The twin jet plane en route to Denver from Hong Kong is merely a green radar blip half an hour off the California coast when the call comes through...
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reviews
Dec 17, 2009
Jay
rated it: 
Mike gave me this book when we visited him, Anna, and Kaley at their Woodbridge apt--jesus it must be 3 or 4 (or 5?) years ago. I remember how funny he was about it. Convo went something like this:
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MS: Hey Jay - I got this book for you to have
me: Oh really? Well, what's it about?
MS: Pfft... fuck if I know. Anna tried it. I tried it. Too many goddamn acronyms in it.
me: (laughs)
MS: I'm serious, dude. It's a More...
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MS: Hey Jay - I got this book for you to have
me: Oh really? Well, what's it about?
MS: Pfft... fuck if I know. Anna tried it. I tried it. Too many goddamn acronyms in it.
me: (laughs)
MS: I'm serious, dude. It's a More...
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Dec 08, 2011
Eric_W
rated it: 
This is my first Crichton since the Andromeda Strain written so many years ago. Another reason to ignore the professional critics who have not been terribly kind to Crichton in the past few years. I really liked this book. It has a marvelous blend of science, information and a good plot that keeps the pages turning.
It’s interesting that many of the reviews I read focused on the aircraft industry. I think the book is more about the media and it’s relentless pursuit of the visual and More...
It’s interesting that many of the reviews I read focused on the aircraft industry. I think the book is more about the media and it’s relentless pursuit of the visual and More...
Jan 28, 2010
Ed
rated it: 
When Michael Crichton is good he is very, very good but this effort is just plain horrible. The only reason I finished it is due to my obsession about not wanting to miss anything. I found myself reading the first sentence of paragraphs and skipping the rest to move more quickly to the end. I don't think I missed anything doing it that way.
The characters are stereotyped beyond belief: the hard working but put upon single mother, the brusque and impatient boss, the techy nerds, the More...
The characters are stereotyped beyond belief: the hard working but put upon single mother, the brusque and impatient boss, the techy nerds, the More...
2 comments
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Apr 23, 2008
Crichton takes the reader into the manufactory of airlines. The story begins with an "incident" over the Pacific, which injures many passengers and kills a few. The story has some loose ends, but Crichton manages to get across his fear that the US is not protecting its international technological position. There are several stories taking place simultaneously. Our protagonist - a divorcee, finally uncovers some pretty disturbing facts which jeapordize the welfare of her company, wh
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Jan 06, 2009
Kenny
rated it:
Michael Crichton, literary uber-mensch, sets himself pretty high standards, so one cannot be too disappointed when he fails to outscore JURASSIC PARK every time. But what makes Crichton's books interesting (to me) is not so much the story, but the theme, which is almost always a cautionary tale (JURASSIC PARK: don't mess with mother nature; STATE OF FEAR: you can't mess with mother nature, etc.) AIRFRAME is not about the dangers of air travel, however, as one might suspect from the set-up. Rathe
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Jan 16, 2012
Richard
rated it:
Rating: 3.5 breathless stars of five
I really hate flying. I'm not scared of it, I just dislike being herded into inky-dinky seats meant for short people by ill-tempered sky-waiters who charge for pillows and booze, and then I have to pay more than I used to make a week for the privilege of being searched, patted by men I'm not attracted to in places I don't want to be patted unless I am, etc etc etc.
Fifteen years ago, all that was more or less to come, and storymonger Crichto More...
I really hate flying. I'm not scared of it, I just dislike being herded into inky-dinky seats meant for short people by ill-tempered sky-waiters who charge for pillows and booze, and then I have to pay more than I used to make a week for the privilege of being searched, patted by men I'm not attracted to in places I don't want to be patted unless I am, etc etc etc.
Fifteen years ago, all that was more or less to come, and storymonger Crichto More...
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Jan 01, 2012
Will
rated it: 
It is a silly book, honestly. But it's eminently readable (I don't quite get the complaints about acronyms). The characters are stereotypes, you don't really care about anyone -- not even the protagonist, really. I knocked it out in two evenings recently, and this might have been the third time I've read it -- I have no idea why.
I guess I could call it a guilty pleasure but I don't feel that guilty about it, nor was it that pleasurable. I read it again this time because the e-boo More...
