- Mass Market Paperback
- Publisher: Bantam Books (Mm); Reissue edition (Mar 1981)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0553225510
- ISBN-13: 978-0553225518
- Product Dimensions: 17.3 x 10.7 x 1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,628,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Shepherd
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Product Description
Book Description
'A stirring and beautiful story' The Times
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
It is Christmas Eve, 1957. Flying home, on leave from Germany, he is alone in the cockpit of the Vampire. Sixty-six minutes of flying time, with the descent and landing - destination Lakenheath. No problem, all routine procedures. Then, out over the North sea, the fog begins to close in. Radio contact ceases and the compass goes haywire. Suddenly, out of the mist, appears a World War II bomber. It is flying just below the Vampire, as of trying to make contact. . .
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Written as a Christmas ghost story by Frederick Forsyth for his wife, this story is best enjoyed with a stiff drink or two in front of the fire of a winter's evening. It relates a journey home from Germany to England for Christmas Eve 1957 by a young RAF Vampire pilot. When his jet fighter has an electrical systems failure over the North Sea, a routine journey becomes a nightmare as, with fog over eastern England, he cannot find his way down to land without radio communication. With fuel running out, the pilot flies triangles hoping an alert radar operator will realise his plight. When, with barely 10 minutes endurance remaining, a shepherd appears alongside in an obsolescent de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber of WW2 vintage, he is saved from a watery fate. But the mystery deepens from that point on...
The Shepherd captures the loneliness of the skies and shows how, despite enormous technological progress, adverse circumstances can reduce everything to a struggle of the human spirit against the forces of nature. The story is also a tribute to the bravery of Second World War airmen, and evokes the feeling of fellowship amongst aviators in the face of common danger.
Crisply written with Forsyth's characteristic attention to detail, The Shepherd is a delight to read. Forsyth was himself a RAF pilot, and the story has an authentic feel. The description of the Mosquito as it flies in formation with the Vampire is very vivid and highly evocative of this wonderful aircraft.
While The Shepherd is more akin to a short story than a novel, and can be read in a couple of hours, it is nonetheless a superb tale which I remembered from my childhood and found on Amazon as a Christmas treat to myself. Early editions have illustrations which add to the experience.
Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a classic, tautly-written yarn.
The Shepherd captures the loneliness of the skies and shows how, despite enormous technological progress, adverse circumstances can reduce everything to a struggle of the human spirit against the forces of nature. The story is also a tribute to the bravery of Second World War airmen, and evokes the feeling of fellowship amongst aviators in the face of common danger.
Crisply written with Forsyth's characteristic attention to detail, The Shepherd is a delight to read. Forsyth was himself a RAF pilot, and the story has an authentic feel. The description of the Mosquito as it flies in formation with the Vampire is very vivid and highly evocative of this wonderful aircraft.
While The Shepherd is more akin to a short story than a novel, and can be read in a couple of hours, it is nonetheless a superb tale which I remembered from my childhood and found on Amazon as a Christmas treat to myself. Early editions have illustrations which add to the experience.
Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a classic, tautly-written yarn.
23 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Shepard is without doubt one of the most beautiful and moving stories I have ever read. Forsyth's books are always to be savoured but this is one of those rare gems of which you will probably find only a few in your life. Forsyth's writing takes you into the story in a way that few authors can, and gives you a truly wonderful ride for your money. The black and white illustrations within the book only add to the atmosphere, the format works very well.
It will only take you an evening to read the Shepard, but that evening is still with me 15 years on. Wonderful!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A short ghost story. Nicely illustrated. Very Christmassy too. A story to read on a cold winter's night when tucked up in bed under a warm blanket. Nothing at all like any of his later works, even his other short stories. I'm surprised by the price of this edition though - it's nowhere near the length of a novel so why price it as such?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Be Warned -This is a very short story
Yes it is well written but although the book is 123 pages nearly half is taken up with poor quality and reproduced line drawings. Read more
Published 2 months ago by M. Faragher
Brilliant short story
I can understand why some people would be disappointed at the length, as it isn't made clear on Amazon anywhere as far as I could see. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. Adrian P. Moss
Disappointed
The concept embraced nothing very new or novel and, as it was little more than 'Short Story', I feel that it is grossly over-priced. Read more
Published 5 months ago by HellsGeriatric
Total disappointment
`Disappointment' doesn't even scratch the surface! I knew I was buying a short story but this is a complete rip-off. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Davidos
Very Dissapointed
I was really looking forward to reading this book as I am a fan of Frederick Forsyth. After reading it I could not beleive how short the book was. Read more
Published 5 months ago by lpblower
Very disappointing
This book was very disappointing as it was so small. It was of the usual high standard of writing and was probably one of his earliest, but there was not enough of it!
Published 6 months ago by Gillybean
Small book
Didn't realise that this was such a short novel. Read it in no time at all. Very well put together but it was pretty obvious what the end result would be.
Published 6 months ago by PeteTheFeet
Thoroughly enjoyable story from Mr Forsyth
This is a very different type of book from Frederick Forsyth. There is no violence and nobody gets shot. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Leo
A story to touch your heart
What a lovely story! I couldn't put it down and read it in one night! And, you know, the story is not beyond belief... maybe, just maybe, that could have happened.... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Michael Reeves
A great short story.
I first read this when I was 15 , more years ago than I care to remember.
Still an excellent read two hours sees it done but it is one which you will want to finish , easy to... Read more
Still an excellent read two hours sees it done but it is one which you will want to finish , easy to... Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2009 by R. C. J. Stewart
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