Night Over Water [Mass Market Paperback]

Ken Follett (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 524 pages
• Publisher: Signet Book; 1st Signet Printing edition (1992)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000I9Z9Q8
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,595,345 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ken Follett was only twenty-seven when he wrote the award-winning EYE OF THE NEEDLE, which became an international bestseller. His celebrated PILLARS OF THE EARTH was voted into the top 100 of Britain's best-loved books in the BBC's the Big Read and the sequel, WORLD WITHOUT END, will be published in Autumn 2007. He has since written several equally successful novels including, most recently, WHITEOUT. He is also the author of non-fiction bestseller ON WINGS OF EAGLES. He lives with his family in London and Hertfordshire.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fictional tale about the last flight of a Pan Am Clipper as WWII begins, September 15, 2006

By 

Carolyn Rowe Hill "author of 'The Dead Angel" (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Night Over Water (Paperback)

If you like airplanes, intrigue, World War II stories, and good writing, you'll enjoy this novel by Ken Follett. Follett always does his homework and I always learn from him. This story takes place at the beginning of England's entry into the war against Nazi Germany in 1939. It is about the last flight of the flying boat, the Pan American clipper (Boeing 314), from England to America. The luxurious, short-lived air ship began life in the summer of 1939 and ended a few weeks later when Hitler invaded Poland.

On board is a troubled aristocratic British family; an American actress; an Englishwoman running off with another man, leaving her husband; a young jewel thief; a criminal being returned to the states by authorities; a grumpy, demanding old princess; a German scientist and his companion; and others. This mix of characters and the situation in which they find themselves, make for an excellent story, especially considering the terrifying news flight engineer, Eddie Deakin, receives shortly before takeoff.

The writing is tight, the suspense builds with every page (as events in a well-crafted story should), and the wartime events are accurate within the scope of a tale of fiction. I found it enticing, riveting, and plausible. I cared so much about some of the characters that at the end of the book I wanted there to be a sequel. I wanted to know what happened to Margaret and Harry, Diana and Mark, Nancy and Mervyn, young Percy, and even Margaret's sister, Elizabeth, who left the story fairly early on. The only problem with this book was that the copy I received from Amazon had 32 missing pages! I had to borrow a copy to read the missing text!!

Another good Follett book with airplanes and a World War II setting is Hornet Flight (November 2003).

Carolyn Rowe Hill

36 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ,...spies and Nazis, March 13, 2002

By 

Beverley Strong (Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night Over Water (Paperback)

Yet another gripping story by Ken Follett. On the eve of the outbreak of WW2, a clipper ship of the Pan American Line is due to fly from England to New York. These massive flying boats are the epitome of luxury and passage can be afforded by only the wealthy. It's a mixed bag on this trip-an aristocratic family who have been forced to leave England because of the fathers fascist views, a petty crook,an eloping couple who are being pursued by the womans jealous husband and various others.It's a gripping and exciting tale, well written in the Follett style and a good,fast,satisfying read.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome Aboard the Pan Am Clipper, March 16, 2007

By 

Night Reader (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Night Over Water (Paperback)

I read this 544 page paperback in 3 days. Its "Ship of Fools" meets the Pan Am Clipper in 1939 at the very beginning of WWII. Everybody on the legendary flying boat seems to be running away from something and their stories all intersect during the 40 hour flight from England to the U.S. Its an easy and fun read, and the closest we'll ever get to experiencing the golden age of travel by flying boat.