Night over Water

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: Tom Casaletto

Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

On a bright September morning in 1939, two days after Britain declares war on Germany, a group of privileged but desperate people gather in Southhampton to board the largest, most luxurious airliner ever built - the Pan American Clipper - bound for New York.

The passengers include a fascist English aristocrat fleeing with his family and a fortune in jewels; a German scientist escaping from the Nazis; a murderer under FBI escort; a beautiful young woman heading for a new life; and a handsome, charming, unscrupulous thief.

They will be in the air for 30 hours, soothed by the carpeted lounges, the curtained beds, the gourmet dining room, and the endless champagne. But once inside the flying palace, there is no escape. Over the Atlantic, the Clipper's passengers are gripped by mounting fear and tension as their journey reaches the point of no return.

©1991 Ken Follett (P)1991 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"Follet soars to a thoroughly satisfying ending with aeronautical precision." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Tom Casaletto's glib performance makes this seemingly endless journey fly by with ease. His many accents are first-rate." ( AudioFile)

Outstanding, very clever and engaging

The story is very clever, with a great surprise twist at the end. The character development was great and engaging

An Enjoyable Story

Night Over Water is not Follett's best but it's still a nice story. The most interesting character, of course, is the Boeing 314, one of the most beautiful and consequential planes in the early age of airliners. Too bad they didn't keep at least one for display. Casaletto's narration leaves something to be desired. His diction is crisp but he reads too fast, like he just can't wait to get to the end of the paragraph. I feel that way sometimes, too, when I really have to go wee. Oh, and he makes the gangsters sound like characters from a 1930's melodrama. Jimmy Cagney, anyone?

Interesting story about an historic aircraft.

Many characters most of whom were very interesting. The aircraft stole the show though. it was a grand idea way ahead of its time.

Another great Follett book

Loved the characters and learned about the clipper flying boats. Follett does a great job of making historical fiction so interesting and I always learn something. The narrator was good but the recording quality was not great. I got used to it but that’s why I gave performance 4 stars.

Great story!

This was a great story. I didn’t know the history of the “flying boat”. I found the romantic scenes a bit over the top, but enjoyed the stories of the characters. The ending was super!

Good read

Well crafted and well told. Many subplots and protagonists to cheer along their voyages and future.

Follet does it again

This author produces superb books. This is no exception. The intrigues are deep and well disguised. The characters are recognizable people and we grow to care about all but the villains.

I’m an aviator, so the me fact, the story took place in an airplane was compelling to me

I’ve read most of Ken Follett books and none of them disappoint. He’s a wonderful storyteller.

Excellent Story

Follett spends a 1/3 of the book setting up his characters like dominoes. Then the plane takes off and he lets the dominoes tumble in wonderfully intertwined yet unpredictable patterns. Nearly all the characters are well developed and highly believable, several conflicted. The plot is more complex than one would expect in such a limited space. This story is very well researched, produced and narrated. Overall: A first rate thriller.

I Learned Something New!

Great story! Interesting and suspenseful the entire way through.

It was hard for me to follow the various story lines at first since I have trouble keeping track of names, but that didn’t last long and I soon got swept up by the plot.

I also loved learning about the Pan Am Clipper!! I knew nothing about it prior to this book; a fascinating little bit of history.