Yet 'The Skies Belong to Us' is more than just an enthralling yarn about a spectacular heist and its bittersweet, decades-long aftermath. It is also a psychological portrait of America at its most turbulent, and a testament to the madness that can grip a nation when politics fail. The Skies Belong to us As a young stewardess for Western Airlines in the late 60's and 70's living and flying out of San Francisco, I can remember the era written about in this book. Many of the crew members portrayed in the book are people I was familiar with.
The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website:
We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking “I agree” below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service.
Author | Brendan I. Koerner |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Publisher | Crown Publishing Group (USA) |
Publication date | 2013 |
Media type | Hardback |
ISBN | 978-0307886101 |
Preceded by | Now the Hell Will Start |
The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking is a 2013 narrative nonfiction book by the American author Brendan I. Koerner. It is a history of the 'golden age' of aircraft hijacking in the United States from the first incident in May 1961 through January 1973. Hijackings during this period took place as often as once a week, with about 160 incidents in total (most were to Cuba). The book looks at the causes of the epidemic, some of the more famous ones and follows in-depth the story of the longest-distance skyjacking in American history, involving Willie Roger Holder and Catherine Marie Kerkow, a young couple who took control of Western Airlines Flight 701 on June 2, 1972 and ended up flying across the Atlantic Ocean to Algeria. It finally examines what brought the hijacking craze to an end in 1973.
Drive ahead. The book was favorably reviewed including in the New York Times Book Review,[1]New York Times,[2]Washington Post,[3]Los Angeles Times,[4]The National (Abu Dhabi),[5]SFGate,[6] and Bookforum.[7]
It was an ALA Notable Books for Adults (2014),[8] and was one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year (2013).[9] It was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction (2014).
Brendan Koerner talked about his book, The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking, in which he chronicles the hijacking of Western Airlines flight 701 in 1972 by Vietnam War veteran Roger Holder and his girlfriend, Cathy Kerkow. The larger goal of the hijacking was to protest the Vietnam War, but Holder and Kerkow were also trying to free Angela Davis, who was on trial for murder at the time. Brendan Koerner spoke at the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta.
Yet 'The Skies Belong to Us' is more than just an enthralling yarn about a spectacular heist and its bittersweet, decades-long aftermath. It is also a psychological portrait of America at its most turbulent, and a testament to the madness that can grip a nation when politics fail. The Skies Belong to us As a young stewardess for Western Airlines in the late 60's and 70's living and flying out of San Francisco, I can remember the era written about in this book. Many of the crew members portrayed in the book are people I was familiar with.
The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website:
We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking “I agree” below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service.
Author | Brendan I. Koerner |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Publisher | Crown Publishing Group (USA) |
Publication date | 2013 |
Media type | Hardback |
ISBN | 978-0307886101 |
Preceded by | Now the Hell Will Start |
The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking is a 2013 narrative nonfiction book by the American author Brendan I. Koerner. It is a history of the 'golden age' of aircraft hijacking in the United States from the first incident in May 1961 through January 1973. Hijackings during this period took place as often as once a week, with about 160 incidents in total (most were to Cuba). The book looks at the causes of the epidemic, some of the more famous ones and follows in-depth the story of the longest-distance skyjacking in American history, involving Willie Roger Holder and Catherine Marie Kerkow, a young couple who took control of Western Airlines Flight 701 on June 2, 1972 and ended up flying across the Atlantic Ocean to Algeria. It finally examines what brought the hijacking craze to an end in 1973.
Drive ahead. The book was favorably reviewed including in the New York Times Book Review,[1]New York Times,[2]Washington Post,[3]Los Angeles Times,[4]The National (Abu Dhabi),[5]SFGate,[6] and Bookforum.[7]
It was an ALA Notable Books for Adults (2014),[8] and was one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year (2013).[9] It was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction (2014).
Brendan Koerner talked about his book, The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking, in which he chronicles the hijacking of Western Airlines flight 701 in 1972 by Vietnam War veteran Roger Holder and his girlfriend, Cathy Kerkow. The larger goal of the hijacking was to protest the Vietnam War, but Holder and Kerkow were also trying to free Angela Davis, who was on trial for murder at the time. Brendan Koerner spoke at the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta.