By Robert J. Serling
Publisher: St. Martin’s Pres, New York
ISBN-0-312-05890-X
When we read about Boeing these days, it is more often than not something negative. The new version of the 747 and the Dreamliner delayed, repeatedly it seems and for reasons that make one wonder what is going on in Seattle and Chicago. It is easy to forget that with the Dreamliner they are working in uncharted territory where surprises are not that unusual, even with the best of planning.
It is about time you dropped the daily paper and read a book about Boeing the company and Boeing, the people who have built this icon of aviation. Robert J. Serling created a masterpiece, taking you behind the scenes with humor, objectivity and abundant anecdotes. Published in 1991, the book talks about a Boeing that is yet to endure the effects of 9/11 and the latest economic crisis but when we read that the company once went seventeen months without selling a single plane on the domestic market and almost went bankrupt, one cannot but wonder. Has anything really changed?
Industrial history books can be dry and a bore. Not Legend & Legacy which reads like a novel except that it feels real from the first page to the very last and even when you read about incredible characters and incredible deeds that helped win WWII and conquered the commercial skies.
What about the salesman who almost traded a used 727 for 12 million bucks worth of underwear or the test pilot who barrel-rolled a prototype jetliner representing one-quarter of the company’s net worth… He felt the stunt would help sell the plane!
You will read about the conception, gestation and birth of the legendary 747 which will forever wear the crown of very big
airplanes even if it was overtaken by new types like the Airbus A380.
This is a compelling, fascinating journey from William Boeing’s Red Barn to the 777 shown through the hearts and eyes of the people on all levels who are and will always be the essence of the Boeing Company.
Pick up a copy and expect to miss even your favorite football game!