I guess I could call it a guilty pleasure but I don't feel that guilty about it, nor was it that pleasurable. I read it again this time because the e-boo More...
Oct 12, 2011
Brian
rated it:
I've never read Michael Crichton before and after Airframe I'm pretty sure I never will read Crighton again. The plot itself which concerns an inflight accident on an airliner isn't bad. It's the multitude of acronyms (With no glossary for them) and the characters who are essentially caricatures.
The story is told mainly through the eyes of Casey Singleton who along with a secretary and a media coach, who is in the book for about four pages, are the only "normal" people in t More...
The story is told mainly through the eyes of Casey Singleton who along with a secretary and a media coach, who is in the book for about four pages, are the only "normal" people in t More...
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Apr 23, 2011
Linda
rated it:
As someone who worked most of my in Aerospace, on the supersonic B-1 bomber, and then on several Titan missile and launch vehicle programs, I found the book well researched. There were a few times when I said to myself, "In what manufacturing area would THAT occur?" But he's right on with the incessant use of acronyms, and the increasing prevalence of cost-cutting maneuvers that end up compromising flight safety.
And I believe he's right on about the maneuvers of the airlin More...
And I believe he's right on about the maneuvers of the airlin More...
Feb 28, 2011
Bob
rated it:
Airframe is - for better or for worse, depending on your point of view - exactly what we've come to expect from a Michael Crichton novel. There's a big-budget action sequence to get us going, a myriad of technological details, a mystery to be solved, a conspiracy driving things in the background, one well-developed protagonist, and a cast of supporting players that really don't exist beyond their role in the plot.
Having said all that, it's also a novel I finished over the course of a More...
Having said all that, it's also a novel I finished over the course of a More...
Sep 12, 2009
Thomasscholtes
rated it: 
DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU PLAN TO TAKE A FLIGHT ANYTIME SOON!
I bought this book without even thinking as I waited for my plane from L.A. to Baltimore, Maryland to come in. Two chapters in and I had to put it down because what it talks about is so real you just have to ignore it for the time being. Crichton always does a ton of research for his books, making them feel and appear as if they already happened and you just happen to be getting a behind-the-scenes look into the event and liv More...
I bought this book without even thinking as I waited for my plane from L.A. to Baltimore, Maryland to come in. Two chapters in and I had to put it down because what it talks about is so real you just have to ignore it for the time being. Crichton always does a ton of research for his books, making them feel and appear as if they already happened and you just happen to be getting a behind-the-scenes look into the event and liv More...
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Jul 09, 2009
Sarai
rated it:
From Publishers Weekly
...The event that launches the story, conceived long before TWA Flight 800's last takeoff, is an airline disaster. Why did a passenger plane "porpoise"-pitch and dive repeatedly-enroute from Hong Kong to Denver, killing four and injuring 56? That's what Casey Singleton, v-p for quality assurance for Norton Aircraft, has to find out fast. If Norton's design is to blame, its imminent deal with China may collapse, and the huge company along with it. With Casey More...
...The event that launches the story, conceived long before TWA Flight 800's last takeoff, is an airline disaster. Why did a passenger plane "porpoise"-pitch and dive repeatedly-enroute from Hong Kong to Denver, killing four and injuring 56? That's what Casey Singleton, v-p for quality assurance for Norton Aircraft, has to find out fast. If Norton's design is to blame, its imminent deal with China may collapse, and the huge company along with it. With Casey More...
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Jun 14, 2009
Michael
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 19, 2011
Rathyon
rated it:
There are really those books which are so hard to keep down from Michael Crichton, but then this one... It starts maturely than the way it ends. I found in myself, a sense of rare disappointment, rather dis-satisfied by the inability to appreciate the plot when it comes to the very end.
I felt that a number of pages were filled by acronyms and the organizations holding those acronyms doing their duties, some responding and most reacting, to a plane crash. There is a lack of story tell More...
I felt that a number of pages were filled by acronyms and the organizations holding those acronyms doing their duties, some responding and most reacting, to a plane crash. There is a lack of story tell More...
