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I have never really read aviation books before, but this past week I picked up From Worst to First and Flying high, books about Continental airline's remarkable comeback, and how David Neeleman started up jetblue respectively. The books were very interesting, and I figured I would get some more. I was wondering if you guys can recommend some books that have a similar genre, and are not very into the nitty gritty details. Thanks in advance!
There's a great one--Skygods--the fall of Pan Am by Roger Gandt. It gives a good historical background of Pan Am and is an excellent read. I have a book on the fall of Eastern Airlines by Jack Robinson but it's a bit too business-y for me and a bit of a snooze.
As always the Air Disaster series by MacArthur Job are excellent reads.
Finally one of my favorites is "The Airport": Terminal Nights and Runway Days at Kennedy Airport by James Kaplan is an excellent multiple view account of the history and development of JFK.
There was a great book about airline pilot life. It was actually a book and a sequel, I think it was Captain or something like that.
I have an interesting book about the development of the low-fare airline movement called "No Frills", by Simon Calder. It's a British book, and I'm not sure it was published in the US, but if you happen to see a copy, it's definitely worth picking up. Lots of interview material with various entertaining individuals, and a lot of info about what was going on behind the scenes.
Also, "Avoiding Common Pilot Errors" by John Stewart (no, not THAT Jon Stewart) is a rather amusing book written by an air traffic controller. It's a little dated, but still a fun read if you're curious about what goes on behind the scenes of our aviation system.
I read Flying High a few years ago and loved it. It really gave me a new respect for Neeleman's ingenuity in this industry.
If you like books about emergencies, read "Emergency! Crisis on the flight deck" written by Stanley Stewart. The author is a former BA pilot and details through interviews some of the major catastrophic aviation emergencies that have occurred and how excellence in airmanship and cool attitudes led to successful outcomes. This is one of my favorite aviation reads.
If you're looking for a fiction book, "Airframe" by Michael Crichton was decent. I read it almost a decade ago, but I remember it as being a decent thriller about a fictional aircraft manufacturer. Not always that accurate to real aviation, but a decent read nonetheless.
There was another book that detailed the politics between the NTSB, FAA, and DOT during aviation disasters and the regulatory fall-out after some specific crashes. I can't remember the name, but I'll look it up when I get home later this week.
I also have a book about the rise and fall of Delta Airlines (up to their 2005 bankruptcy), but haven't read it yet and can't remember the name. I'll look that one up too when I get home.