Neil Gunn, one of Scotland's most distinguished novelists of the 20th Century was a prolific writer. His writing life spanned the Recession, the political crises of the 1930's, and the Second World War and it's aftermath; his novels, reflecting his constant philosophical quests, invariably depict two worlds - the world of here and now and the world in which the meaning of life and the essence of being are explored. From this evocative title comes a novel of suspense and mature reflection set in Glasgow in the late 1940's. The main character, a shipping executive, finds himself enmeshed in the world of espionage and intrigue in a sinister conflict involving the British Secret Service and a communist fifth column. It is the beginning of the Cold War and the threat of imminent disaster is real and frightening. The chart that is lost covers the approaches to a remote Hebridean island of strategic importance for the defence of the West. For the shipping executive, there is another lost chart, the search for which, in metaphorical terms, is a quest for an imaginative spiritual renewal based on the traditions and way of life of the old Celtic communities of the Western Isles. The double quest leads to stimulating conversations of remarkable insight and metaphysical depth, and to scenes of gripping physical violence both ashore and at sea. All this takes the reader on an absorbing and enlightening search for 'the lost chart'. The novel has a strange relevance to the events of today. The battle against international terrorism, the fear of global recession and the decline in adherence to established religious beliefs are symptoms, albeit in a different guise, of an uneasiness with regard to world stability and prospects for the long-term future.