747 is the thrilling story behind "the Queen of the Skies" the Boeing 747 as told by Joe Sutter, one of the most celebrated engineers of the twentieth century, who spearheaded its design and construction. Sutter's vivid narrative takes us back to a time when American technology was cutting-edge and jet travel was still glamorous and new. With wit and warmth, he gives an insider's sense of the larger than life-size personalities and the tensions in the aeronautical world."
About the Author :
Joe Sutter led the team of engineers that created the Boeing 747. He served on the Presidential Commission to investigate the Challenger explosion with Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride, and Richard Feynman. Now in his eighties, he still serves as a consultant to Boeing. He lives in Seattle.
Jay Spenser has spent a lifetime studying aviation as a museum curator at the National Air and Space Museum and the Museum of Flight, and as an aerospace industry writer. He is the co-author of 747 and lives in Seattle, Washington.
Review :
"Sutter had perhaps the best overall view of all aspects of the 747's development in the mid 1960s." - Publishers Weekly
"[Sutter] takes readers from the highs of the first 747 takeoff on Feb. 9, 1969, to the lows when the project nearly bankrupted the company." - Chicago Tribune
"Sutter places this narrative in the context of his life; he shares interesting details about coming of age in the first half of the 20th century." - Library Journal
"Sutter tells his story ... in a straightforward manner, from his boyhood on Beacon Hill watching planes take off from the Boeing factories down below to the design, building and launch of the 747 and beyond. [I]ts simplicity is a blessing." - Seattle Times
"Replete with energetic anecdotes from Sutter's non-747 life, this memoir will fascinate fans of aviation." - Booklist
"Sutter had perhaps the best overall view of all aspects of the 747's development in the mid 1960s." - Homer Hickam, author of ROCKET BOYS/OCTOBER SKY and THE AMBASSADOR'S SON
"A candid retrospective of the why, the who, and the how of the creation of an airliner that forever changed long distance travel, by the leader of its design team." - Neil Armstrong
"As magnificent and soaring as the big bird itself, Joe Sutter's true story is . . . fascinating." - Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys
