The last captain that I flew with recommended this book:

Hard Landing: The Epic Contest for Power and Profits That Plunged the Airlines into Chaos: Thomas Petzinger Jr.: 9780812928358: Amazon.com: Books

It's the story of the personalities and challenges of the airline industry up to 1996. I just started it and it's a great read. Highly recommended.

It makes me glad that I work for a company that knows how to make a profit in this business.