747

Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures from a Life in Aviation

By: Joe Sutter

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

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 20th 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.

©2006 Joe Sutter (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

What a beautiful plane

I found this book fascinating but, of course, I love airplanes. I enjoyed reading about all the details about designing and building the 747. I remember when I first saw the Constellation I thought it was one of the most beautiful planes I had seen. When I saw the 747 I knew this one was absolutely the most beautiful. Joe Sutter tells about his youth growing up near Boeing Field and his desire as a child to design planes. He also tells about his summer jobs at Boeing when he was at University of Washington then going into the U.S. Navy in WWII. The majority of the book is about the 747. I found it interesting that Juan Trippe played such a key role in the design of the plane. I had read a few years about the battles between Howard Hughes (TWA) and Juan Trippe (Pan Am) for control of commercial aviation. I wondered why Hughes did not take an active role with the design of the 747 but maybe he was too busy with Hughes Aviation. I noted Sutter frequently credited his wife’s support in helping him succeed at his job. Paul Boehmer did a good job narrating the book. If you are interested in aviation and history you will enjoy this book.

A good book for an aviation buff

I remember, as a kid in high school and entranced by airplanes, standing on the end of the runway at Ontario airport in southern California and seeing my first 747 land, man was that a big plain. If you have an interest in airplanes and aviation then 747 will be an interesting book. You learn incites into the process of the creation of a new aircraft and learn how the 747 has changed aviation. At first I though Boehmer's narration was going to be a bit dull but as it went along I found it was perfect for the book and Sutter's writing and personality. Over all, a good book.

Good Not Great Listen

A little heavy on the personal stuff for my taste. Your mileage may vary. The growth of technology was given fair due, I could have used a little more depth in places. The interplay between Boeing and customer airlines was not surprising but some details were added, which I found interesting. The look back at “Old Boeing” was fascinating but I always wonder about rose colored glasses.

Queen of the Sky's! With book to match!

One of the best airline books I have ever read, well heard! The details, the information, the history! Truly an awesome book and goes with an awesome aircraft!

Want to become an Engineer? Start here.

What a great story. The 747 is one of the great ones, as Lindberg told Sutter. Joe Sutter himself is a great American story. He had incredible endurance, still working at age 85. He also had a spine and is a great role model. I'm harder on narrators because it is a performance, both by the narrator and the audio technicians making the recording. Many of these books have lots of mistakes by the audio technicians - repeating sections due to editing errors, and hearing trucks and sirens in the background. Maybe not in this recording, but in many Audible books. Narrators, please learn the correct pronunciation and don't guess.

My nephew works at Boeing as an engineer, and he told me to get this book after spending a day with him at Boeing Field and the Museum of Flight. Wow, what a museum! Better than the Air & Space Museum in DC, hands down. After reading this book, one is motivated to visit this museum. RA001 is there!

Thank you Joe Sutter for writing this book. You did so much in your career, and this book will inspire others to be like you.

People who like this book may also want to explore the NASA books, like "Go Flight!" and Gene Kranz's autobiography.

First time

As I've said before, this is actually my first audio book; I don't yet have anything to compare. It went fine though - nararrator was well spoken, I got a fine story, Audible itself is a neat program, and i'm SURE there's other good titles.

Good story and pleasant listen.

I appreciate these types of perspective stories a lot. I think they add some much needed perspective on history lacking in general these days.

A book as excellent as its subject matter.

Great narration keeps this equally great book enthralling. Sutter is an excellent storyteller and provides incredible insight into what it takes to build such a wonderful aircraft. whether you are a fan of aviation, massive industrial projects, or simply enjoy first person narratives then I highly recommend this book.

Fascinating aviation history

I enjoyed Mr Sutter's autobiography, with its emphasis on his contributions to the development of the still essential 747 airliner. Fascinating reading. From now on, I will think of Mr. Sutter and his Boeing team with gratitude every time I fly on one of those magnificent passenger jets. Equally notable was the contribution of the narrator, who did a great job conveying the author's thoughts and feelings. If you are interested in aviation history, you will find this a good read.

Great tail

I got more from this story than I thought possible. This is one of the great ones.