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.

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. ( )

This is one of Arthur C Clarke's earliest novels, and his only one that isn't science fiction. It draws heavily on Clarke's own experiences in the R.A.F during the Second World War. From his teenage years he had been obsessed with radio transmission and he was able to put this to good use in his role as Scientific Officer at a number of airbases supporting the maintenance and operation of their radar installations.

Even this early in his career, Clarke is already showing signs of his facility as a storyteller. His protagonist, Alan Bishop, finds himself transferred to an airbase in Cornwall where he encounters the ultra-secret Ground Controlled Descent system, a development from the early radar machines which would enable ground-based staff to 'talk down' pilots returning from missions in poor weather of limited visibility. Clarke captures the life of the airbase vividly - Bishop's war is not one fraught with excitement. Instead, he finds himself working hard, with limited opportunity to relax.

There are, though, some humorous vignettes. Bishop finds himself on the fringes of a pale imitation of a house of ill repute just as it is being raided by the police, though they are actually there to investigate allegations of hoarding of rationed food (a cardinal sin during Britain's darkest war privations).

While not a work of science fiction, there is a fair amount of science hovering in the background, but as ever Clarke is careful not to frighten the layman. This is not the most memorable of his books, and it does now seem rather dated, but it still offers a very enjoyable read. ( )

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 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. ( )

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. 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. ( )