Title:

The Cannibal Queen

Author:

Stephen Coonts

Publisher:

Pocket Books non-fiction

International Standard Book Number: (ISBN)

0-671-74885-8

Library of Congress Card Number:

Many readers will recognize the name Stephen Coonts from his military action novels such as Flight of the Intruder or The Minotaur. I would bet though that many have missed this real gem of non-fiction he has written! It is a fine example of literary Americana!

The book is "The Cannibal Queen" and just as it is stated on its front cover, it is the story of a flight into the heart of America. The book conjures up images of Steinbeck's "Travels With Charlie" or William "Least Heat" Moon's "Blue Highways". The highways that Coonts and his son travel though are in the friendly skies transported by his restored 1942 Stearman biplane. The book tells of an enjoyable summer spent flying all over the 48 states of our country seeking out the smaller "grass strip" airports of our great land, and some bigger airports too. Along the way he tells the story of the changes in our country that have been wrought by some of its mis-guided politicians, and how what they are doing to this great country is not what its people want!

Mr. Coonts was gracious enough to allow me to use his book for a "Bookworm Radio Net", where we read short passages and discuss such fine writing as this. So get yourself a copy, you don't want to miss out do you?