Customer Reviews

Air Force One: A History of the Presidents and Their Planes

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ken Walsh deftly describes how aviation has globalized the personal reach of the American presidency with a fascinating, well-researched work full of anecdotes from the people who were there...the pilots, stewards, White House staff, reporters and others who flew aboard these magnificent airplanes. The anecdotes take the reader beyond well-known presidential history; rather, they illuminate the true personalities and unique characters that are each president and how each used the power of aviation to affect the lives of billions. It's a fascinating, insider's view of an airplane and how it has shaped modern world history.

Good stuff.

This posting is made at the request of my father-in-law, Colonel E.F. Smith, USAF (Ret.). Colonel Smith was one of the first two presidential pilots, making every flight on the Guess Where II, Sacred Cow and Independence. He has been interviewed extensively by the Air Force Historical Research Center, and was featured on the History Channel's documentary concerning Air Force One. Colonel Smith reviewed the relevant sections of Kenneth Walsh's book, referring to flight logs where necessary. He made the following observations.

1. Page 44 contains a description of the Presidential Cabin on the Sacred Cow, saying that, "the room contained a single chair for the commander in chief, a small desk and a two seat couch. Across the narrow aisle were seats for seven..." Comment: The desk was a small table, I don't remember a two-seat couch, and the seven seats did not exist.

2. Page 44 further describes the trip made by FDR to Yalta, "Roosevelt flew on the Sacred Cow from Yalta to Cairo, where he boarded the Quincy." Comment: the flight was from Russia to Deversoir, an airport near the Suez Canal. The cruiser Quincy was in the Suez Canal, not at Cairo.

3. Page 50: Walsh says this about President Truman: "...and he brought guests with him whenever possible so they could spread the word about the rare honor of flying with the commander-in-chief." Comment: Truman had no such practice, as confirmed by flight log records that listed passengers.

4. Page 51: Walsh says that Truman asked to be told when Independence crossed over Ohio. He then made use of the bathroom and ordered the pilot to dump waste overboard-a "tribute" to his political enemy Senator Robert Taft of Ohio. Comment: This story is a fabrication. The President never said anything like this, and it was not possible to dump waste overboard while airborne.

5. Page 51: Walsh describes a mythical "buzz" of the White House by the Sacred Cow. Comment: This story was recently told on the radio by Paul Harvey ("the rest of the story"). It never happened. On one occasion, President Truman asked that the Sacred Cow pass over the White House during its climb to cruising altitude after taking off from National Airport. As with all Presidential flights this takeoff was sedate, and did not include "buzzing" or any other form of acrobatics. Bess and Margaret never stood on the White House lawn waving and laughing as the Sacred Cow "dive-bombed" and "swooped."

6. Comment: The book does not describe the original aircraft built for use by President Roosevelt, which was named the "Guess Where II." The Secret Service decided that this aircraft was not safe enough to be used by FDR, although it was used extensively by Eleanor Roosevelt, by senior members of the Roosevelt Administration, and members of Congress.

7. Comment: This section of Mr. Walsh's book reveals the problems with reliance upon secondary sources. When Colonel Hank Myers (the other of the first two Presidential pilots) retired, he made extra money by writing fictional accounts of his experiences. Frequently, he took in-air emergencies that occurred on other aircraft piloted by other aviators and used them as the basis for alleged incidents on the Sacred Cow and Independence. Journalists have been confused for years by these stories, which turn up in one form or another in newspapers, books and magazines-described as if they actually happened.

8. Comment: Mr. Walsh unfortunately did not tell most of the interesting stories about the Sacred Cow and the Independence. Readers looking for "the rest of the story" should consult the Air Force Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB Montgomery, Alabama.

From Franklin D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush, this is a look at the presidents as never seen before. The pages on Lyndon Johnson sizzle. I had enjoyed some of the recent scholarship on this president but must admit that the perspective in this book makes the man come alive, good and bad. The author pulls no punches, obviously has no favorites or allegiances other than history itself. Bill Clinton really comes alive and you can just see George W. with all his bravado and smart-talk-humor. This is one of those books that you will hate to finish. Revealing and mesmerizing!

I have just finished reading Kenneth T. Walsh's newest book, "Air Force One: A History of the Presidents and Their Planes". This book, I am happy to report, is as informative and articulate a reading experience as I have had in a long time. Mr. Walsh's long-time "insider" status as well as his exhaustive research and crisp, concise style of writing made this a thoroughly enjoyable read, start to finish.

The short history of aviation and it's effect on American history is truly remarkable, as Mr. Walsh reports. Over the few years it has taken for the jet age to develop, our executive branch has been relatively quick to recognize and tap the potential for extending democratic values and influence. Between FDR's first tedious and exhausting hop-scotch to Casablanca and George W. Bush's incredible split-second decision on board Air Force One the day of September 11, 2001, this book gives the reader some wonderful minute-by-minute reporting from the key people involved, right up to the presidents themselves.

Each of our presidents has approached the Ait Force One experience in their own unique way, thereby revealing a closer insight into their hearts and minds. This book details each, from Clinton's relatively relaxed and homey flying style, Johnson's bullying, to Nixon's brooding and self-obsessed genius. And for me personally, the detailed descriptions of each airplane's awesome power and capabilities imparted a sense of certainty and reassurance that our leadership is just as secure and in command at 35,000 feet and 700 mph as it has ever been in the White House or Camp David.

