An American saga: Juan Trippe and his Pan Am empire

by Robert Daley

An American Saga is the story of the man who virtually single-handedly opened up the world to commercial flight: Juan Trippe. The book reveals how a sky-struck young man of immense ambition and vision took a single-engined seaplane carrying mail 90 miles from Key West to Havana and expanded the operation into the vast worldwide airline that at one time was considered the "chosen instrument" of the State Department abroad. Trippe made his own deals with foreign governments and came to own or control the internal airlines of China and of most Latin American nations. To open up Latin America, deals had to be struck with dictators -- and planes named after them. In 1934 to cross the Pacific by air was deemed impossible, but Trippe saw a way to do it. When the first flying boat left San Francisco in 1935, it was given a send-off by 150,000 people and a live nationwide radio audience. This fascinating book brings to life those hazardous early flights -- and the struggle to build a unique organization capable of guiding and supporting them. World War II presented new crises. Here for the first time is the story of how Trippe removed a Nazi threat to the Panama Canal, as well as the account of his behind-the-scenes role in Chiang Kaishek's secret plan to save China from the Communists. Although An American Saga, one of the great aviation epics of this century, is dominated by Trippe, it boasts a remarkable cast of supporting characters, including Charles Lindbergh, Andre Priester, Hugo Leuteritz, Eddie Musick, Bixby and Bond, Sonny Whitney, Joseph Kennedy and Floyd Odlum. Basing his account on extensive interviews with Trippe (who had remained silent for decades) and other participants in this exciting drama, as well as on their private papers and Pan Am files, Robert Daley has created an enthralling narrative. Illustrated with maps and 16 pages of photographs.

Genres: Aviation, Business, History, Biography, Nonfiction

529 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[M.T. Bass · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography was such a long read, it felt like passage on the Pan Am China Clipper. But the story of Juan Trippe was worth the ride. Here is a man whose career in aviation spanned the years between the World War I rag wing Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" to being instrumental in the development of the Boeing 747 as the launch customer. An American Saga: Juan Trippe and His Pan Am Empire is a fascinating read on the commercialization of airplanes, so often overshadowed by war stories.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography of an audacious and remarkable entrepreneur, businessman; a man of vision who deeply influenced the development of both airplanes and commercial aviation. Smart, persistent, with an overflowing bag of tricks he certainly was one of the best negotiators of his era. The story is told with many fascinating details . He was a leader who pushed the aviation business from its infancy to maturity. It becomes clear how and why Pan Am became synonymous with excellence in its field in the sixties.

[Russ Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book. Reads like a novel. Highly recommended history of Pan American Airways.

[D K · Rating 5 out of 5]

It often read more like a biography of Pan Am, as opposed to Juan Trippe who is the person I got the book to learn about. Luckily, the story of Pan Am is quite remarkable and the author included a variety of interesting things about both the airline and Trippe. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lengthy work chronicalling the history of Pan Am and the career of Juan Trippe. A worthwhile read.

[Héctor F. Cadena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Juan must have stepped on too many proud U.S. Senators' toes, since they offered no help when Pan American World Airways was in decline.