[The] combination of straightforward adventure with the shadow of a dream is one which has often been tried in literature, with varying degrees of success. "Lost Horizon" is one of the most notable of the recent books of this type; "An Old Captivity" is less impressive, but is still an excellent example of what an imaginative author can do to satisfy some readers' predilection for swift-paced action, while he appeals at the same time to an audience fond of a more subtle and provocative narrative.

The one who likes adventure will perhaps be the better rewarded. Seldom has a story of an airplane flight been more vividly and expertly delineated. From the moment of the takeoff from Southampton, the vicissitudes of the strangely assorted crew provide a narrative of increasing suspense….

The coincident theme, dealing with the pilot's psychological adventure, so to speak, is a blend of fantasy, legend, and Celtic mysticism. It centers on a dream which Ross experiences shortly after their arrival at the site of Brattalid, where the survey is to take place. Apparently reluctant to follow such an obvious course as to let Ross's Celtic ancestry be the tacit cause of the dream, Mr. Shute brings in other items which might be supposed to have some contributing influence, such as the sense of fatigue which Ross allows to envelop him, and his unthinking use of some pernicious sleeping tablets, foisted upon him by a none-too-scrupulous chemist. Psychological analysis of Ross's "dream," plus a touch of Eskimo superstition, also enter the story at this point.

For some readers, fantasy thus transmuted by emphasis on explanation and on seeming casual influences loses much of its charm; but Mr. Shute endeavors to satisfy this audience by leaving inexplicable much of Ross's extraordinary excursion into a bygone century.

Nevertheless, although Mr. Shute's handling of fantasy and mystery may provide subject for argument, his gift for presenting graphic narration is unquestioned; especially so, when he concerns himself with men who "take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea."