What do you think?
Rate this book
Flying Hero Class
Hijackers, representing a Palestinian faction, take over an airliner flying between New York and Frankfurt. But nothing is straightforward. The author also wrote Schindler's Ark, The Playmaker and Towards Asmara. This book was shortlisted for the Sunday Express Book of the Year Award.
268 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1994
4 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Keneally
115 books1,262 followersThomas Michael Keneally, AO (born 7 October 1935) is an Australian novelist, playwright and author of non-fiction. He is best known for writing Schindler's Ark, the Booker Prize-winning novel of 1982, which was inspired by the efforts of Poldek Pfefferberg, a Holocaust survivor. The book would later be adapted to Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Often published under the name Tom Keneally in Australia.
Life and Career:
Born in Sydney, Keneally was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, where a writing prize was named after him. He entered St Patrick's Seminary, Manly to train as a Catholic priest but left before his ordination. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist, and he was a lecturer at the University of New England (1968–70). He has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books.
Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name. He is most famous for his Schindler's Ark (1982) (later republished as Schindler's List), which won the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film Schindler's List (1993). Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style.
Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (based on his novel) and played Father Marshall in the Fred Schepisi movie, The Devil's Playground (1976) (not to be confused with a similarly-titled documentary by Lucy Walker about the Amish rite of passage called rumspringa).
In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure.
He is a strong advocate of the Australian republic, meaning the severing of all ties with the British monarchy, and published a book on the subject in Our Republic (1993). Several of his Republican essays appear on the web site of the Australian Republican Movement.
Keneally is a keen supporter of rugby league football, in particular the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the NRL. He made an appearance in the rugby league drama film The Final Winter (2007).
In March 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's Lincoln biography to President Barack Obama as a state gift.
Most recently Thomas Keneally featured as a writer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, Our Sunburnt Country.
Thomas Keneally's nephew Ben is married to the former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.
Often published under the name Tom Keneally in Australia.
Life and Career:
Born in Sydney, Keneally was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, where a writing prize was named after him. He entered St Patrick's Seminary, Manly to train as a Catholic priest but left before his ordination. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist, and he was a lecturer at the University of New England (1968–70). He has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books.
Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name. He is most famous for his Schindler's Ark (1982) (later republished as Schindler's List), which won the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film Schindler's List (1993). Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style.
Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (based on his novel) and played Father Marshall in the Fred Schepisi movie, The Devil's Playground (1976) (not to be confused with a similarly-titled documentary by Lucy Walker about the Amish rite of passage called rumspringa).
In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure.
He is a strong advocate of the Australian republic, meaning the severing of all ties with the British monarchy, and published a book on the subject in Our Republic (1993). Several of his Republican essays appear on the web site of the Australian Republican Movement.
Keneally is a keen supporter of rugby league football, in particular the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the NRL. He made an appearance in the rugby league drama film The Final Winter (2007).
In March 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's Lincoln biography to President Barack Obama as a state gift.
Most recently Thomas Keneally featured as a writer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, Our Sunburnt Country.
Thomas Keneally's nephew Ben is married to the former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 13, 2017
I have come to trust Kenneally to choose exciting plotlines for placing his complex moral dramas. This time it is a Palestine plane hijack and a crisis that challenges the core of each individual.
The psychological element of the hijack and the moral dialogues among the characters are brilliant. The stress of the situation also makes each character lose their identity.
3 of the passengers are tried as criminals by the terrorist - An American Jew who does business with Iraq, a British columnist who writes against the Palestine and Frank McLeod - our hero.
Mcleod is a weak willed tour manager of the Aboriginal dance troupe (who are out to civilise the world by making them relatives). A failed author, a bad husband but a good human being is accused of knowingly allowing the Aborigines to be exploited for land.
The terrorists themselves are shown conflicted (discussing cars, back stories) and the abo troupe is diverse as well. The parts about the dance and the abo dreams are surreal. The interactions between the diverse set explain human nature and very well written.
A very engaging read that is bound to leave an impact. Not the best - but breaks stereotypes.
The psychological element of the hijack and the moral dialogues among the characters are brilliant. The stress of the situation also makes each character lose their identity.
3 of the passengers are tried as criminals by the terrorist - An American Jew who does business with Iraq, a British columnist who writes against the Palestine and Frank McLeod - our hero.
Mcleod is a weak willed tour manager of the Aboriginal dance troupe (who are out to civilise the world by making them relatives). A failed author, a bad husband but a good human being is accused of knowingly allowing the Aborigines to be exploited for land.
