Read it and wonder how things might be
About the author
Nevil Shute Norway was born in 1899 in Ealing, London. He studied Engineering Science at Balliol College, Oxford. Following his childhood passion, he entered the fledgling aircraft industry as an aeronautical engineer working to develop airships and, later, airplanes. In his spare time he began writing and he published his first novel, Marazan, in 1926, using the name Nevil Shute to protect his engineering career. In 1931 he married Frances Mary Heaton and they had 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 in 1960. His most celebrated novels include Pied Piper (1942), A Town Like Alice (1950), and On the Beach (1957).
Nevil Shute Norway was born in 1899 in Ealing, London. He studied Engineering Science at Balliol College, Oxford. Following his childhood passion, he entered the fledgling aircraft industry as an aeronautical engineer working to develop airships and, later, airplanes. In his spare time he began w...
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