The Shepherd

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This one, Forsyth explains later, really does not fit with others of the collection, only - it happens to be real, and it happened to a friend who assured him it was real; hence the first person narration. One Day at Disney • Dolphin Reef • Elephant • A Celebration of the Music from Coco • Howard • Inside Pixar • PRIDE: To Be Seen - A Soul of a Nation Presentation • Director by Night • Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage? • Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl • Stan Lee • Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions Discerning readers will notice that the tone of The Shepherd is comparable to the narrative structure and thematic of Hemingway’s The old Man and The Sea. In many respects, the real drama of The Shepherd is dictated by the unknown. Like Santiago in Hemingway’s novel, Forsyth’s R.A.F. pilot protagonist is pinned against natural forces that test the limits of human ingenuity and fortitude. What do you do when someone gossips and spreads false accusations and insinuations about you in public? Precious little unless the said person is honest and likely to correct his or her mistake with a public retraction to begin with, and possibly an apology. Most people have experienced some form of this what with gossip and false bad news being quite so spicy most people who hear such things would like to do so and further spread it about with a virtuous air of protecting others. The main themes of the story are how he is guided to a safe landing and how he tries to find the pilot who saved him.

During the event, the actor, who has a real-life pilot’s license, touched on the topic of his own near-miss plane crash in 1992, a subject he hasn’t discussed in public for almost 30 years. “I actually experienced a total electrical failure, not in a Vampire but in a corporate jet over Washington D.C.,” Travolta said. “So when I read [Forsyth’s] book, it resonated even more because of this experience I had personally had.”

How the dying man deprived this greedy bunch out of every cent of his, while not letting the tax authorities take any either, is the story, and at the risk of repetition, delightful. They abuse him and his solicitor who has discovered it with them is astounded as well after a lifetime of knowing the deceased closely. He literally took it with him, the solicitor muses.

He encounters a World War II era De Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber and recalls that the meteorological squadron used the last of the Mosquitoes to prepare weather forecasts. The Mosquito’s pilot used hand signals to give the Vampire’s pilot flight commands. At one point the Vampire’s pilot sees the nose of the Mosquito, which had the letters JK painted on it. The synopsis everywhere pretty much tells what it is about, although it does not say how beautifully it is written. Quite lyrical, unlike most work of this author, although that is not to say his other works are lesser, merely different. This one is comparable rather to works of Richard Bach and James Hilton in its qualities of lyrical beauty. There is suspense of course, a matter of life and death, and more.Jacob, Liana (April 5, 2022). "John Travolta Norfolk: Why was the Grease actor at a Morrisons in Norfolk, what is he filming and how did locals react?". The Yorkshire Post . Retrieved October 24, 2023. It is a beautifully written novella.The prose is elegant and there is sustained tension .Forsyth would later turn to writing political thrillers,but for me,this is his best book.