The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse

By: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrated by: David Rintoul

Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

From the beloved and best-selling author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series comes a heartwarming tale of hope and friendship set amid the turmoil of World War II. 

Val Eliot, a young woman working on an English farm during the war, meets Mike, a US Air Force pilot stationed nearby. When Val rescues a Border Collie named Peter Woodhouse, who is being mistreated by his owner, she realizes the dog would actually be safer with Mike. And so Peter Woodhouse finds a new home on the air force base, and Val finds herself falling in love. 

Peter Woodhouse becomes Dog First Class, a canine mascot on the base who boldly accompanies the officers on their missions, and Val becomes Mike's fiancee. But then a disaster jeopardizes the future of them all, and Peter Woodhouse brings Ubi, a German corporal, into their orbit, sparking a friendship that comes with great risk but carries with it the richest of rewards. 

Infused with Alexander McCall Smith's renowned charm and warmth, The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse is an uplifting story of love and the power of friendship to bring sworn enemies together.

©2018 Alexander McCall Smith (P)2018 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Prepare for a most enjoyable trip into the unique world of Alexander McCall Smith.... David Rintoul's masterful performance has us laughing, aching, weeping, and smiling -rooting for the good guys and hoping for a happy ending.... Between McCall Smith's imagination and Rintoul's honest rendering of all the characters, listeners have a heartwarming, intelligent audiobook awaiting them." (AudioFile)

wonderful

As usual McCall Smith weaves a beautiful story. It follows the lives of people during WWII and after. How kindness and love can build bridges of friendship.

AN ALL AROUND GREAT BOOK!

What made the experience of listening to The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse the most enjoyable?
I am a big fan of The Number One Ladies Detective Agency series and while this book is a different sort of story, it's superb. The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse made me feel like I was sipping a really great cup of coffee and after I was finished with it I was satisfied. The characters were interesting and amusing. I particularly like the way Alexander McCall Smith handled the tension of WWII and its complexity. As an American I have grown weary of stories where the author beats up on the USA. It's tedious always having to listen to American's portrayed as egocentric idiots. Of course America hasn't been perfect, but often we have tried hard to stand by the oppressed, even at great cost to us. Everybody was honored in this book without making things too unrealistic. I loved the friendships and the overall sense of honor and decency. This is a GREAT READ.

Have you listened to any of David Rintoul’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have never heard David Rintoul before, but I thought he was wonderful.

If you could rename The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse, what would you call it?
I wouldn't rename this book! The name alone was part of the charm.

Wonderful. One of his best. Captivating.

I have been an avid fan of AMS for many years. This is one of his best yet, in my opinion. I continue to be in awe of his remarkable imagination and storytelling skills. I loved learning history through a wonderful story. It was educational, soulful, and deeply moving. His work is a gift to the world. He acknowledges the hard truths about life and yet inspires us to keep loving.

Delightful

This is one of AMS’s stand-alone books. The story takes place during World War Two. We follow the following people: Val a young woman from the village that is sent to work on a farm; Mike is an American pilot that falls in love with Val; Ubi is a German officer, and most important is a Border Collie dog named Peter Woodhouse. We follow them during and after the war.

I enjoy AMS’s books. They always leave me feeling happy and satisfied. Of course, some of his books leave me pondering a moral issue. If you are looking for a good story written by a master storyteller then this book is for you.

The book is six hours and twenty-nine minutes. David Rintout does an excellent job narrating the book. He has a rich melodic voice that is easy to listen to. Rintout is a well-known audiobook narrator. He is a classically trained Scottish actor and has won many Earphone Awards for his audiobook narrations.

Wonderful, eloquent

This novel glows like a firefly. Its light is small, surprising, and yet entirely significant in and of itself. McCall Smith's prose is, as always, eloquent. His characters are so real that they seemed to be in the room with me as I followed the story. I could not stop listening. This book captures, in miniature scale, the essence of a span of 40 years or so that are almost beyond memory's reach already: the late days of WW II through the early 80's in England, the Low Countries, and what was post WWII West Germany. The book doesn't work in epic sweeps depicting movers and shakers. Rather, it works at an individual level, where the most common yet precious aspects of life keep people going through sorrow and joy, and where love and friendship give existence meaning. David Rantoul narrates flawlessly.

Enduring Enjoyment

I have listened to almost all of Alexander McCall Smith's series either on CD and in the last few years by Audio books. I enjoy his writing style, wit, historical perspective and fondness for odd characters. I found this book particularly engaging as it interwove a challenging historic time with very humane people (and a lovely dog). His narrators in all his series are excellent which makes me gravitate towards listening to his stories as opposed to reading. I would highly recommend this story - one of his best.

Loved the book

This story is charming and heartwarming. It is an insightful story of kind hearted folks during times of adversity. The narration is also excellent. Once again, the author has created interesting and endearing characters.

Wonderful!

If you like books like My Grandmother asked me to tell you she’s sorry, the 100 year old man who climbed out a window and disappeared, the Guernsey Literary... er al., you will love this sweet, clever book.

Enjoyed the characters

I like to read about everyday people doing the best they can with the circumstances life presents. These are the people you want to seek out and be friends with.

Beautiful!

A heartwarming and heartbreaking story of WWII, full of perspective and thought provoking stories. I loved it, every second of it.