Rating: 
Summary: absolutely terrific and amazing work
Review: i had read this book around 4-5 yrs. back.and recently got a chance to read it again..its absolutely fantastic the way author had gone deep in the psyches of different people dealing with the coming catastrophe.....it actually makes one realise the horrifying results of a nuclear war if it takes place. i think that all the world leaders should be reading this book ...esp. the leaders of the nuclear countries...i suggest anyone who is in for a good reading should necessarily be reading this book. place.
Rating:
Summary: Heart-rending and Thought provoking
Review: I am re-reading this book and had to put it down. Everytime I read this book I end up in tears from the pain. It isn't a book that you can't put down because you have to put it down. It is far to powerful to take in all at once. You are left instantly without hope, yet despite that he causes you to hope beyond hope. As well as being an excellent read it carries a powerful and important message that this world may too easily become our own.
Rating:
Summary: I read it many years ago, and it still haunts me.
Review: Shute makes his depiction of daily life after a nuclear holocaust (in our current back yard) clear and compelling. A must read for all levels of reader.
Rating:
Summary: Great,Touching,and the only book that will tear at the heart
Review: I was amazed by the quality of this novel. Though I never really care for science fiction. I was impressed by the validity of Shute's nuclear war. It is explained subtly and you get a chill realizing in fact that if it was going to happen this is exactly what it would be like. For a few bucks and a quiet evening you can't beat this book!
Rating:
Summary: Chilling, shocking, depressing, and excellent all in one.
Review: I just finished this novel several minutes ago and am completely shocked. It's not very often a book or movie can make me cry, but this did it for me. It's nothing like the 'disaster' stories of recent years, which have very little in charactization. Instead, this novel focuses on the last few months in the lives of the characters, which are well-presented and realistic. The scary thing is, the scenario presented in this novel is quite real and could happen at any moment, and almost did on several past occasions: a full-scale world nuclear war. This is a must read for anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Story
Review: Nevil Shute creates a realistic portrayal of life after nuclear war and the psychological dilema of facing death. I liked the story and the writing was pretty good - save that Shute was not the greatest action writer. The story is classic and though it is pretty depressing, it made me value the little things in every day life. It reminds you to live for today knowing tomorrow may never come.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing and thought-provoking
Review: I know a book is good when I come to the end of it and I can't rid myself of certain feelings the author is trying to convey to me through the characters. For example, when I read the Grapes of Wrath I felt tired and hungry like the characters in the book! After reading On the Beach I felt the horror the characters felt knowing the world was coming to an end. I have re-read this book several times and would recommend it to anyone. Shute is an exceptional storyteller.
Rating:
Summary: A haunting view of very real possibilities...
Review: "On the Beach" has haunted my nights and my days since I read it. The war that caused Nevil Shute's nuclear holocaust began in Albania, a fact not lost on readers today. It should be required reading not only for all students, but for all politicians.
Rating:
Summary: realistic and blood chilling
Review: I first read this book after my friend sugested it. I was reluctent at first but was soon caught up in the tail.as the story gets nearer and nearer to the end you start to realize that there is no way of getting out of it. the carecters are domed. shutes book makes that a reality.This was an exillent book.
Rating:
Summary: This novel may have prevented a nuclear war... who knows?
Review: When it is considered that this book was published in 1957, its meaning takes on added significance. At that time there was no ban on atmoshperic testing of nuclear weapons. Radiation actually did circle the globe when large nucelar weapons were exploded. Those families who could afford it really were building fallout shelters.It was a chilling time and this novel may well have helped the world's leaders get the prespective needed to move on toward a nuclear test ban treaty. It could have given them a sober dose of sanity that ultimately led to rational co-existence between East and West. While I agree that the writing at times is slow, the complaint from another reader about gender treatment is annoying. The young mother's sentimentality underscores the tragedy of a nuclear holcaust. The romatic angle with Towers and Davidson reconciles the the straight-laced with the foot-loose during the final moments of truth. I also found it interesting to note that the author was a successful aeronautical engineer as well as a novelist.
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