Nevil Shute — In the Wet & on the Beach

Melbourne, Heinemann, 1953-1957. First edition. Cloth. A smart collection of two first Australian edition novels from English writer and aeronautical engineer Nevil Shute. Two volumes. First Australian editions. Written by Nevil Shute Norway, an English novelist and aeronautical engineer who spent his later years in Australia. This set contains: In the Wet, 1953. An Anglican priest in the Bush Brotherhood named Roger Hargreaves describes his ordinary circumstances in a large parish of the Queensland outback in 1953. As minister to the dying, however, he is brought into contact with an aged, alcoholic, opium-smoking, diseased, ex-pilot and ex-ringer named Stevie. On the Beach, 1957. An apocalyptic novel which details the experiences of a mixed group of people in Melbourne as they await the arrival of deadly radiation spreading towards them from the Northern Hemisphere, following a nuclear war some years previous. In the original full cloth binding. Externally, very smart with minor wear to the extremities. Original unclipped dust wrappers are smart with light wear and chipping to the extremities. Light sunning to the spines with the odd small mark to the panels. A 1" closed tear to the head of the spine of On the Beach with loss to the head of the spine of In the Wet. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are very bright with the odd small spot. A contemporary ink inscription to the front endpaper of In the Wet. Near Fine . Ill.: None. Near Fine/Very Good.