I first read this book over a quarter of a century ago as a pimply faced, snot-nosed, bog rat with questionable aviation skills and no common sense who had just joined his first Operational Squadron after graduating from Pilot's Course. At least I had hair then!
I was "directed" towards the book by the more "experienced" squadron members and it was almost required reading for the junior neophytes.
It was a great read. I bought my own copy and then, later some blaggard borrowed it and never returned it. The swine!
And so after many intervening years, I have rediscovered the joys of a superbly crafted and well written aviation book - Fate Is The Hunter by Ernest K. Gann.
It is that extremely rare literary thing - a master wordsmith and craftsman has concocted an extremely readable book about aviation, by an aviator, for aviators. No ghost writers, no sensationalist journalists - just the real thing. And its authenticity shines through; I can recognise myself in some of the passages, as you will be able to also.
Just look at the Chapter titles - your mind just salivates, anticipation is aroused and your curiosity is piqued;
It is Ganns' autobiographical account of his time as an airline pilot, beginning prior to the Second World War until after it and the infancy and adolescent years of the American Airline Industry and the fledgling Air Transport Command. He spent most of his time flying throughout North Eastern USA and later was one of the pioneers of Northern Atlantic crossings. Gann also operated in South America, Southern Atlantic crossings and even flew the infamous "Hump" into China. He flew later in the Pacific and finalized his aviation career after the Korean War. In the very beginning they were making it up as they went along.
This was the era when pistons ruled, people did not trust aircraft and regulations were written with the blood from fallen comrades. It was in unpressurised, poorly heated (or cooled) cabins, with poor or no navigation aids, unreliable met forecasting and when pilots had a deep-rooted and healthy suspicious mind because things broke, engines failed and aircraft parked themselves in the sides of hills - regularly. The Captain was the Captain, and everybody knew it.
After a near mid-air at night Gann writes;
Grab a copy (just don't filch my new one!) and learn from other's past mistakes and errors. Glean from the text Command and Leadership lessons that you will be able to apply to your own flying and operation; and they abound.
Fate Is the Hunter is, even now, still a great read. And I suspect it will remain a great read in the future as long as there are aircraft and pilots.
I give it 6 Stars!
I was "directed" towards the book by the more "experienced" squadron members and it was almost required reading for the junior neophytes.
It was a great read. I bought my own copy and then, later some blaggard borrowed it and never returned it. The swine!
And so after many intervening years, I have rediscovered the joys of a superbly crafted and well written aviation book - Fate Is The Hunter by Ernest K. Gann.
It is that extremely rare literary thing - a master wordsmith and craftsman has concocted an extremely readable book about aviation, by an aviator, for aviators. No ghost writers, no sensationalist journalists - just the real thing. And its authenticity shines through; I can recognise myself in some of the passages, as you will be able to also.
Just look at the Chapter titles - your mind just salivates, anticipation is aroused and your curiosity is piqued;
- The Tip Of The Arrow - An Undesired Rendezvous In The Night
- The Innocents - And Of The Facts Of Aerial Life
- A Novitiate - Tangled And Stumbling In The Robes Of His Order
- Humility Learned - In Which A Master Is Tolerant
- A Captain - At Work
- The Seasoning - Where The Mind Is Honed And Sweat Is Found To Mix With Ice
- Of Numbers - And Their Power To Reduce The Presumptuous Quickly
- Gypsies - Doubtful Of Station And Intentions
- Rule Books Are Paper - They Will Not Cushion A Sudden Meeting Of Stone And Metal
- Valhalla - The Tortuous Route Thereto
- A Lonely, Unloved Ship - Finding The Hazard More Bitter When Matched With Trifles
- The Numbers - In A Wicked, Vengeful Mood
- Cold - Exhausting, Unrelenting, Murderous Cold
- Heat - In Most Men There Lurks A Lesser Man, And His Presence Smells In The Sun
- Fortune - Where Is The Man Who Survives Without...
- A Hole - So Small, But Of Exquisite Design
- A Pretender - How One Fine Man Is Ill-Used By Fate And Another Dares Deceive It
- A Certain Embarrassment - ...The Urge To Shift Blame Becomes Even Uglier When The Accused Has Left The Feast
- Tragedy And Escape - There Is A Degree Of Mercy Beyond Which Any Man Is Rude To Enquire
It is Ganns' autobiographical account of his time as an airline pilot, beginning prior to the Second World War until after it and the infancy and adolescent years of the American Airline Industry and the fledgling Air Transport Command. He spent most of his time flying throughout North Eastern USA and later was one of the pioneers of Northern Atlantic crossings. Gann also operated in South America, Southern Atlantic crossings and even flew the infamous "Hump" into China. He flew later in the Pacific and finalized his aviation career after the Korean War. In the very beginning they were making it up as they went along.
This was the era when pistons ruled, people did not trust aircraft and regulations were written with the blood from fallen comrades. It was in unpressurised, poorly heated (or cooled) cabins, with poor or no navigation aids, unreliable met forecasting and when pilots had a deep-rooted and healthy suspicious mind because things broke, engines failed and aircraft parked themselves in the sides of hills - regularly. The Captain was the Captain, and everybody knew it.
After a near mid-air at night Gann writes;
It is over. The peril was instantly there and then almost as instantly not there. We peeped behind the curtain, saw what some dead men have seen, and survived with it engraved forever on our memories.This is required reading for anyone who desires and aspires to be an aviator rather than a pilot. The lessons learned back in that other "prehistoric" era are equally valid in todays "modern" glass, automated cockpits.
Grab a copy (just don't filch my new one!) and learn from other's past mistakes and errors. Glean from the text Command and Leadership lessons that you will be able to apply to your own flying and operation; and they abound.
Fate Is the Hunter is, even now, still a great read. And I suspect it will remain a great read in the future as long as there are aircraft and pilots.
I give it 6 Stars!
3 comments:
Reading it at the moment, great book!
Keep up the great work...!
I've just finished reading it - it's even better than I remember from all those years ago.
I reading Aircraft Command right now and will post a book review when I've finished.
Glad to see somebody is reading this thing! ;-)
Just got this book back the other day from a friend who's had it for 3 years. He's read it 3 times. I'm half way through it for second time. Best book i've ever read on airline flying. Timeless.
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