When I was 11 years (1968) old my mom gave me a book called THE BEST BOOK OF TRUE AVIATION STORIES doubleday. It was a great acquaintance to some landmark airplane books:Fighting the Flying Circus-Eddie Rickenbacker, The Spirit of St. Louis- Lindberg, Wind Sand and Stars- St Exupery, Pilot- Tony LeVier, Under My Wings- Basil L. Rowe, Fate is the Hunter- Gann, We Seven- John Glenn. All riveting chapters from the best true accounts of some some really cool airplane books. Probably read every chapter 3 or 4 times. Like many posters, I think Ernie Gann probably puts his finger on the role of what it means to be an airline captain better than anyone. Captain Rowe recalls a story (that upon reflection sounds a lot like Gann's High and the Mighty) of flying a DC-4 accross the Pacific witha runaway propeller that is pretty entertaining.