The terrorists themselves are shown conflicted (discussing cars, back stories) and the abo troupe is diverse as well. The parts about the dance and the abo dreams are surreal. The interactions between the diverse set explain human nature and very well written.
A very engaging read that is bound to leave an impact. Not the best - but breaks stereotypes.
October 16, 2017
Surprisingly involving tale of a hijacking.
One of the best elements of this tale is the Barramatjara Dance Troupe -- Australian Aborigines on a world tour. The members of this group and their lives and history are fascinating and magical.
Their Australian manager Frank McCloud, like Bettany in the previous Keneally book I read, is a flawed man. The would-be novelist is slightly cowed by his successful wife.
Another great character is a Japanese-American Republican from Budapest Arizona named Daisy Nakamura. She comes to the attention of the hijackers through McCloud's intervention.
The hijackers, too, are complex characters, in no way predictable.
A good read.
One of the best elements of this tale is the Barramatjara Dance Troupe -- Australian Aborigines on a world tour. The members of this group and their lives and history are fascinating and magical.
Their Australian manager Frank McCloud, like Bettany in the previous Keneally book I read, is a flawed man. The would-be novelist is slightly cowed by his successful wife.
Another great character is a Japanese-American Republican from Budapest Arizona named Daisy Nakamura. She comes to the attention of the hijackers through McCloud's intervention.
The hijackers, too, are complex characters, in no way predictable.
A good read.
February 20, 2025
An interesting moment to have read 'Flying Class Hero' as the hostages from Gaza and Israel were being traded and Trump was poised to suggest a US takeover, like it was recently-cleared real estate for a golf course. But then the Middle East has rarely been incident-free in the last 2,000 years.
Keneally tells a partly conventional hostage thriller, but adds indigenous interest to the story as the stars of the passenger list are a native Australian troupe of performers heading from New York to Frankfurt. The setting is largely a plane fuselage, which does nicely as a history- and territory-free third space in which to pose questions of exploitation and victimhood, and of newsworthiness and marginalisation.
It is certainly gripping enough, with the claustrophobia of the cabin traded off with flashbacks to the freedoms of the stage. The inclusion of an American, Brit and Australian felt slightly predictable - almost like the set-up to an Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman joke. Keneally never quite pushes the peril. Rather, this reads as a thinkpiece on the similarities in the selective attentions that the Western media gives to non-white groups, as well as the extent of kinship between these othered peoples. There is a large literature in this space (especially if not exclusively Australian and South African) and this is a mid-table example from my reading so far. It's a little easier to take for a contemporary audience than Keneally's own 'Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith', written as this was in the early 1970s. Both show a spirit of seeking to understand, though, with Keneally's fluid tale-telling. Worth hopping aboard.
Keneally tells a partly conventional hostage thriller, but adds indigenous interest to the story as the stars of the passenger list are a native Australian troupe of performers heading from New York to Frankfurt. The setting is largely a plane fuselage, which does nicely as a history- and territory-free third space in which to pose questions of exploitation and victimhood, and of newsworthiness and marginalisation.
It is certainly gripping enough, with the claustrophobia of the cabin traded off with flashbacks to the freedoms of the stage. The inclusion of an American, Brit and Australian felt slightly predictable - almost like the set-up to an Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman joke. Keneally never quite pushes the peril. Rather, this reads as a thinkpiece on the similarities in the selective attentions that the Western media gives to non-white groups, as well as the extent of kinship between these othered peoples. There is a large literature in this space (especially if not exclusively Australian and South African) and this is a mid-table example from my reading so far. It's a little easier to take for a contemporary audience than Keneally's own 'Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith', written as this was in the early 1970s. Both show a spirit of seeking to understand, though, with Keneally's fluid tale-telling. Worth hopping aboard.
June 26, 2023
When this book was first published in 1991 we lived in the wake of the Lockerbie disaster of 1988 and a history of plane hijackings. Though less common today they still occur.
The plot of this book intrigued me initially and included Tom Keneally's penchant for indigenous affairs. I think it incumbent on the reader to keep the time of writing contextual.
I really enjoyed the beginning and was expecting this novel to be amongst my favourites of Keneally's, but the middle section of the book was a bit laborious. Perhaps it was an example of his in depth research. Only seeing the perspective of the protagonist McCloud and not from any of the hijackers, Pauline McCloud, Daisy Nakamura or the Barramatjara dance troupe was intriguing and had me connecting the dots!
