Book recommendation from a friend

[whippy]

Hi folks,

I feel a litttle silly recommending a book I have not read, but I wanted to get this out here...

A friend of mine told me about a book called "Fate is the Hunter" by Ernest K Gann from 1961 and it really sounds super! The author was a DC-2 and DC-3 pilot for American Airlines in the late 30's, various Air Transport aircraft during the war and then DC-4s after the war.

My friend sent me a couple of excerpts from the book, so I HAVE read a little bit of it, and it sounds like a very exciting read.

I'm saving up for a flight yoke and rudder pedals so don't want to buy it yet, myself, but will be doing so after I get my toys.

Has ayone else here read this one? I'm sure SOMEONE here has. lol

[Tom/CalClassic]

There have been several threads here mentioning the book before, but it never hurts to remind those who have forgotten or the new people that haven't read it yet.

A must read!

Thanks,

[jesse]

The book has also been made into a movie that shows up on TCM once in awhile. The movie is not nearly as good as the book. It seems to me the Director tooks some artistic liberties.

Jesse

[Mike]

I read it for the first time last year and can tell you it's one I didn't want to put down.

And how wierd is this. As I type this, I glanced at a shelf of aviation books that I keep next to my computer, and have just noticed another of his that I bought in 1969 or 70 - In the Company of Eagles. Think I'll have to re-read that one.


Cheers,
Mike

[aeroart]

Yes, the book was great. But if the movie of the same name shows up in your TV schedule, try to avoid it. Glenn Ford plays an investigator looking into an airliner accident. Turns out, according to the scriptwriter, it was caused by coffee spilling on the pedestal!

Ok, so I gave away the ending, but I saved you from an hour-and-a-half of eye strain.

Art

[okami]

I wanted to make the obvious "I've seen the movie, but it's not my cup of coffee" joke, but I guess that's just too obvious.

Note has to be made about the movie of its most creative use of a DC-4 fuselage to represent a crashed jetliner hulk... <.<

[simondix]

Perhaps we should have a section for books about flying in the Golden and Silver ages. I read 'Fate is the Hunter' and likewise could not put it down.
On the strength of that I bought 'AHostage to Fortune'. Found that it petered out towards the end.

So lets have some more suggestions.

[Tom McEnteer]

"North Star Over My Shoulder" by Bob Buck. Traces Cpt Buck's career from biplanes to 747's. However most of the book covers our era.

Regards,

the other Tom

[herkpilot]

Another great book is "Flying the Old Planes"(1973) by Frank Tallman(partner of Paul Mantz of Tallmantz Aviation) it covers pre-WW I vintage and later aircraft up through the Ford trimotor, B-25 and B-17. As one of the greatest movie pilots, he gives lots of personal observations and insight into the terrifying flight characteristics of the early birds.

Ernie Gann's "A Hostage to Fortune" tells a pretty amazing story about a man who had a pretty amazing life both before flying and after. If you can find it, "Ernest K. Gann's Flying Circus" is 22 short articles (mostly from Flying Magazine) about classic aviators and aircraft with full color artwork by Robert Parks published in 1974.

Ernie's other love was the sea and his books about the maritime world are also worth a read. He spend his later years at Friday Harbor, WA painting and sailing and even flew some charter work for a local outfit. There is a nice short feature about his later years on the DVD of "The High and The Mighty"

This link: hawaii.gov/hawaiiaviation/aviation-photos/1940-1949/john-rodgers-airport/honolulu-airport/PP%20BAC%20Aviation.jpg/ha_image_view_fullscreen
shows a photo of Ernie(in the middle) and crew in front of a shining Matson DC-4 in Honolulu, possibly just arriving on the inaugural flight.

"Fate is the Hunter" inspired me to an aviation career and I'm never far from a copy of it.

Hy