I remember as a kid in the 70's seeing this book on our own bookshelf and in almost every home I ever visited. It was an extremely popular book to be sure. It was originally published in 1970. I knew it had something to do with flying and that it was ubiquitous, but I never gave it another thought until I earned my pilot's license and began my quest to read as many good books on flying as I possibly can...perhaps to make up for my ability to pay for more real flying time. I figure I might as well learn as much as I can from the experts that have written about flying and Bach certainly has the expert credentials: He has pursued flying as a hobby since he was 17, was trained as a fighter pilot and served in the USAF and Air National Guard in various capacities according to Wikepedia and other sources.
This book is very short and is about a Seagull named Jonathan who wants to perfect his flying, but in the process of improving himself he earns the scorn of his fellow birds, but in the end he earns the respect of many gulls and well a bunch of stuff happens...The book is almost a cliche of the 70's and at the time I am sure it was groundbreaking and that my parent's generation really soaked it in, but I must say, the book didn't really speak to me...but I am glad that I now know about it and I certainly know that it does speak to many readers and pilots...many of whom have this book on their top 10 flying books. For me it was just too philosophical, but book review aside as it really isn't important...for right now my thoughts are with Bach and his family and I wish him a speedy recovery.
