It is the summer of 1940 and in Europe the time of Blitzkreig. John Howard, a 70-year-old Englishman vacationing in France, cuts shorts his tour an...
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Oct 31, 2010
Ally
rated it: 
Three out of five stars for Nevil Shute's "Pied Piper," a story of an old man who risks his life to deliver six children to safety during the second world war. A huge fan of Nevil Shute (ever since I read "A Town Like Alice"), the "Pied Piper" was not in the same league, unfortunately, though still a pleasant read.
Written in spare, muscular language, and juggling the flavor of German, French, and British diction, the novel has a relaxing, meandering pace More...
Written in spare, muscular language, and juggling the flavor of German, French, and British diction, the novel has a relaxing, meandering pace More...
Aug 07, 2010
Phair
rated it:
While this was published in 1941 and was about events of the 1940 German invasion of France, to me it was historical fiction made more interesting and real because of the immediacy. A very leisurely book about frantic events- the pace fit a story of a 70 year old man traveling, largely on foot, with a group of very young children. Seeing events through the eyes of the children who did not see the Germans as enemies but treated all people they met as befitted their actions- kind or friendly p
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Jul 27, 2010
Shauna
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This was a very sweet story. Definitely sentimental, even predictable (at least the larger overall story), but in a good way, making this book charming and engaging because of these things. A 70 year old British widower, at the beginning of WW2, has recently lost his son to the battle, and is finding himself at loose ends. He decides to take a fishing trip in France (near Switzerland), but finds Hitler's armies advancing across Europe much more rapidly than anyone could have foreseen. What h
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Jan 24, 2009
Penny
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Englishman Mr. Howard who is 70 is on a fishing holiday in eastern France when the Germans invade in 1940. He shortens his vacation to return home and is persuaded to take the two Cavanaugh children with him. As he travels through Europe his family grows as other displaced children join him. The journey is long, arduous and fraught with danger (possibly being overheard speaking English is only one of the dangers).
In 1942 this novel was made into a movie with the tagline: He Raced Hitler More...
In 1942 this novel was made into a movie with the tagline: He Raced Hitler More...
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May 10, 2010
Palmyrah
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I last read Nevil Shute as a boy. His work is never going to be classed as great literature; he's too sentimental for that, and panders too much to the reader besides. All the same, his prose is lucid, economical and plain-spoken, while his well-crafted plots are engaging and keep you interested.
Pied Piper is the story of an elderly Englishman who ends up trapped in France when the Germans invade in 1939. His attempts to return to England are hampered by a lengthening train of children More...
Pied Piper is the story of an elderly Englishman who ends up trapped in France when the Germans invade in 1939. His attempts to return to England are hampered by a lengthening train of children More...
Mar 26, 2010
Tim
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Recovering from the death of his Son, an RAF pilot during the early days of the War, elderly John Howard takes a Holiday in France close to the Swiss Border. The news of the War is sombre, the French Invasion by Germany is gathering pace, and is swooping southwards beyond Paris.
He is asked by friends to escort their two young children, back to England and embarks on a race against time to reach the atlantic coast and a passage to safety, before the advanzing Nazi forces consume Franc More...
He is asked by friends to escort their two young children, back to England and embarks on a race against time to reach the atlantic coast and a passage to safety, before the advanzing Nazi forces consume Franc More...
Sep 28, 2011
Susann
rated it:
Page-turner of a WWII story about an older Englishman trying to navigate an assortment of children through German-occupied France. The book reminded me of the first half of A Town Like Alice and, despite its unruffled tone, I couldn't put it down and came within seconds of missing my subway stop while reading it Monday night.
The ending is pure old-fashioned melodrama and there is one ridiculously stereotypical comment about Jewish people. But, as the book blurb says, Shute was a mas More...
The ending is pure old-fashioned melodrama and there is one ridiculously stereotypical comment about Jewish people. But, as the book blurb says, Shute was a mas More...
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Aug 07, 2008
Laura
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This is one of my very favorite novels of all time. I highly recommend it.
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Dec 31, 2008
Jennifer
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An old Englishman, Howard, whose son has just been killed in the RAF (WWII) goes to France to fish. It's May 1939 and the Germans are poised to invade. At the last minute he decides to turn around. An English couple ask him if he will take their children, 5 and 9, back with him. He agrees. Children get sick, trains don't go to his destination and he picks up more children along the way.
This is a wonderful adventure involving Howard and some children wandering through France in a pe More...
This is a wonderful adventure involving Howard and some children wandering through France in a pe More...
Jan 23, 2012
Jennifer
rated it:
What a great read! Very exciting, sweet and would make such a good movie. The movie was actually made in 1942--the same year it was published, and basically a year after the story is meant to take place! I can totally see this made into a movie again (evidentially it was a tv movie in 1990 or something) starring Audrey Tatou as Nicole and John Hurt as Howard.
I gave it 4 stars because it is so vivid and the character of Howard is so lovely. Maybe a bit old-fashioned plot structure, More...
I gave it 4 stars because it is so vivid and the character of Howard is so lovely. Maybe a bit old-fashioned plot structure, More...
Oct 28, 2011
Henni
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Hyggelig bog af Nevil Shute, den passer fint til en efterårsdag i sofaen. Der er ikke de store udsving og spændingshøjdepunkter, men historien fortælles stille, roligt og hyggeligt ligesom den gamle mand i bogen prøver at gøre sin og børnenes tur gennem Frankrig.
Sproget er en smule gammeldags, men bogen er jo heller ikke af nyere dato og det øger blot til hyggen omkring bogen.
Dette er kun den anden bog af Shute jeg læser men begge har været beskrivelser at folk der skulle fra A til B More...
Sproget er en smule gammeldags, men bogen er jo heller ikke af nyere dato og det øger blot til hyggen omkring bogen.
Dette er kun den anden bog af Shute jeg læser men begge har været beskrivelser at folk der skulle fra A til B More...
Jan 25, 2012
Terri
rated it:
This was a 4.5 stars for me, for sure. If I hadn't already read A Town Like Alice, I think I would have rated this at 5. I really enjoyed Pied Piper, but I loved Alice. At any rate, this is an excellent, gentle read.
Set in the early 1940's, as Germany invaded France during WWII, Pied Piper is a story of an old gentleman, John Howard, who patiently and carefully escorts a group of children to safety across France, off to England, and ultimately to America. He starts with two children More...
Set in the early 1940's, as Germany invaded France during WWII, Pied Piper is a story of an old gentleman, John Howard, who patiently and carefully escorts a group of children to safety across France, off to England, and ultimately to America. He starts with two children More...
Jan 22, 2011
Tatiana
rated it:
Ah, this is one of my favorite books of all! Shute is a wonderful writer. His characters are quite ordinary and believable yet they are also extraordinary and wonderfully good. He gives me faith in humanity, in the world, and in the power of just calmly going about doing what needs to be done. Most people really are like this!
The narrative builds from a calm center and grows more and more compelling and urgent. His protagonist, a 70 year old British gentleman, goes fishing in th More...
The narrative builds from a calm center and grows more and more compelling and urgent. His protagonist, a 70 year old British gentleman, goes fishing in th More...
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Mar 18, 2011
Paul
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I picked this up randomly in a bookshop (ah, the forgotten fun of browsing) and loved it. Very much of its time, 1942, an elderly man with his English habits gets stuck in France at the outbreak of war, and as he tries to get home through the developing chaos, collects a troup of children he has to look after on the way. It has very much the atmosphere of wartime films, such as The Foreman Goes to France, and was actually made into an Oscar winning film. Despite the benign nature of the first-pe
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Sep 02, 2010
Chris
rated it:
Not my favourite Nevil Shute book, I think I prefer his later work, but like all his stories, its a wonderfully gentle view of a horrible situation, sympathetically and written with what seems like great insight.
The story has a few interesting turns and one wonders where the inspiration for the book came from, in a way I hope it was based upon a real event.
The story has a few interesting turns and one wonders where the inspiration for the book came from, in a way I hope it was based upon a real event.
Oct 08, 2009
Kathy
rated it:
What a great story, beautifully written. What more can you ask from a book? Starts out just a bit slow but by page 50 things really begin to happen.
An old man from England goes on vacation at the wrong time to France. He agrees to take 2 children back with him to England. Then he inadvertently ends up with more children--but the Germans are invading France.
I love Nevil Shute books and will read more soon!
An old man from England goes on vacation at the wrong time to France. He agrees to take 2 children back with him to England. Then he inadvertently ends up with more children--but the Germans are invading France.
