All That Is explores a life unfolding in a world on the brink of change. The lif
e is that of Philip Bowman and we see his formative experiences as a young naval
officer in battles off Okinawa, his post-war career as a book editor in New Yor
k, his trips to the great European cities - for publishing parties in London, ro
mantic holidays in Paris. But despite his success, what eludes him is love.
H
is first marriage goes bad, another fails to happen, finally he meets a woman wh
o enthrals him before setting him on a course he could never imagine for himself
. James Salter's dazzling, seductive and haunting novel offers a fiercely intima
te account of the great shocks and grand pleasures of being alive.
