Air Force One

by Max Allan Collins, Max Allan Collins

AIR FORCE ONE  

It is called the flying White House, the most tightly guarded airborne fortress in the world . . . until now.
Terrorists have seized Air Force One thirty thousand feet above the earth.

The president, the first lady, their thirteen-year-old daughter, and more than fifty innocent people are on board. The terrorists threaten to execute a hostage every thirty minutes if their demands are not met. The official word from Washington:
No negotiations.  

Time is running out. . . .

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Media Tie In, Mystery, Action

259 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 1997

About the author

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.

He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.

Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black

Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ

Reviews

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I'm finally going through my tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.

I'm only adding one book per series etc. I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)

First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Quintin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Air Force One is a great action and adventure filled story about Air Force One being hijacked and the President of the US is being kidnapped. Air Force One was made into a movie in the 1990's which included actor Harrison Ford as the president.

I always like books that are turned into films because it give you a certain different point of view and when you take the book and movie and put it together, you get the full picture. Books always have more information than movies because you can fit more into a book. Most people like books better than the movie other than the Harry Potter movies and the annoying Twilight series. Air Force One is a exiting book but it has a lot of sadness in it like when the enemy kills off some hostages, and when the President gets beat up. I thought that the Russians were very angry and were willing to kill the president to get their leader back. Overall both the book and the movie are good. The book is very violent and same for the movie that is why the movie is rated R. There is a lot of language but if you can get passed it,you can tell that Andrew Marlowe wanted to make this book more appealing to young adults.

I've read some books like Air Force one but this one is like no other. The book pulls you into the story and makes you feel like you really are their. That feeling is one that you hope to have for every book you read.

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Air Force One by Andrew Marlowe
8 out of 10


This viewer couldn't help thinking of the contrast and similarities between what America has at its top today and the fiction proposed by this motion picture.

The premise that some rogue communist rebels hijack Air Force One and then the president takes them on, almost singlehanded, in Die Hard fashion seemed so preposterous, but then Trump came along...
The man who lies about the weather and has more than 12,000 confirmed lies since he entered the Oval Office is much less credible than President James Marshall aka Harrison Ford.

And we're not talking of his permanent lying, the dementia which makes him say furniture instead of future, Apple instead of Cook, oranges for origins and we can write here for ages and it would not reach the end of his monstrous behavior.
The president from the film has been awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War and meanwhile, the fool who leads the free world has had bone spurs, even if a diagnostic for mental issues would have been more accurate.

The terrorists in the movie are aghast that one of their leaders is in prison and they want him released, as a first measure, as soon as they capture the airplane, with help from an insider.
As this was happening to the hero of the film, this mischievous, awful bastard that writes this note could help imagining a versions of it...

What if Trump is caught, incapacitated or whatever?
Man, I tell you the obvious answer would be...

Wonderful!

Although, as a perverse, horrid symbol and representative of the US, it would be something to ponder first and then regret.
Otherwise, the contrast could not be more evident.
America has had wonderful presidents, although quite a few don't qualify, both in movies and real life.

But the fool who wanted to sign any deal with the taliban, invited to come to the USA, loves dictator Kim of North Korea, believed Putin over his own agencies is more like Ivan Korshunov aka Gary Oldman.
This Korshunov was the brute that leads the rebels on the plane, kills innocent civilians, Secret Agents and anybody who comes against him.

He would be great friends with Trump.
After all, the orange clown has a weak spot for Putin, the killer of Litvinenko and so many other opponents, the ruthless tyrant who has occupied Crimea and is nostalgic over the collapse of the Soviet Union, which he tries to reassemble, if he can.

[Russell Salvador · Rating 4 out of 5]

Air Force One by Max Allan Collins was a good read if you want an action packed experience. I really enjoyed how the author wrote the plot, with its world building and it accuracy to the real life military. Personally I think that more could have been done to build more complex characters but you don't really read books like these for the plot, mainly for the action, but most of the characters were somewhat bland. In all honestly I didn't walk into the book hoping it would have complex characters so I wasn't completely put off by it but that was mainly the only thing I didn't like. All in all, if you are looking for an action packed read, this is the one for you just don't expect much from the characters.

[mali · Rating 1 out of 5]

Die Stelle an der sich der Präsident entscheiden muss welches Kabel er durchschneiden sollen und er sagt, dass er rot, weiß und blau nicht durchschneiden kann, weil er Patrito ist fast das ganz Buch zusammen

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about a group of terrorists who hijack Air Force One and the U.S. president's attempt to rescue everyone onboard by retaking his plane.

[Cristian Ionescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good.

[Ranette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great thriller about terrorists trying to kidnap the Pres. of US

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! Probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if I wasn't such a big fan of the movie. So you should just go watch the movie tbh

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in one day, gripping but quite unrealistic

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aku suka filmnya.

Oke, oke, memang film ini jelas-jelas propaganda Amerika yang merasa sebagai Polisi Dunia, sehingga merasa sah-sah saja menculik kepala negara lain dari istana negaranya sendiri demi "perdamaian dunia". Tapi setidaknya, kita toh tahu bahwa Presiden Amerika yang bisa beraksi ala John McClane tidak mungkin ada di dunia nyata... Jadi nikmati sajalah film ini sebagai hiburan, apalagi Harrison Ford bisa membuat karakter Presiden James Marshall yang menyatakan war-on-terrorism ala George W. Bush ini tampak simpatik dan membumi.

Sebagian besar jalan cerita dan dialog dalam novel ini sama dengan filmnya, meskipun terdapat beberapa perbedaan mencolok seperti:
- di novel, kita bisa tahu nama dan latar belakang para tokoh yang cuma figuran dan mudah terlupakan di film, seperti tiga orang agen Secret Service yang mati tanpa perlawanan di awal cerita.
- di novel, Presiden Rambo ini jelas dari Partai Republik, sementara di film tidak diceritakan sehingga lebih netral buat para penonton film Amerika. Jadi teringat Presiden Jack Ryan-nya Tom Clancy yang juga tidak mewakili partai manapun ( yang kubayangkan diperankan Harrison Ford juga secara dia jadi Jack Ryan di Patriot Games dan Clear and Present Danger... sorry ya mas Alec Baldwin dan Ben Affleck :P ).

Anyway... tetap saja lebih seru filmnya.

[Victor Orozco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an exceptional book. Written so well you think the book came before the movie, but that's because the screenwriter also novelized his work. This moved quickly and was full of great detail. I didn't know that the US Administration depicted was Republican, which makes me prouder, especially considering the combination of a Vietnam veteran President and a female Vice President almost came true.

I love the fact that we don't know who the traitor is until the very end. Kind of makes it a better read than when you watch it on screen, when the traitor is immediately identified. All in all, a great story. Well adapted with a good insight into the characters from the heroes to the villains. A+

[Zenei · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly good considering it wasn't the author's own (meaning written from a screenplay). I usually don't comment on a book that is written from the movie but this book not only gives you alot of insight and details that you don't get from the movie but it is just plain well written. I was engaged (which these days is hard to do)even though I had seen the movie and enjoyed it. I have to give this at least four stars because I really enjoyed the book.

[Ajay Ajay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice story, but not as good as to tell the entire story of Air Force One, the Presidential Aircraft.

Still a nice read with a real twist and turns. The climax is also nice.

[Aparna Bhuvanagiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Movie was much better..

[Christopher Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great movie and great book

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth reading.