I love Nevil Shute books and will read more soon!
Jul 05, 2008
Richard
rated it:
A novel published in 1942. An older English man, in his 70s, travels to Southern France just before Germany invades and over runs France. He decides to travel back to England just a few days before to be safe. As he is ready to leave an English couple asks them to take their two children back to England with him; he is reluctant but decides to do so. What normally would take a full day of train and boat turns into a much longer journey because Germany does invade. Along the way the old man
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Jan 06, 2012
Karen
rated it:
An older gentleman, who can't find any way to contribute to wartime London, takes off to France to do some fishing. Along the way, he is asked to escort several children to safety, which he does, through many dangerous situations. The place where he is retelling his account is a bit of a stretch, but it was still an enjoyable read.
Jul 31, 2011
Jayne
rated it:
Nevil Shute is excellent at depicting the effects of war on individuals. This book - telling the story of an elderly Englishman trying to leave France at the start of WWII, accompanied by two children, and as the book's title suggests ending up with several more - would be great to read alongside historical studies. I enjoyed it and am keeping it on the shelf for my kids.
Nov 13, 2008
Beverly
rated it:
I absolutely loved this book! I just discovered it at a used book store.
Besides enjoying the story, I was taken up with the pleasure of reading a WWII story which was written during WWII.
As twenty-first century reader, and one with an interest in history, I found the author's view to be fascinating. For Shute this was a contemporary novel.... for us, today, it is a glimpse into how one writer was experiencing a world crisis which was unfolding before him.
More...
Besides enjoying the story, I was taken up with the pleasure of reading a WWII story which was written during WWII.
As twenty-first century reader, and one with an interest in history, I found the author's view to be fascinating. For Shute this was a contemporary novel.... for us, today, it is a glimpse into how one writer was experiencing a world crisis which was unfolding before him.
More...
Sep 01, 2010
Maegan
rated it:
A very moving story about an old man trying to get across German-occupied France in WWII with a group of children. The characters are good people trying to make the best of a difficult situation, and none that they meet - French, German, or English - are either wholly perfect or evil.
Jan 11, 2010
Mike
rated it:
For some reason I had difficulty getting into this story. I think it was in large part because the main character was an old man. This British citizen is caught in the ensuing onslaught of the German army in France and is given the charge to lead children back to Great Britain and safety. The reason this was difficult is that being and old man, the main character couldn't really do much. He often has to react to events and hope that by chance they will escape. I know that this should have h
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Nov 25, 2010
Mw
rated it:
I picked this up in the new book section of our library recently, based on the author. THEN I realized I had seen the movie as a child.........Monty Woolley came to my mind. Some things one never forgets.
I enjoyed reading the book and don't feel inclined to be critical.
I enjoyed reading the book and don't feel inclined to be critical.
Apr 27, 2009
Beth
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What an absolutely fabulous book. It's an old book that I checked out from my library. It's about an old, retired man who is on vacation in France when the war breaks out. He agrees to escort several children out of France to safety.
This is a gem.
This is a gem.
Dec 31, 2010
Susan
rated it:
A favourite since high school.
An elderly man tries to leave France to get back to England at the beginning of WWII. Along the way he accumulates children of all ages to bring back with him. Mesmerizing.
An elderly man tries to leave France to get back to England at the beginning of WWII. Along the way he accumulates children of all ages to bring back with him. Mesmerizing.
Apr 22, 2009
Sandy
rated it:
Nevil Shute was a master story teller. I found this book, like A Town Like Alice, a very gratifying and satisfying read and remember it often, as one does with some books, as I go through my daily life
Mar 04, 2010
Josephspransy
rated it:
Another great book from Nevil Shute. Clever story where the wit of an 80 year with a parcel of childrens is his only defense as he must pass through the German army the week after blizkrieg.
Mar 27, 2011
Dianne
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This is my second Nevil Shute novel...I've also read A Town Like Alice. The style and subject matter are very similar between the two, so I'm glad I didn't read them back-to-back, but both are page-turners!
Aug 06, 2011
How could I not love a well-written story about a man who "accidentally" saves a group of kids in Nazi occupied France? I loved the characters, loved the book.
Aug 28, 2011
Eric
rated it:
The onset of WWII, a retired Englishman and a handful of children suddenly in his care, fleeing across France. A good read.
