Hello.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the title of your book was
not "Eagles," but rather "Wings."
Wings (1978) by Robert J. Serling.
It was published 26 years ago and has the plot that you describe
(i.e, a story about a fictional airline spanning World War I to the
'70s).
Various descriptions of "Wings" by Robert Serling:
"c. WW1-1970 FP 1978 Follow Barney Burton as he builds an airline
empire, starting in the 1920s to the 1970s, while boffing babes and
billion dollar deals all the way.,"
source: Abebooks.com
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=214918281
'Wings is a novel about obsession and an industry. Spanning five
decades, it is the saga of aviation as lived by one of its most daring
pioneers.'
source: Alibris.com
http://www.alibris.com/search/detail.cfm?chunk=25&mtype=&qwork=7243311&S=R&bid=8138439737&pqtynew=0&page=1&matches=91&qsort=r
"The flight of a lifetime that puts you at the controls and behind th
ecorporate doors of the explosive airline industry from the 1920's to
the 70's"
source: Abebooks.com
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=219891278
------
search strategy:
abebooks.com search: airline fiction
I hope this is the right book. If not, please use the "request
clarification" feature to let me know. |
Request for Answer Clarification by
beauregard-ga
on
07 Feb 2004 19:01 PST
"Wings" sounds good, except that I think I read this book sometime
prior to 1976. In any event, I'll buy a used copy of "Wings" and see
what happens. Keep looking, if you will, however.
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Request for Answer Clarification by
beauregard-ga
on
07 Feb 2004 19:06 PST
I found a copy for 75 cents. Can't go wrong even if it's not the book I want.
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Clarification of Answer by
juggler-ga
on
07 Feb 2004 20:47 PST
Hi Beauregard,
Wings' "Barney Burton" sounds a bit like fictionalized version of
Howard Hughes. Is a character like that consistent with your
recollection?
If you get the book, let me know if turns out to be the one that you
wanted. If it's not the right book, please advise as to the specific
ways in which it differs from the one that you had in mind.
Thanks.
-juggler
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Request for Answer Clarification by
beauregard-ga
on
03 Mar 2004 22:49 PST
Finally "Wings" arrived. Amazingly, it's close to the novel I
remember, but it isn't the same one. I am certain that the word
"Eagle" appeared in the title of the book I'm looking for.
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Clarification of Answer by
juggler-ga
on
03 Mar 2004 23:02 PST
Hmmm, sorry to hear that.
Again, please advise as to the specific ways in which it differs from
the one that you had in mind. In other words, what did your book have
that "Wings" didn't have?
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Clarification of Answer by
juggler-ga
on
04 Mar 2004 00:23 PST
How about 'Hawks' (1979) by J. Amiel?
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BookDetails?bi=193574816
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Request for Answer Clarification by
beauregard-ga
on
04 Mar 2004 04:29 PST
No. Published too late. I was reading this book in 1975. Thanks, though.
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Clarification of Answer by
juggler-ga
on
04 Mar 2004 09:13 PST
Okay, is there anything else that you remember about the book?
Think about it this way... When you read 'Wings' and realized that it
wasn't the right book, why? What was it that you remembered from the
other book that wasn't present in 'Wings'?
Any plot details at all that you can recall might help.
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Request for Answer Clarification by
beauregard-ga
on
04 Mar 2004 15:00 PST
OK. Stream of consciousness now: My book starts out very much like
"Wings", but the central character has just come back from WWI. He (or
someone else) takes his mother for a ride in an airplane and she falls
in love with flying. At some point, the family moves to what is now
the San Fernando Valley in Southern California. They start an airline.
A number of generations are born and the airline has its ups and
downs. The original character remains alive throughout (but gets very
old, of course). The name of the airplane that is their most
successful creation is The Eagle (not certain about this, but I think
so). They fly out of the Burbank airport and it may even be called
that in the book. That's it for now. After a night's sleep, more may
come to me and I'll send it along.
Andy
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Clarification of Answer by
juggler-ga
on
05 Mar 2004 00:34 PST
I'm not sure if it's set in Burbank (or even California), but how
about "Brood of Eagles," (1969) a "Three-Generation Novel About An
Aircraft Dynasty"?
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=105766124
If you want to try a cheap paperback copy of this one, here's a 1972
edition for $2 :
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=215501753
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Request for Answer Clarification by
beauregard-ga
on
05 Mar 2004 06:26 PST
"Brood of Eagles" sounds so good that I've ordered the book from the
site you referenced. It'll be a couple of weeks, but I'll get back to
you as soon as the book arrives. I'm betting that you've found it. I
will be forever in your debt.
Andy
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Clarification of Answer by
juggler-ga
on
05 Mar 2004 07:18 PST
Okay, be sure to come back and let me know if 'Brood' turned out to be
your book. Fingers are crossed!
-juggler
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Request for Answer Clarification by
beauregard-ga
on
11 Mar 2004 14:54 PST
Dear Juggler,
Well you've done it. "Brood of Eagles" arrived today and it's the
right book. Finally my life is complete. If I could find the place to
click where I could give you a tip (seemingly this capability goes
away when a question is closed), I would give you one.
Andy (Beauregard)
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Clarification of Answer by
juggler-ga
on
11 Mar 2004 15:55 PST
Wonderful!
Yep, the tip option goes away once the question has been rated. Thanks, though.
-juggler
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