Howard Hughes' Airline: An Informal History of TWA [Hardcover]

Robert J Serling (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 338 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Press; 1st edition (November 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312396317
• ISBN-13: 978-0312396312
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #628,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Serling captures the spirit of TWA, November 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Howard Hughes' Airline: An Informal History of TWA (Hardcover)

In Howard Hughes' Airline, Serling captures the enduring spirit of Trans World Airlines. This book, resulting from numerous employee interviews, is able to give the reader excellent insight into why TWA is so special after 75 years in the air. From the eccentricities of Howard Robard Hughes to the genius of Jack Frye, this inside look at the world's greatest airline is sure to interest anyone from the casual historian to the aviation buff.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FLY TWA, December 30, 2011

By 

ellison (Midwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Howard Hughes' Airline: An Informal History of TWA (Hardcover)

Inside story of how the little airline TAT grew and became the world-wide force of Trans World Airlines. Considered by some to be the top of the line, was often featured in movies.

Chronicles the men that headed the company giving Jack Fry his place in history. Also included the mechanical problems that would dog the industry from time to time, Knute Rockne went down on one of their planes.

Then, Howard Hughes purchases the company and it becomes like his own little toy as he will call the people in charge at any time of the day or night. It covers his attempt to corner the market on jet engines and his on-going efforts to get enough money to keep the company solvent. It was said that he knew the cost of everything but didn't know the value of anything as he argued with bankers from his hospital bed about the already discount loan rate they were giving him.

Eventually things could not continue to go on like that and it was taken away from him.

Permission to have the international routes were a constant problem.

It says that at the end of his life he tried to get the company back, before he passed away.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice book for a TWA employee, December 21, 2001

By 

Gail Zeolla (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Howard Hughes' Airline: An Informal History of TWA (Hardcover)

I purchased this book for my husband and at first I was shcoked to see the original price for this book was ($$$), well, this is very hard to find and my husband is really enjoying this. For someone who is or was a TWA employee, if you are one of the loyal ones, interested in the history of TWA you will enjoy this book.