Disappearance won the Tokyo Transpartation Award. It was published by Kodansha in Japan in 1996 and became a Japan Transportation Award winner. It's a combination of the glamour, the theft and the bad judgements that led the world's top airline to disappear from airline world routes.
Now in English via Amazon Kindle: I was a Pan Am Princess of the SkyRead 20 pages free & few my Pan Am photos on 'Look Inside'.
Told by a stewardess who flew for Pan American Airways for 16 years. From Japan's post-war survival to Pan Am's training school in Florida and around the world, this book covers the 60's and '70's jet-set lifestyle, Pan Am's rise and fall, celebrity and stewardesses stories, all told from an insider's point of view.
Pan Am's stewardesses were called 'Princesses of the Sky'. The TV show 'Pan Am' did not exaggerate the luxury, fun and excitement that the young women had flying for company called 'The Empire of the Sky'. This book captures both the flying history and pop-culture of that era, told by a young post-war Japanese woman thrown into that glamorous whirlwind lifestyle.
The 77 Chapters include: The Reckless Genius, Move Star Passengers, Japan's Cast System, Lindbergh's Waitress Date, Roosevelt Meets Churchill, My Blind Date in London, The Nerve Gas Attacker, Merv Griffin Steals My Shrimp, Employees Invade First Class, Yoko and Jackie, Jaun Trippe's Last Flight, Marilyn Monroe's Honeymoon, Pan Am Goes to War, A Bond Girl's Threat, The Shogun Writer and more.
About the author:
Fumiko Takahashi earned her Masters Degree from Columbia University in New York while actively flying for Pan Am. She is the author of 12 books in Japanese. This is her first memoir in English. Recently she helped promote the Pan Am TV series in Japan with appearances on TV and speaking engagements.
"You know, if you went to Japan, you'd be popular because you look like Steve McQueen."He's very popular there," I told the first class cabin passenger.
"Really?" he replied.
I had just finished servicing meals in economy class and went into the first class galley to cook my own meal. It was 1968, my second year as a stewardess. We were flying from Los Angeles to London on the polar route.
Suddenly this handsome man, with beautiful blue eyes, walked into the galley and said, "Are you Japanese?"
My English had improved since I first started flying, so I felt more confident talking with passengers."Yes", I replied.
I had noticed that this passenger's wife was always sleeping and he was always awake during the flight talking with the stewardesses. As we talked, I took my meal over to the lounge area and he followed me and sat down. It had sofa style seats and a table, like a restaurant. This lounge table was rare among airlines.
This is where I said to him, "You know, you look like Steve McQueen. He's very popular in Japan. If you go there, I'm sure you'll be popular when people see you walking around."
"I've been to Japan a few times," he continued, "and I really love it there.
Soon, two other stewardesses sat down and joined us in the conversation. At one point I said to them, "Doesn't he look like Steve McQueen?"
One of them replied, "Fumiko, that is Mister Steve McQueen."
Mister McQueen just sat there with a funny smirk on his face.
***** This story is included in my upcoming book "I was a Pan Am Princess of the Sky". Coming Sept. 2012 in English via Amazon Kindle, iTunes and Barns & Noble.
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Reviews for "Disappearance- The Rise & Fall of Pan Am"
Takahashi-san,
Forgive me, I don't mean to be forward. You might want to change the spelling in the word theft which describes your book. Theft, not theift.
Sincerely
Kim
It's a combination of the glamour, the theift, and the bad judgements that lead the world's top airline to disappear from airline world routes.
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