I enjoyed the ending and still wonder where they landed. It isn't really relevant but if you read this review Mr. Keneally can enlighten me please.
The plot of this book intrigued me initially and included Tom Keneally's penchant for indigenous affairs. I think it incumbent on the reader to keep the time of writing contextual.
I really enjoyed the beginning and was expecting this novel to be amongst my favourites of Keneally's, but the middle section of the book was a bit laborious. Perhaps it was an example of his in depth research. Only seeing the perspective of the protagonist McCloud and not from any of the hijackers, Pauline McCloud, Daisy Nakamura or the Barramatjara dance troupe was intriguing and had me connecting the dots!
I enjoyed the ending and still wonder where they landed. It isn't really relevant but if you read this review Mr. Keneally can enlighten me please.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2018
To start off I would say that this book clearly took a lot of thought and was well written to portray the different characters reaction/approach to a high-jacking.
I have only given the book a 3, as I didn't enjoy the story to much and found the necessary flash backs on the main character's life a bit uninteresting.
I did finish the book though and if you are interested, make sure you read as far as the start of the high-jack, for me I nearly got bored before this point, but it gets better from there on in.
I have only given the book a 3, as I didn't enjoy the story to much and found the necessary flash backs on the main character's life a bit uninteresting.
I did finish the book though and if you are interested, make sure you read as far as the start of the high-jack, for me I nearly got bored before this point, but it gets better from there on in.
February 26, 2025
A hijacked plane and a colourful cast of characters make this an interesting read.
This is a book to make the reader think.
Things that we believe, think we know for sure, or beliefs that we have never questioned all come into play. What does it take to make us question our own values and decide what is the truth?
This is a book to make the reader think.
Things that we believe, think we know for sure, or beliefs that we have never questioned all come into play. What does it take to make us question our own values and decide what is the truth?
November 28, 2019
I cannot believe this is the same author who wrote, ‘Schindler’s List.’ This book didn’t age well.
May 31, 2020
Bit boring and repetitive... characters not entirely believable..
August 30, 2020
Naive trash.
January 15, 2023
Interesting setup but slightly disappointing climax.
January 17, 2024
Outwardly an unusual novel for Thomas Keneally - a hijack thriller - but actually cleverly-manipulated towards his usual themes of Australians abroad and the thoughts and behaviour of flawed men under stress.
A flight from New York to Frankfurt is hijacked by a group of Palestinian terrorists, armed with machine-pistols and grenades and claiming to have a radio-triggered bomb in the hold. The flight's most unusual passengers are the Barramatjara Dance Troupe, a group of Aboriginal Australian men who have just finished wowing the jaded aesthetes of America with their traditional dance exhibition, and their white Australian managers, Frank and Pauline McCloud.
The hijackers select from the passengers three men they consider guilty of crimes against disadvantaged peoples: a Jewish American computer expert, a British right-wing journalist.......and Frank, whom an article in the in-flight magazine has accused of exploiting his Aboriginal charges and distracting them from the threat to their homeland from a mining conglomerate and a shadowy American satellite surveillance concern. These three are to be subjected to a trial by a "people's court" of their fellow-passengers, and if (when) found guilty will be the first to be executed if the hijackers' demands are not met.
This allows the author to shift the novel onto more familiar ground, and the apparent ingenue Frank is subjected to a searching examination by the hijackers, some of his fellow-passengers, and his own conscience: is he simply the borderline-alcoholic, budding novelist and bumbling impresario he initially appears, or does he, and the white Australians he typifies, bear a greater responsibility ? This digression is infinitely more satisfying than the "thriller" plot and characters, which are somewhat generic and ultimately not quite plausible.
As usual with Thomas Keneally, the writing is clever and literate, with sharp psychological observation and some of his characteristic unusual turns of phrase. Frank, the central character, who you suspect may be partly an unflattering self-portrait, has his motivations and self-image questioned and analysed in forensic detail.
Not Thomas Keneally's best book (Gossip From The Forest, Confederates, and of course Schindler's Ark still compete for that palm) - but a very good read. Recommended.
**spoilers follow**
The book loses points for me on the central plot, which lacks conviction - the hijackers' selection of Frank as a symbol of oppression on a flight most of whose passengers would be ignorant of the concerns of native Australians seems a little contrived, as does the "people's court".
The lead hijacker repeatedly touches a woman passenger's arm as reassurance. This avuncular gesture is presumably intended to humanise the hijackers - but it would be a highly-unusual action for a Moslem man towards a female stranger.