These airplanes and the phalanx of people who fly them have known more history than one could ever have even imagined. With this book, Mr. Walsh has brought American history buffs as well as casual readers like myself a slice of flying knowlege and experience not soon to be forgotten.

If you are expecting a hard-hitting expose about anything presidential then this is not the book for you. The author does a very good job of detailing out the Presidents from FDR that have taken flight via Air Force One or its predecessors. The book is very interesting and does a good job at what it covers. The book does not cover in any detail much about the plane except for overall basic facts. The real focus of the book is the men who road in the planes, not the planes. I find that the only issue I had with the book is that there was not enough detail of the actual plane, what the crew goes through to get it ready, the special planning for a trip and so on. Don't get me wrong, I rather enjoyed the book as it was a light easy to read book that provided some very nice stories about the Presidents who traveled in the plane.

This book could have been subtitled: "A History of Presidential Character as Revealed through Their Planes." Beginning with FDR and ending with the current main passenger of Air Force One, George W. Bush, Kenneth Walsh details the history and experiences of U.S. presidents who have taken to the air on the world's most famous jet, providing a fascinating angle by which to view them.

Walsh is careful to weave basic information about the presidents into the book. If you already know a good deal about the modern U.S. presidents, you will find much of this information either simplistic or repetitive. If you don't know very much about the modern presidents, however, but you want to know more about Air Force One, then you won't get lost here.

Walsh usually introduces each president with a brief history, and then shows convincingly that the planes they flew had a way of revealing the character of that president in a way that other places - the Oval Office, for example - did not. Reporters and staff, if they are fortunate enough to be allowed on board the jet, have access to a president that they do not have anywhere else. Presidents also seem to open up more when they fly Air Force One. Both of these circumstances allow a unique opportunity to see the usually powerful and distant man unfiltered.

While the historical moments that took place on Air Force One are all here (LBJ's swearing in as president just after the assassination of JFK; George W. Bush's long flight around the country after the terror attacks on 9-11, etc.), I personally found the trivial or less famous information more interesting. I had never heard, for example, that Nixon's Air Force One had to take evasive maneuvers during a trip to the Middle East after it appeared Syrian fighter jets might attack it (they were mistakenly sent up to welcome the Presidential jet). I also had no idea that secure communications on the president's hi-tech plane are often disrupted while it is in flight.

This is a light book that can be finished in an evening of reading. My only disappointment with it was the lack of basic drawings of the interior setup of Air Force One or drawings of the insides of previous presidential jets. I don't think the information is classified (since Walsh describes it in words), so it would have been interesting to see the various layouts.

I have just finished reading Kenneth T. Walsh's newest book, "Air Force One: A History of the Presidents and Their Planes". This book, I am happy to report, is as informative and articulate a reading experience as I have had in a long time. Mr. Walsh's long-time "insider" status as well as his exhaustive research and crisp, concise style of writing made this a thoroughly enjoyable read, start to finish.

The short history of aviation and it's effect on American history is truly remarkable, as Mr. Walsh reports. Over the few years it has taken for the jet age to develop, our executive branch has been relatively quick to recognize and tap the potential for extending democratic values and influence. Between FDR's first tedious and exhausting hop-scotch to Casablanca and George W. Bush's incredible split-second decision on board Air Force One the day of September 11, 2001, this book gives the reader some wonderful minute-by-minute reporting from the key people involved, right up to the presidents themselves.

Each of our presidents has approached the Ait Force One experience in their own unique way, thereby revealing a closer insight into their hearts and minds. This book details each, from Clinton's relatively relaxed and homey flying style, Johnson's bullying, to Nixon's brooding and self-obsessed genius. And for me personally, the detailed descriptions of each airplane's awesome power and capabilities imparted a sense of certainty and reassurance that our leadership is just as secure and in command at 35,000 feet and 700 mph as it has ever been in the White House or Camp David.

These airplanes and the phalanx of people who fly them have known more history than one could ever have even imagined. With this book, Mr. Walsh has brought American history buffs as well as casual readers like myself a slice of flying knowlege and experience not soon to be forgotten.

Air Force One doesn't break any new ground. There aren't any juicy revelations about our past or present presidents. Air Force One in this book provides a unique stage allowing us to briefly visit all of the "flying presidents" including their personality flaws and greatness. (or the lack thereof) It's an interesting book. You won't end up with it on your all time list of favorites but it's perfect for a summer day at the beach. Enjoyable reading.

This was a short and easy read about the atmosphere on Air Force One. I found it very fascinating to look into what went on behind the scenes of Air Force One. The book was filled with several such little stories of presidential practical jokes, awkward moments, scary situations, etc.

One thing that it seemed that every president and every aide who was interviewed for this book said was that Air Force One had a very different atmosphere than rest of the Presidents moments. It was more laid-back and private, and many presidents looked forward to the solidarity of Air Force One and getting away from all of the formalities and the press.

Although it did not cover a lot about each presidents history, it did provide a nice, short overview of what policies each president who flew on Air Force One had.

Recommended for anyone interested in Air Force jets or presidential history.

Here is an insider look at the presidents that I will never forget. They are in shirt sleeves, chowing down food, playing cards and telling shady jokes. This is a very insightful account that was a sure winner from its very conception. Still, Ken Walsh is so tidy with the intricate details that there are many extras I didn't expect. Fun reading... much new information, critical to any serious student of presidential history.