• The Skies Belong to Us

  • Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking
  • By: Brendan I. Koerner
  • Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
  • Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (423 ratings)

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The Skies Belong to Us

By: Brendan I. Koerner
Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
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Publisher's summary

In an America torn apart by the Vietnam War and the demise of the idealism of the '60s, airplane hijackings were astonishingly routine. Over a five-year period starting in 1968, the desperate and disillusioned seized commercial jets nearly once a week, using guns, bombs, and jars of acid. Some hijackers wished to escape to foreign lands, where they imagined being hailed as heroes; others aimed to swap hostages for sacks of cash.

Their criminal exploits mesmerized the country, never more so than when the young lovers at the heart of Brendan I. Koerner's The Skies Belong to Us pulled off the longest-distance hijacking in American history. A shattered Army veteran and a mischievous party girl, Roger Holder and Cathy Kerkow commandeered Western Airlines Flight 701 as a vague protest against the war. Through a combination of savvy and dumb luck, the couple managed to flee across an ocean with a half-million dollars in ransom, a feat that made them notorious around the globe. Koerner spent four years chronicling this madcap tale, which involves a cast of characters ranging from exiled Black Panthers, to African despots, to French movie stars. He combed through over 4,000 declassified documents and interviewed scores of key figures in the drama - including one of the hijackers, whom Koerner discovered living in total obscurity.

Yet The Skies Belong to Us is more than just an enthralling yarn about a spectacular heist and its bittersweet, decades-long aftermath. It is also a psychological portrait of America at its most turbulent and a testament to the madness that can grip a nation when politics fail.

©2013 Brendan I. Koerner (P)2013 Tantor
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What listeners say about The Skies Belong to Us

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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderfully done!

This has so much great information about the hijacking age. I really enjoyed this read.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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This Story Was Great

Would you listen to The Skies Belong to Us again? Why?

Yes - very engaging

What other book might you compare The Skies Belong to Us to and why?

none

What three words best describe Rob Shapiro’s voice?

Great Engaging Melodic

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I don't blame the reader on this, but there were 5-6 mispronunciations of words or Countries - wouldn't the producer catch this?

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Love(d) it!

This story, which details a part of American history about which I had no idea, was captivating and well-paced. While I agree with some previous reviewers that the leading players were a bit underwhelming, I have to give Mr. Koerner credit for making them as dynamic as they possibly could be. I will also second that he transitioned seamlessly between this actual account, the spirit of the generation, and historical records. .

One of the main themes of this book is that hijacking was all the rage for a brief window of our history during which it completely consumed the media, economy, and politics. Once managed, it completely vanished from thought. The book mirrored this phenomenon for me- while listening, I enjoyed it thoroughly (even purchased copies of the book as holiday presents for my in-laws and uncles); however, a month out, it feels like a distant memory.

Mr. Shapiro did a good job reading, though given the lack of dialogue in general, I can't say he "brought the story to life."

I should disclaim that I am not a huge nonfiction reader, nor can I say I am passionate about aviation, true crime, the 60s, etc- so for me to enjoy this book as much as I did, I must applaud the author and narrator. This would be a great book for someone trying to break into nonfiction!

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