And the trigger for Frank to take his courage in his hands and save the day is one of the Aboriginal troupe's members' mysterious assurance that there IS no bomb in the hold. But Frank anyway takes action when the plane is on the ground - when a bomb on board would be less of a safety threat to the passengers than the hijackers' grenades and guns.
A flight from New York to Frankfurt is hijacked by a group of Palestinian terrorists, armed with machine-pistols and grenades and claiming to have a radio-triggered bomb in the hold. The flight's most unusual passengers are the Barramatjara Dance Troupe, a group of Aboriginal Australian men who have just finished wowing the jaded aesthetes of America with their traditional dance exhibition, and their white Australian managers, Frank and Pauline McCloud.
The hijackers select from the passengers three men they consider guilty of crimes against disadvantaged peoples: a Jewish American computer expert, a British right-wing journalist.......and Frank, whom an article in the in-flight magazine has accused of exploiting his Aboriginal charges and distracting them from the threat to their homeland from a mining conglomerate and a shadowy American satellite surveillance concern. These three are to be subjected to a trial by a "people's court" of their fellow-passengers, and if (when) found guilty will be the first to be executed if the hijackers' demands are not met.
This allows the author to shift the novel onto more familiar ground, and the apparent ingenue Frank is subjected to a searching examination by the hijackers, some of his fellow-passengers, and his own conscience: is he simply the borderline-alcoholic, budding novelist and bumbling impresario he initially appears, or does he, and the white Australians he typifies, bear a greater responsibility ? This digression is infinitely more satisfying than the "thriller" plot and characters, which are somewhat generic and ultimately not quite plausible.
As usual with Thomas Keneally, the writing is clever and literate, with sharp psychological observation and some of his characteristic unusual turns of phrase. Frank, the central character, who you suspect may be partly an unflattering self-portrait, has his motivations and self-image questioned and analysed in forensic detail.
Not Thomas Keneally's best book (Gossip From The Forest, Confederates, and of course Schindler's Ark still compete for that palm) - but a very good read. Recommended.
**spoilers follow**
The book loses points for me on the central plot, which lacks conviction - the hijackers' selection of Frank as a symbol of oppression on a flight most of whose passengers would be ignorant of the concerns of native Australians seems a little contrived, as does the "people's court".
The lead hijacker repeatedly touches a woman passenger's arm as reassurance. This avuncular gesture is presumably intended to humanise the hijackers - but it would be a highly-unusual action for a Moslem man towards a female stranger.
And the trigger for Frank to take his courage in his hands and save the day is one of the Aboriginal troupe's members' mysterious assurance that there IS no bomb in the hold. But Frank anyway takes action when the plane is on the ground - when a bomb on board would be less of a safety threat to the passengers than the hijackers' grenades and guns.
August 14, 2015
Great writing as thoughts were presented in various layers. McLeod is the main character, weak but socially aware, empathic and romantic. The Aboriginal dance group is a great mix of personalities from the born again Christian to the curse maker to the pragmatist. The Japanese-American beauty is hard to place. Throw in a hijack, aircrew, the Jewish journalist, the Jewish spy, the miners, mob hysteria, plastique, parents and the plot thickens. A bit too introspective towards the end but very enjoyable to read to the end.
May 2, 2016
Flying Hero Class is a short 268 page novel regarding a Palestinian hijacking of an aircraft carrying a weak willed aspiring novelist who currently works as dance manager for an Australian Aboriginal dance troupe. Also onboard are some Jewish sympathisers, Japanese-American and a handful of others.
Stressful situation + disparate social groups + contested social issues = successful novel? Not so much.
Stressful situation + disparate social groups + contested social issues = successful novel? Not so much.
June 4, 2010
I was not sure if this was a black comedy; but as the book went on, it was not.
Well written....theme of a hijack, the middle east and australian aboriginal dances....and how they interacted on the plane....not to forget the Japanese, republican, lady! He is a very good writer.
Well written....theme of a hijack, the middle east and australian aboriginal dances....and how they interacted on the plane....not to forget the Japanese, republican, lady! He is a very good writer.
Read
August 5, 2011Entertaining and superficial.
September 24, 2011
When hijacking was not associated with the Twin Towers.
November 20, 2012
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11530499
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11530499
September 14, 2014
Hijacked airplane, lots of social issues.
Read
August 31, 2014Not sure that I finished it. But loved the story and the characters
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews