Aviation

Fate Is the Hunter

Fate Is the Hunter

  • Downloads：5979
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-04-23 14:56:12
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Ernest K. Gann
  • ISBN：1908059028
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Summary

'Fate is the Hunter' is a thrilling account of some of the more memorable experiences Ernest K。 Gann had in the air。 He flew in both peace and war and came close to death many times。 Here he reveals the characters he's known and the dramas he's experienced， portraying fate as a hunter constantly in pursuit of pilots。

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Reviews

Christopher ，

Excellent memoir by an early airline and cargo pilot！ Highly recommend！

Adam McDade ，

An excellent memoir about aviation。 Gann and the aviators he flew with were the pioneers of the aviation industry。 Often this came at great cost in the lives of the aviators。 Gann tells their stories and his。 While safety standards are much higher today， his stories are still very much relatable to my own experiences as an aviator。 He reminds us there are few things as awe inspiring than when we have escaped the bonds of earth and soared among the clouds。

John R。 ，

Amazing book。 Well written， rich stories。

Nayajja ，

A classic from a pilot in the days when commercial flight was invented。 A series of stories from the cockpit， when navigation across oceans involved taking readings of the stars， then when all the developing safeguards and rules were set aside to do what had to be done during WWII， then the explosion on flight after the war， and finally the ruminations of a pilot on why he lived when many of his friends did not。

Bb ，

I could not get interested in this book and put down after a few chapters

Jim Cunningham ，

This book is widely regarded as one of the best ever written about aviation。 It is， at a minimum， one of the top contenders。 An excellent read。

Cliff Ward ，

Written in 1961， Ernest Gann invites the reader to travel alongside him in the cramped cockpit of those early 1930's aeroplanes right through WW2 flying as a transport pilot and into the competitive commercial airline age of the 1950。The book recounts crash after crash and the many sudden deaths of his comrades， often occurring at the least expected moment or after another recent near miss。 Gann says we must believe in our own personal fortune and destiny in order to have any chance of survival。 Written in 1961， Ernest Gann invites the reader to travel alongside him in the cramped cockpit of those early 1930's aeroplanes right through WW2 flying as a transport pilot and into the competitive commercial airline age of the 1950。The book recounts crash after crash and the many sudden deaths of his comrades， often occurring at the least expected moment or after another recent near miss。 Gann says we must believe in our own personal fortune and destiny in order to have any chance of survival。 Fate itself is indeed the hunter and when it is ready to take us it certainly will。Many of Gann's close meetings with fate involve technical issues with those 1930s propellor planes such as the DC3 or aircraft converted from use in WW2。 They took a light body of a fuselage， hammered down some engines， and away it went。 On many occasions it wasn't until a disaster had taken many lives that a technical fault was realized or a procedural function modified。 Their engines flew into icy clouds and froze up， there odometers misread， their planes were mis-loaded or just not maintained。 Of the many who flew there were many victims and only fate could decide who would survive。 。。。more

Fritz Schneider ，

A little slow to start and reads， well， like a memoir， but I found it quite interesting。 Covers the author's experience as an early commercial pilot in the 1930s through WW2 and beyond。 Gave me a new understanding of my grandfather's experience as an airforce captain during the same period， and an appreciation of how far air travel has progressed， so to speak。 What a courageous bunch of pioneers。 It， uh， would not have been for me。Definitely for: aviation enthusiasts， engineers。 I would hesitate A little slow to start and reads， well， like a memoir， but I found it quite interesting。 Covers the author's experience as an early commercial pilot in the 1930s through WW2 and beyond。 Gave me a new understanding of my grandfather's experience as an airforce captain during the same period， and an appreciation of how far air travel has progressed， so to speak。 What a courageous bunch of pioneers。 It， uh， would not have been for me。Definitely for: aviation enthusiasts， engineers。 I would hesitate to recommend to someone not interested in aviation。 。。。more

Russ Roberts ，

The best treatise on airline pilots ever written。

Avi ，

IF you love aviation you'll enjoy this book。 Period。 IF you love aviation you'll enjoy this book。 Period。 。。。more

Amber Chaseling ，

DNFLots and lots of flowery words that really didn't seem necessary。 Didn't make it past the first chapterI don't have an interest in aviation。 Maybe if I did I would have continued reading。 DNFLots and lots of flowery words that really didn't seem necessary。 Didn't make it past the first chapterI don't have an interest in aviation。 Maybe if I did I would have continued reading。 。。。more

Charles Moore ，

This is an oldie but goodie。 Gann's autobiographical life in the air is filled with those close misses that those of who fly， on occasion， worry about。 Basically his life of flying starts in the late Great Depression and ends somewhere just after the Korean War。 If you like the idea of fate （versus God） always lurking around the corner for you （or one of your characters， if you write） then this is as good a lesson as you'll get。 If you tend to want to defy fate， this is a good immersion into the This is an oldie but goodie。 Gann's autobiographical life in the air is filled with those close misses that those of who fly， on occasion， worry about。 Basically his life of flying starts in the late Great Depression and ends somewhere just after the Korean War。 If you like the idea of fate （versus God） always lurking around the corner for you （or one of your characters， if you write） then this is as good a lesson as you'll get。 If you tend to want to defy fate， this is a good immersion into the role of luck， fate， smarts， daring， etc。 But， I'm still one of those people who is not 100% comfortable in an aluminum tube shrieking through the night at some major gathering of other aluminum tubes。 I've flown enough small craft to be scared and marveled and enjoy the view and then throw up！ I will always remember writing a creative-non fiction piece for class 25 years ago about TWA Flight 400 that blew up over Long Island Sound。 Fate。 And if you don't like Gann's attitude， read Julius Caesar by Shakespeare。It's a wonder Ernest Gann lived through it all。 。。。more

Sunni ，

I'm not a pilot but Ernest Gann made me feel like I was climbing into the cockpit right with him in the early and risky days of commercial flight。 A bit old boys per the era but has a spirit that soars。 I'm not a pilot but Ernest Gann made me feel like I was climbing into the cockpit right with him in the early and risky days of commercial flight。 A bit old boys per the era but has a spirit that soars。 。。。more

Gail Rosslee ，

Fate is the Hunter by Ernest Gann takes one straight back to the early days of flying， when instrumentation was primitive， maps rudimentary， and air traffic control was inadequate。 Vividly described。

John ，

This should be compulsory reading for anyone interested in aviation。 Mr Gann provides a riveting insight into commercial flying from the late 1930's up to the mid 1950's。 We follow his career of over 10。000 flying hours from a newly qualified co-pilot with American Airlines， as a transport pilot crossing the globe in WW2 and with various fledgling airlines after the war。When he started flying， the only life insurance agents interested in him were looking at premiums approaching 100%。 In fact， fl This should be compulsory reading for anyone interested in aviation。 Mr Gann provides a riveting insight into commercial flying from the late 1930's up to the mid 1950's。 We follow his career of over 10。000 flying hours from a newly qualified co-pilot with American Airlines， as a transport pilot crossing the globe in WW2 and with various fledgling airlines after the war。When he started flying， the only life insurance agents interested in him were looking at premiums approaching 100%。 In fact， flying throughout this period was a hazardous operation as the litany of the demise of so many of his contemporaries amply demonstrates。Mr Gann tells his story with excellent prose and I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in this subject。 。。。more

Tim ，

Outstanding， personal account of flying during the 30s， 40s and 50s。 Written in a slightly dated （but all the better for it） style by an author who had survived a period when the majority of pilots did not。

Dennis McClure ，

Gann wrote this book in 1961 to document his years flying every kind of airplane over every conceivable route on the planet。 He piloted airplanes during the years when they were fickle， unpredictable machines that challenged fate at every turn。 His experiences were incredibly and all but incomprehensible to we earthbound mortals。 His skill as a writer is unmatched。 We don’t just read about his experiences， we share them。 Do yourself a favor and read this。

Rick ，

Phenomenal collection of stories from the early days of airline and ocean flying。Part of me wishes I had the experience to write something like this， most of me is very happy I don't。 Phenomenal collection of stories from the early days of airline and ocean flying。Part of me wishes I had the experience to write something like this， most of me is very happy I don't。 。。。more

Lee J ，

The best book on flying that I've read。 Nicely written too。 The best book on flying that I've read。 Nicely written too。 。。。more

Malia ，

This was a book my husband picked out for me， since I had picked out a lot for him！ He is a pilot and I’m sure that helped him understand a lot of the machinery explained in this story， which I did not， hence the 3 stars。 But， I loved the authors humor， it would catch you off guard if you weren’t paying attention！ The truth to this pilots life is that he did in fact escape fate more times than I ever expected。 What ever could go wrong in flight， he had it happen！ His skill came in use， as did hi This was a book my husband picked out for me， since I had picked out a lot for him！ He is a pilot and I’m sure that helped him understand a lot of the machinery explained in this story， which I did not， hence the 3 stars。 But， I loved the authors humor， it would catch you off guard if you weren’t paying attention！ The truth to this pilots life is that he did in fact escape fate more times than I ever expected。 What ever could go wrong in flight， he had it happen！ His skill came in use， as did his ignorance。 Great life memoir and an excellent read for any aviation geeks out there， like my husband！ Haha 。。。more

Emily Meacham ，

Although my husband is a pilot， and I've actually landed a plane many times （I learned for safety reasons， in case anything should happen to him in the air）， this was just too much "pilot" detail for me， and not enough story。 I would think any "real" pilot （not me！） would love it， but I was just bored for a lot of the long， technical parts。 Still an interesting read about the early days of commercial airlines。 Although my husband is a pilot， and I've actually landed a plane many times （I learned for safety reasons， in case anything should happen to him in the air）， this was just too much "pilot" detail for me， and not enough story。 I would think any "real" pilot （not me！） would love it， but I was just bored for a lot of the long， technical parts。 Still an interesting read about the early days of commercial airlines。 。。。more

Ian Ferguson ，

In Fate is the Hunter， Ernest K。 Gann recounts his career learning to fly， then traveling the world as an airline pilot。  Gann first describes his training along a mail route in the American northeast during the 1930s， then uses his skills in the Amazon， North Atlantic， and Himalayas during World War II， and ends his career flying passengers between California and Hawaii。  Between the hostility created from natural environments and that from malfunctioning aircraft， Gann muses about his combinat In Fate is the Hunter， Ernest K。 Gann recounts his career learning to fly， then traveling the world as an airline pilot。  Gann first describes his training along a mail route in the American northeast during the 1930s， then uses his skills in the Amazon， North Atlantic， and Himalayas during World War II， and ends his career flying passengers between California and Hawaii。  Between the hostility created from natural environments and that from malfunctioning aircraft， Gann muses about his combination of skill and fate while contrasting how skill and fate manifested themselves in the lives of his fellow aircrew。 While the stories about in-flight emergencies may only interest the reader with flying experience， Fate is the Hunter is an entertaining chronicle of a noteworthy career。   。。。more

Huw ，

A brilliant read

Kevin Sene ，

Fate is the Hunter is often voted to be the best book written on aviation。 However， I struggled with it initially and put it aside after the first chapter， slightly put off by the convoluted language， before deciding to give it another go。 It was worth persevering though as it’s now one of my favourite books， and it works at two levels; as a fascinating account of the birth of long distance air travel and a wider discussion of the nature of risk and exploration and the joy of flight。 Some advent Fate is the Hunter is often voted to be the best book written on aviation。 However， I struggled with it initially and put it aside after the first chapter， slightly put off by the convoluted language， before deciding to give it another go。 It was worth persevering though as it’s now one of my favourite books， and it works at two levels; as a fascinating account of the birth of long distance air travel and a wider discussion of the nature of risk and exploration and the joy of flight。 Some adventures which stand out include pioneering flights from the USA across the Amazon to Brazil and over the Atlantic to Greenland， made long before the days of radio and satellite aids and air sea rescue。 It's one of the few books I've read twice and still occasionally dip into。 。。。more

John Ardila ，

Great book for pilots。 gets a little country poetic at times。 But mostly great telling the flights were he was challenged。

Elsbeth Kwant ，

Not as good as Saint-Exupery - I'm afraid I have been spoilt by him for flying literature。。。Some nice descriptions - especially of the seniority system （'which must ever persist if only because it is a protection of the weak， who are everywhere in the greatest number）。 Not as good as Saint-Exupery - I'm afraid I have been spoilt by him for flying literature。。。Some nice descriptions - especially of the seniority system （'which must ever persist if only because it is a protection of the weak， who are everywhere in the greatest number）。 。。。more

John Brand ，

Best aviation book I've ever read Best aviation book I've ever read 。。。more

Erica Pyles ，

This book is exceptional。 A pilot friend recommended it and I was expecting some pilot stories and that’s exactly what I got。 What I did not expect was that the author would be so talented。 He had a gift of talking about something I know very little about and explaining it well， but without ever feeling like he was explaining it; if that makes sense。 Beyond that his prose was amazing。 Extremely well written and one of the best vocabularies of any other I’ve read。 My favorite thing about the book This book is exceptional。 A pilot friend recommended it and I was expecting some pilot stories and that’s exactly what I got。 What I did not expect was that the author would be so talented。 He had a gift of talking about something I know very little about and explaining it well， but without ever feeling like he was explaining it; if that makes sense。 Beyond that his prose was amazing。 Extremely well written and one of the best vocabularies of any other I’ve read。 My favorite thing about the book was the descriptions of the people he met along his journey。 。。。more

Vince ，

This is one of the best books I have read about aviation and specifically early airline flying。 The long list of those that had Gone West at the beginning of the book is an eye opener。

Geoff Bryant ，

Originally printed in the early 1960s， this book was back in print a little while ago。 It is simply the most wonderfully written memoir on flying ever as far as I， and many other people are concerned。 If you meet a pilot， ask them if they've read this book。 They ALL have。 One of my all-time favourite books。 Originally printed in the early 1960s， this book was back in print a little while ago。 It is simply the most wonderfully written memoir on flying ever as far as I， and many other people are concerned。 If you meet a pilot， ask them if they've read this book。 They ALL have。 One of my all-time favourite books。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Fate Is the Hunter

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Fate Is the Hunter&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Fate Is the Hunter&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0