In 1979, As It Happens debuted its
reading of The Shepherd, narrated by then-host Alan Maitland, whose
dulcet, comforting tones earned him the nickname "Fireside Al."
The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from
Germany for Christmas. Fog sets in and all radio communication is lost.
For one Royal Air Force pilot, one last hurdle remains between himself and a cozy Christmas morning in England. A sixty-six-minute flight in his Vampire fighter plane from Germany to Lakenheath. A routine flight plan and a full tank of fuel. What could go wrong?
But as the fog begins to close in, the compass goes haywire and the radio dies, leaving him in silence, lost and alone up in the inky black sky. All hope seems lost as he accepts his fate when, out of nowhere, a vintage fighter-bomber appears and is miraculously trying to make contact.
For one lonely pilot this is a miracle, but really the mystery has just begun ...
CBC Radio has aired this reading every Christmas Eve or close to it. I am listening to it as I write at this link. The Shepherd | CBC.ca. It is about 30 minutes.
The short book is avilable on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.ca/Shepherd-Frederick-Forsyth/dp/1804943908/ref=sr_1_1
If you are a movie fan, John Travolta stars in this 2:29 movie from 2023.
I do enjoy CBC radio.
ReplyDeleteNot one I knew. Thank you.
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