Glide Path

This is often described as Clarke's non-sf novel, but it has a very similar feel to some of his hard sf. There is the same world building and sense of wonder inspired by science -- but the world he brings to life here was real and recent history. For this novel is a fictionalised account of the development of Ground Control Approach radar during the second world war, and Clarke draws upon his own experience of working on the project to safely talk down aircraft by radar.

It might sound dry, but it isn't. Clarke does a fine job on showing both the the technology, and the people who created the technology, with the interplay between different personalities, and the little and large incidents that make up life in a developmental project. show more The main character's not always that likeable a person, but in a way that makes him a believable viewpoint character rather than a stock hero. There's plenty of dramatic tension, and lighter moments as well, with both clearly being drawn at least in part from Clarke's own experiences. Glide Path is well worth a read for both sf readers and WW2 History buffs. show less

An interesting read for me as I was intrigued to see Arthur C. Clarke in a non-science fiction genre. Also, I don't mind a good WWII fiction story. This wasn't a great WWII story and it also had what could be seen as a science element to it in that it covers ground directed radar for the RAF in guiding pilots down. I felt that this book is really for those interested in Clarke's work but wouldn't appeal to the general SF or War fiction readers.

During WWII, Flying Officer Alan Bishop is reassigned from England’s Northern Coastal Defence to a new project involving the development of a new radar-based airplane guidance system called Ground-Controlled Descent (GCD). Its purpose is to guide military craft to safe landings during dense fog or inclement weather. Along with a team of soldiers and scientists, and a trio of Women’s Auxiliary Air Force operators, Bishop leads the testing of the GCD in both staged exercises and actual landings in a small airfield near Land’s End in Cornwall.

Arthur C. Clarke’s only non-SF novel, Glide Path was inspired by his participation in the development of Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) during his wartime service with the Royal Air Force. show more

Such a topic alone does not constitute interesting fodder for fiction, and at times, I was reminded of Clarke’s Prelude to Space, a fictional chronicling of man’s first mission to the moon in the late 1950’s with little in the way of plot or conflict.

Much of the conflict in Glide Path remains in the background and stems from Bishop’s concerns over the declining health of his father, his feelings of inferiority compared to the brilliant scientists and skilled pilots on the team, pressure from skeptical generals, and an adversarial relationship with one particular RAF pilot who becomes competition for the affections of a local harlot. show less

Mr. Clarke is a master of explaining technical things to a layman, which explains his enduring popularity. That, and he writes great SF. Glide path is about two things; first, the development of advanced tracking radar to guide WWII planes safely down to the runway, second, it chronicles Alan Bishop's growth from a timid radar technician in the RAF into a Lieutenant in command of an airbase developing a very advanced radar system, of which parts are still in use today. The focus is really on the original Mark I that Bishop worked on and how he was more attached to it than his own family. All in all, a pretty good, and pretty quick read, perfect for those times when you are eagerly anticipating a package of books, one of which is to be show more immediately devoured, and the shipment is late. This was also one of the rare books where chapter 1 actually starts on page 1 and the text ran neatly through to page 200.

Most people know, but I'll throw in here that Clarke was a player in the development of radar, this book is a fictional 'memoir' of sorts. He also came up with the idea of geo-synchronous satellites (in an orbit matching the earth, holding the satellite in exactly the same space in the sky) as a device for an alien civilization to instantly communicate with any point on their planet. These are called Clarke Orbits and the band of satellites up in near space is referred to as the Clarke Belt. He had retired from a life as a prominent scientist to relax in Sri Lanka and write. show less

This is a quite good novel about the early days of radar in WWII, concerning the efforts of a group of scientists, flyers and servicemen to perfect a radar talk-down system for planes. Sounds like dry stuff, but Clarke makes it anything but. Moreover, this is an area he knows intimately, and his gift for making scientific intricacies accessible to the layman shines through clearly here.

This book is significant as being the only non-science fiction fiction book that Arthur C. Clarke ever wrote. It was inspired by (and partially, I'm sure) based upon his experience in World War II as a member of the Royal Air Force, using the GCD (Ground Controlled Descent) system to "talk-down" pilots. This is the setting of the story. Though the technology described is not impressive by today's standards (almost 40 years after the book was written, and 60 after the events it fictionalizes), the radar system is gone into in a quite detailed way, and it's obvious that Clarke knows what he's talking about. However, aside from this, there is another reason that this book is significant. Here we actually have Clarke employing a main show more character (Alan Bishop) as a main character, and developing him. Perhaps this was spurned on by his own personal involvement with the setting of the story, but, whatever the reason for it, this is probably actually the most "human" story that Clarke has ever put out. Those who claim that they can't read Clarke because all of his stories are just complex scientific esoteria that nobody understands wrapped up in a science fiction premise with cardboard cutout carichatures of characters who act merely as set pieces must revise, at least partially, this view of the author after reading this book. We see Clarke develop the character of Bishop. This, indeed, is one of his relatively few books (including among them Imperial Earth, The Songs of Distant Earth, and perhaps The Fountains of Paradise), where a human being is actually the star of the show, and not a machine or an idea. This is a bit of a change of pace for the reader of ACC's fiction, and it is a pleasant diversion. While this is most assuredly not one of his major works, it is an enjoyable read, and an interesting contrast. It balances the technological and human elements of the story rather well. A nice, quick read as well. Pick it up if you can find it.
by VoodooLord7 show less

An interesting look into the pioneers of radar talk down systems for night flying bombers during WWII, based somewhat on Clarke's own experiences.