As Pistons Flew [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Jane A Gottschall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 2000

What was it like to fly internationally as crew on piston aircraft in the 1940s and 1950s; to see everything from volcanic eruptions in Central America to the fiery Frank Sinatra going to Spain; to shop in the ancient Damascas market or the famous Tokyo Ginza; to meet famous people from Marilyn Monroe to Bob Hope? It was everything from landing in the Guatemala jungles, flying through hurricanes, witnessing rebellions, seeing wonders of art near the Seine and the Tiber, observing African tribal dances and enjoyments in the Pacific Islands. Accommodations? Home was an apartment in New York's Greenwich Village to San Francisco's Russian Hill, but hotels after WW2 could be rooms without baths in London to a buri hut in Fiji.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born, bred and schooled in New Orleans, Louisiana, from Lusher Grammar to Newcomb College, the author tried to join the WAVES during World War 2 and was told she was too young. She later became one of the first women to fly as a cabin attendant with the international airline, Pan American World Airways, in the days before jets.

Product Details

• Paperback: 259 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris, Corp.; 1 edition (January 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738812773
• ISBN-13: 978-0738812779
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,323,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Woman flight attendant's narrative from Mid 20th Century, October 25, 2001

By 

georgia nielsen (San Jose, CA, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: As Pistons Flew (Paperback)

Back in 1944 Pan American began hiring women to join the men working as stewards. Jane Gottschall became one of the first women to work as a cabin attendant on Pan American World Airways and her narrative is about what it was like to fly international routes in the 1940s and 1950s. Gottschall's description of flying the job and leisure time also reveals aspects of "woman's place" in the world during the mid 20th century. For starters, the women in her cabin attendant instruction class were under 27 years of age and were required to be unmarried.
Women working the flight attendant job in the 1940s and 1950s had short tenure due, in part, to arbitrary no-marriage rules and their narratives and interviews often cover "snapshot" glimpses of their short careers. By contrast, Gottschall's account covers almost two decades and she relates experiences of global routes to Africa, Europe, the Asian sub-continent, and Asia. She gives personal insights as she shares her life, friendships, romances, and observations of a world that was on the brink of rapid change.
This reviewer found Gottschall's book informative and easy to read. As Pistons Flew is recommended for airline workers, historians, and readers interested in a special time and place when propeller driven airplanes offered the world's fastest transportation.
Georgia Nielsen, historian and author

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, August 30, 2000

By 

Agnes von Brimer (Honolulu, HI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: As Pistons Flew (Paperback)

Jane wrote a fascinating book about days when flying was a luxury and the world was just opening up to being explored. Her descriptions of places and events made you picture them in your mind. It seems that every trip was an adventure. No comparison to now, when the airplane is like a bus. I would recommend this book to anyone..............

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars PanAm Flies Again, August 24, 2000

By 

Jim Berkland (Glen Ellen, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: As Pistons Flew (Paperback)

For those who like to re-live history on the ground or in the air, this is your opportunity, through the eyes of one who lived it. AS PISTONS FLEW is a marvelous blend of nostalgia, real-life experiences, humor and history.

PanAm was a unique organization that never should have been allowed to die. This book reveals many of the governmental machinations that caused it to fail, despite valiant efforts by the company to stay airborne.

PanAm employees were a special breed, exemplified by the spunky former stewardess who authored this breezy book.

She could offer me "coffee, tea or milk?" anytime, and I regret that I will no longer have that opportunity.

By the way, although not mentioned in Jane Gottschall's book, did you know the one totally impossible aspect of that classic movie, "2001?" Although that date will arrive next year, there is no way that the smooth commercial flight to the Moon will occur as depicted in the movie...... The stewardess and the space vehicle were provided by PanAmerican.