The Target: Love, Death and Airline Deregulation [Paperback]

J. R. Hauptman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 8, 2009

"THE TARGET" is set in the late nineteen-eighties and tells the tale of the tumultuous first years of airline deregulation and the shocking effects it had on that industry and the people who worked there. In those days, Carlo Clemenza is known as the most hated man in the airline business. A dedicated corporate raider and union buster, Clemenza uses junk bonds, uncompromising Soviet styled negotiation tactics, sham bankruptcies and ruthless abrogation of union contracts to crush competing airlines and to bring airline workers to heel. His methods have earned him countless death threats yet he struts with arrogance, surrounded by cadres of security toughs. Virtually thousands of professional pilots find themselves compelled to start their careers over or find them at a sudden and complete end. The airline grapevine echoes daily with the plaintive cry, "Why doesn't someone kill that SOB?!" Only one pilot decides to seriously take up the cudgel and he makes Carlo Clemenza THE TARGET! His chase will take him to the far corners of the country as he finds himself also the object of pursuit. The characters merge in spectacular action and settings. "THE TARGET; Love, Death and Airline Deregulation", copyright 2007, is authored by J.R. Hauptman and is solely the property of Caddis Publishing, John R. Ulbinsky

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J. R. Hauptman has been a professional pilot for nearly a half century. Barely twenty years old, he began as a military pilot and for almost two years, he flew combat support missions in the Viet Nam War. Upon leaving military service, he was hired by a major airline and was initially based on the West Coast. His flying career was interrupted by the turmoil that racked the airline industry during the early days of deregulation. In the interim, he worked as a travel agent, as a stock broker and even trained dogs and horses. In the late nineteen-eighties, he returned to aviation, flying jet charters and air freight. He concluded his career flying corporate jets and now lives in Florida. He is completing his second work, a non-fictional social commentary and surfs every day, waves or not.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris (January 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1436309344
• ISBN-13: 978-1436309349
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,248,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining adventure of karma and men pushed to the edge, June 10, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Target: Love, Death and Airline Deregulation (Paperback)

Sometimes there are people so utterly despicable and hate-worthy that they just need killing. "The Target: Love, Death, and Airline Deregulation" is the story of Carlo Clemenza, the most despised man in the airline industry. Every who works under him comes to hate him with all their being, wishing death upon him. There is one pilot, however, who is willing to do more than just wish. "The Target" is an entertaining adventure of karma and men pushed to the edge, recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Target is Highly Recommended for Those Who Enjoy Great Thrillers, January 3, 2010

By 

RCBR - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Target: Love, Death and Airline Deregulation (Paperback)

The sub-title of The Target by author J.R. Hauptman is Love, Death and Airline Deregulation and is an apt depiction of this debut novel that captivates the reader from the opening pages.

The Target is set in the 1980's in the years after the Airline Deregulation Act became law in the fall of 1978. Our protagonist is Ivan Jasonovich, a helicopter gunship pilot during the Vietnam War, and a commercial jet pilot in the 70's. We first meet Ivan dressed as an Elk hunter in Sun Valley, Utah where he is preparing to set an ambush on a ski trail to kill Carlo Clemenza. At this point, author J.R. Hauptman has us hooked. Why would this war veteran, father and airline captain have any desire to commit cold-blooded murder?

Through clever use of back story, Hauptman shows the airline industry was once a country club for overpaid pilots with few worries other than which beautiful young stewardess they would bed on the next layover. He peppers the story throughout with evidence of how deregulation allowed Clemenza to singlehandedly bust unions, devastate lives and bankrupt Centennial Airlines with corrupt business practices more suited to the mafia than a major airline. Despite barely escaping with his own life when the attempt on Clemenza fails, Jasonovich can't let his desire for vengeance wane.

Many of the pilots of the time were Vietnam War veterans. In the war, they flew countless combat missions, risking life and limb for an ungrateful nation. Only after they began their commercial careers flying rich vacationers and businessmen around the world did they receive the respect they rightfully deserved. Ivan and his colleagues lived a rockstar lifestyle, envied by men and desired by women. Carlo Clemenza took away more than just their livelihood; he took away their pride and self-worth. Marriages ended, families estranged, many never flew again and there were suicides. Those who returned to the skies flew in a much different industry. When the unions crumbled, so did the pilots' ability to say no; no to flying fatigued in broken planes in dangerous weather. Instead, it was fly or you're fired. These unsafe conditions lead to crashes, one of which killed two of Ivan's close friends. Clemenza became the most hated man in the airline industry and a common sentiment was, "Please! Won't somebody kill that SOB?"

After a failed travel agency business, Ivan returned to flying jets; however, no longer for a major airline. Between flights for lesser companies he continued to track Clemenza. It soon appeared that Ivan was now also the hunted, as one or more of Clemenza's thugs were on his tail. With help from friends in the military and the airline industry, Ivan was able to form his plan for an epic confrontation with Carlo Clemenza.

J.R. Hauptman draws on his vast experience as a jet pilot to bring the reader into the cockpit with vibrant sensory descriptions and strong, scene-setting narrative. He has written an intriguing plot filled with plenty of tension and conflict, superb character development, realistic dialogue and an unrelenting pace.

I have heard it said that men don't read anymore--too distracted by the Internet and video games to pick up a book. I disagree. Guys will enjoy this intriguing story with tough-as-steel, take-no-bull, Cap'm Ivan who stands tall for his beliefs and never gives up.

The Target is highly recommended for those who enjoy great thrillers.

by reviewer William Potter for Reader's Choice Reviews.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!, July 30, 2009

By 

Lawrence E. Marteljr (Englewood, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Target: Love, Death and Airline Deregulation (Paperback)

The Target is a fun and fast read. I could not put it down once I started. I'd like to see a follow up novel with this cast of characters.