On the Beach

Nevil Shute’s novel On the Beach was published in 1957. It tells the story of a group of people living in Melbourne, Australia, who face the end of the world after a nuclear war destroys the entire Northern Hemisphere. As they wait for the radioactive fallout to reach them, the characters must deal with the fact that their days on Earth are numbered. The story was initially published in four parts under the title The Last Days on Earth in Sunday Graphic. The novel sold over 4 million copies and was one of the first to address the topic of nuclear apocalypse. The 1959 film adaptation, directed by Stanley Kramer, starred Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, and Anthony Perkins. It was the first film to depict nuclear war and was shown in the USSR. The 2000 television version had a modern setting, while the BBC produced a full-cast performance in 2008.

This guide is based on the 2019 Reading Essentials e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source material contains depictions of death by euthanasia in adults and children, which this guide describes.

Plot Summary

In December 1962, after a 37-day-long nuclear war that destroyed the Northern Hemisphere, the rest of the world waits for the end of the world as the wind carries the radioactive fallout into the Southern Hemisphere, and each country succumbs to the poison. Melbourne, Australia, is the southernmost major city on the planet and will be the last to fall. While the citizens are keenly aware that they have approximately six months to live, they attempt to live a peaceful, meaningful existence until the end. The electricity still works, but there is no fuel for cars, so everyone must use bicycles or horses for transportation.

Peter Holmes, a Royal Australian Navy officer, hasn’t worked since the war and is hopeful he will soon receive new orders. In the meantime, he cares for his wife, Mary, and their infant daughter, Jennifer. Mary, in denial, refuses to talk about radiation fallout and instead sets her sights on expanding their garden and planting trees. She spends her days caring for Jennifer and purchasing flower bulbs.

Peter receives new orders to join Dwight Towers, who, along with his crew, are the last remaining wing of the United States Navy, on the American submarine the USS Scorpion, which will conduct reconnaissance missions in the North to determine the extent of the damage and investigate a mysterious radio signal coming from Seattle, Washington. As the crew prepares for their first cruise, Peter invites Dwight to their home on the outskirts of Melbourne for the weekend. Mary worries that Dwight will become emotional seeing their baby, since he lost his wife and two children in the war. She invites their friend Moira Davidson, the life of every party, to join them to raise his spirits. Dwight participates in a sailing race at their club and attends a party at their house. He and Moira get along, but she becomes intoxicated and cries over all the sadness in the world. Moira’s cousin, John Osborne, a scientist, joins the Scorpion’s crew to monitor radiation levels along their journey. A scientist named Jorgensen has proposed that rains have washed away most of the radiation in the North and that far less of it will travel South than they had thought. Part of John’s job on the crew is to prove or disprove Jorgensen’s theory. The Scorpion’s first cruise takes them along the Australian coast, which shows no sign of life in the port towns and high radiation levels.

Dwight and Moira become closer, and she invites him to her family’s sheep and cattle farm. Dwight enjoys the pastoral setting, which reminds him of his home in Mystic, Connecticut. Moira brings happiness and fun into Dwight’s life, and they enjoy spending time together, but the more time Moira spends with Dwight, the more she realizes that he believes his family is waiting for him and that he will return to them in September. Other than a few kisses, he keeps their relationship purely platonic. Meanwhile, Dwight has a calming effect on Moira, and she begins drinking less, spending more time helping her family on the farm, and signs up to take a secretarial typing class. Peter worries about leaving his family for the more extended cruise north, and in preparation, he speaks with Mary frankly about the effects of radiation poisoning. He tells her that the pharmacist has government-issued lethal doses of cyanide for anyone to obtain should they not wish to endure prolonged suffering. Peter’s suggestion horrifies Mary, and she remains in denial about their future.

On the Scorpion’s second, extended cruise, they explore the California coast and travel to Seattle to investigate the mysterious radio signal. Dwight allows his crew to view their homeland through the periscope, and Yeoman Swain jumps ship when he sees Seattle and swims to shore. They later see him fishing in a boat, preferring to die near his home than in Australia. Dwight tracks the radio signal to an island off the coast of Seattle and sends one officer ashore in a protective suit to investigate. He finds only dead bodies and discovers a broken window was intermittently sending out the radio signal when the wind blew. The Scorpion returns to Melbourne with the sad report that there are no survivors in Seattle and the high radiation levels are spreading south.

With the end fast approaching, people use up their fuel stockpiles, and the roads are once again full of cars. John Osborne purchases a Ferrari and begins preparing for the Australian Grand Prix. He easily wins the qualifying heats and places high enough overall to run in the big race, which typically happens in November but is moved to August. After the death of his superior, the admiral promotes Dwight to Supreme Commander of the United States Navy, but there is no more work to do. The Navy puts the Scorpion in a dry dock, and Dwight commands the captain of the Swordfish to sink it offshore. Dwight and Moira retreat to the mountains to fly fish while they’re still healthy. Moira is in love with Dwight and wishes they had more time together. John easily wins the Australian Grand Prix, though many drivers are killed in wrecks.

People in Melbourne begin showing signs of radiation sickness. Moira returns to her family farm and helps her father prepare for the cattle to be left unattended. Dwight meets with the admiral and Peter, informing them of his plan to take the Scorpion and crew and sink the submarine offshore. John cares for his mother until she dies by using the cyanide pills. After visiting his uncle, Sir Douglas, John visits his Ferrari one last time and dies in the front seat after taking his cyanide. Relieved of his duty, Peter returns home to Mary and Jennifer, who are now gravely ill. Peter is sick, too, but knows he might survive longer. Choosing to die with his family, Peter gives Jennifer the cyanide via syringe, and he and Mary get into bed and take their pills together. Moira is very ill and bids goodbye to her parents, who are also dying, and drives to the dock to say goodbye to Dwight. After watching the submarine sink, she takes her pills while looking out over the ocean.