Jul 10, 2011
Punk
rated it:
Airplane Mystery. A commercial airplane experiences alarming turbulence; several people die but the plane lands safely. The only way for the manufacturers to discover the cause of the problem is to pore over pages and pages of flight data!
This is a technical mystery crossed with a trashy thriller. Which means there's lots of reasoned thinking interspersed with stupid decisions made by the female main character. Everyone WARNED her not to go into the building alone, and yet she KEEPS More...
This is a technical mystery crossed with a trashy thriller. Which means there's lots of reasoned thinking interspersed with stupid decisions made by the female main character. Everyone WARNED her not to go into the building alone, and yet she KEEPS More...
Oct 29, 2010
Zach
rated it:
What an exciting book! “Airframe” was a fantastic fictional piece by Michael Crichton. This story takes you on a journey through the investigation of a commercial airplane crash. An aircraft company that rarely has problems faces a huge crisis of a mysterious crash. If they don’t figure out what happened to the plane the company will go out of business. The writing was filled with details and elaboration. Crichton makes you feel as if you were on the plane while it was destroyed. Usually fi
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Aug 18, 2011
Mark
rated it:
As with a lot of Crichton's books it takes a while to get going. And this one probably takes a little longer than most of his books. Still a really good read though, especially the last 100 pages or so when the plot finally starts to come together. This book is told from the view point of a safety director at the plane manufacturer in question and a research journalist trying to dis-repute the company and I found that until the final stand off between the two characters that I was rooting for bo
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Aug 21, 2011
Ben
rated it:
Airframe, by Michael Crichton, is yet another exciting adventure; this time, Crichton takes us to the land of an aerospace company in trouble after two back-to-back accidents with one of its mainstay aircraft. The main character, Casey Singleton, is a single mom, with a passion for her company, Norton Aircraft, and a down-to-earth, relatable personality. Early in the novel, Crichton introduces the catalyst for the novel: a flight from Hong Kong to LAX goes horribly wrong, with four dead and 56 i
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May 11, 2011
Jill
rated it:
Falling asleep last night as I heard the sound of a distant jet plane high overhead, something we hear from time to time late at night - probably a plane en route to or departing Manchester - I was thinking how amazing planes are, and how fascinating the engineering is that makes them work, and I remembered I had read this book before I joined Goodreads a few years ago.
We had read it as the selection of the month in my town library's book club. It was one of my first books of the typ More...
We had read it as the selection of the month in my town library's book club. It was one of my first books of the typ More...
Dec 09, 2009
John
rated it:
Crichton is an excellent author, and it shows here. The premise for this one is obscure enough to make anyone go "huh?", but it delivers a great story that anyone can follow.
Crichton almost always does at least some homework on the topic at hand so his works are for the most part accurate, and I wasnt let down in this department at all. Plenty of aviation gobblygook for the nerd in me to cling to, and to make it real, along with a great storyline, with more twists than a Ch More...
Crichton almost always does at least some homework on the topic at hand so his works are for the most part accurate, and I wasnt let down in this department at all. Plenty of aviation gobblygook for the nerd in me to cling to, and to make it real, along with a great storyline, with more twists than a Ch More...
Mar 08, 2011
Emily
rated it:
An international flight from Hong Kong to Denver experiences a phenomenon that leaves 3 dead and 52 injured. What happened?
Although the technical information was new and interesting, and Casey is a compelling character, this book was not terribly entertaining. Besides Casey, people did not have credible motives for doing the things they did. The plot didn't really add up and the big 'reveal' was something I figured out about halfway through. Accurate portrayal of the media as fear mongers a More...
Although the technical information was new and interesting, and Casey is a compelling character, this book was not terribly entertaining. Besides Casey, people did not have credible motives for doing the things they did. The plot didn't really add up and the big 'reveal' was something I figured out about halfway through. Accurate portrayal of the media as fear mongers a More...
Nov 09, 2007
Burninghouse
rated it:
I wish you could rate something less than 1 star. I read this while staying at my parent's house because it was on the night stand and I like air disasters. This is another Michael Crichton joint full of exposition that actually makes you dumber than you were when you started reading.
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May 25, 2010
Rich
rated it:
'Airframe' is standard-issue Crichton: a fast-paced plot with a well-researched backstory, just enough facts and technological wizardry to make your head spin but not so much as you want to throw the book against the wall. Not his best (that would be 'Jurassic Park') and certainly not his worst (try 'State of Fear'), but solid stuff.
What sets 'Airframe' apart is Blair Brown's excellent reading of it. She adds just the right amount of suspense to the narrative sections and just the ri More...
What sets 'Airframe' apart is Blair Brown's excellent reading of it. She adds just the right amount of suspense to the narrative sections and just the ri More...
Oct 13, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
Der Flug 545 von Honkong nach Denver gerät plötzlich in heftige Turbulenzen und muss in Los Angeles notlanden. Viele Passagiere sind verletzt, drei Passagiere sind tot und Casey Singleton, die Chefin der Fertigungskontrolle, hat nun die Aufgabe, aufzuklären, was genau auf diesem Flug geschah.
Doch dabei hat sie plötzlich die Gewerkschaft von Norton Aircraft gegen sich und auch an höchster Stelle wird ihre Arbeit maipuliert.
Es dauerte mir persönlich zu lange, bis Casey endlich ei More...
Doch dabei hat sie plötzlich die Gewerkschaft von Norton Aircraft gegen sich und auch an höchster Stelle wird ihre Arbeit maipuliert.
Es dauerte mir persönlich zu lange, bis Casey endlich ei More...
Jul 05, 2010
Kate
rated it:
It is a good job I love flying as this is about aircraft safety and the effect of how the media present what news has on an industry. I found it very difficult to put down as it was readable and interesting.
From the back of the book
'Three passengers are dead. Fifty six are injured. The interior cabin virtually destroyed. But the pilot manages to land the plane...
At a moment when the issue of safety and death in the skies is paramount in the public mind, a lethal midair di More...
From the back of the book
'Three passengers are dead. Fifty six are injured. The interior cabin virtually destroyed. But the pilot manages to land the plane...
At a moment when the issue of safety and death in the skies is paramount in the public mind, a lethal midair di More...
Oct 19, 2011
Mukta
rated it:
Well, this book started off with promise. It seems to have some action mixed in with drama.
It really turned into a tutorial of the airline construction industry. We learned about propriety rules, how the media unfairly portrays manufacturers and the power of the unions.
There is a plane incident on a flight. Some passengers die and many more are injured. We follow the airline manufacturer as they investigate and the media villainizes them.
I learned that the manu More...
It really turned into a tutorial of the airline construction industry. We learned about propriety rules, how the media unfairly portrays manufacturers and the power of the unions.
There is a plane incident on a flight. Some passengers die and many more are injured. We follow the airline manufacturer as they investigate and the media villainizes them.
I learned that the manu More...
Jan 22, 2010
Kate
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
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Mar 30, 2009
Gossymotto
rated it:
I have read a few Michael Crichton books and this one was a bit weak in comparison to Prey & State of Fear. I still enjoyed it though. It was a quick, light read.
The story does shed light on the way airplane manufacturing operates and how the UAW influences operations. This is what I like about Crichton's stories, always filled with interesting details. I found in this one though, the main character's new assistant seems to be thrown in just as a prop to help get more details and exp More...
The story does shed light on the way airplane manufacturing operates and how the UAW influences operations. This is what I like about Crichton's stories, always filled with interesting details. I found in this one though, the main character's new assistant seems to be thrown in just as a prop to help get more details and exp More...
Apr 18, 2010
Don
rated it:
I thought this book was a pretty good read. I'm in the aerospace industry and thought the premise and execution of the storyline was good. The interactions between aircraft (and parts) manufactures, the FAA, and airlines well done and pretty much right on the money. It's a Crichton book, so he tries to get technical at times (and does it again in this book) but the jargon and acronyms are well explained. Nothing jumped out at me and screamed "No way, that's way off base" so that helped
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Aug 31, 2009
Danna
rated it:
How delightful to find a Crichton book I haven't read before. (Thank you Friends of the Austin Public Library for your in-library bookshelves!) Though published in 1996, Airframe is (sadly) still very relevant today. Crichton once again makes a complex situation accessible to the public at large, and never before have I read a dime-store paperback that so clearly illustrates the relationship between the media, industry, and government for even the most thoughtless of folk who are content trus
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