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Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper
I have a bomb here and I would like you to sit by me.
That was the note handed to a stewardess by a mild-mannered passenger on a Northwest Orient flight in 1971. It was the start of one of the most astonishing whodunits in the history of American true crime: how one man extorted $200,000 from an airline, then parachuted into the wilds of the Pacific Northwest and into oblivion. D. B. Cooper’s case has become the stuff of legend and obsessed and cursed his pursuers with everything from bankruptcy to suicidal despair. Now with Skyjack, journalist Geoffrey Gray delves into this unsolved mystery uncovering new leads in the infamous case.
Starting with a tip from a private investigator into a promising suspect (a Cooper lookalike, Northwest employee, and trained paratrooper), Gray is propelled into the murky depths of a decades-old mystery, conducting new interviews and obtaining a first-ever look at Cooper’s FBI file. Beginning with a heart stopping and unprecedented recreation of the crime itself, from cabin to cockpit to tower, and uncanny portraits of characters who either chased Cooper or might have committed the crime, including Ralph Himmelsbach, the most dogged of FBI agents, who watched with horror as a criminal became a counter-culture folk hero who supposedly shafted the system…Karl Fleming, a respected reporter whose career was destroyed by a Cooper scoop that was a scam…and Barbara (nee Bobby) Dayton, a transgendered pilot who insisted she was Cooper herself.
With explosive new information and exclusive access to FBI files and forensic evidence, Skyjack reopens one of the great cold cases of the 20th century.
That was the note handed to a stewardess by a mild-mannered passenger on a Northwest Orient flight in 1971. It was the start of one of the most astonishing whodunits in the history of American true crime: how one man extorted $200,000 from an airline, then parachuted into the wilds of the Pacific Northwest and into oblivion. D. B. Cooper’s case has become the stuff of legend and obsessed and cursed his pursuers with everything from bankruptcy to suicidal despair. Now with Skyjack, journalist Geoffrey Gray delves into this unsolved mystery uncovering new leads in the infamous case.
Starting with a tip from a private investigator into a promising suspect (a Cooper lookalike, Northwest employee, and trained paratrooper), Gray is propelled into the murky depths of a decades-old mystery, conducting new interviews and obtaining a first-ever look at Cooper’s FBI file. Beginning with a heart stopping and unprecedented recreation of the crime itself, from cabin to cockpit to tower, and uncanny portraits of characters who either chased Cooper or might have committed the crime, including Ralph Himmelsbach, the most dogged of FBI agents, who watched with horror as a criminal became a counter-culture folk hero who supposedly shafted the system…Karl Fleming, a respected reporter whose career was destroyed by a Cooper scoop that was a scam…and Barbara (nee Bobby) Dayton, a transgendered pilot who insisted she was Cooper herself.
With explosive new information and exclusive access to FBI files and forensic evidence, Skyjack reopens one of the great cold cases of the 20th century.
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First published January 1, 2011
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About the author
Geoffrey Gray
7 books23 followersMy mother worked as a caterer. From as early as I can remember, it was me and my younger sister lugging the soup pots and cookie trays and shrimp skewers from our kitchen into the van, then arriving at a client's house and trying to make them feel comfortable in their own home.
It was an incredible social experiment for a young child. I learned how to schmooze with the folks that hired us, and the dishwashers I worked with.
I grew up fast this way. I felt most at home in other people's houses, at peace and at my best in a crowd of strangers.
Which is what I do now. Meet people I don't know, talk to them about what they do and how they see the world. Then I write it all down. Best job ever.
It was an incredible social experiment for a young child. I learned how to schmooze with the folks that hired us, and the dishwashers I worked with.
I grew up fast this way. I felt most at home in other people's houses, at peace and at my best in a crowd of strangers.
Which is what I do now. Meet people I don't know, talk to them about what they do and how they see the world. Then I write it all down. Best job ever.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
November 1, 2011
OK, it's time somebody stepped up, came out and just plain said, "Enough already."
Non-fiction authors, please, please, please, STOP trying to write historical narratives like Erik Larson. Please stop the slice-and-dice multiple-narrative juggling gimmick in which stories are divvied out in tiny spoonfuls, shifting back and forth over long spans of time and interrupted in mid-action in embarrassing Dan Brown Da Vinci Code cliffhanger style, and then resumed several chapters and dozens of pages later after five other narratives have been dribbled out and interrupted, and by which time I've forgotten who the hell these people are and what they are doing in the resumed narrative(s). Does every non-fiction book have to play like Pulp Fiction nowadays? If someone kept opening the door to my bedroom like this every time I was having sex it wouldn't take me very long to get royally pissed. Simply put, you are interrupting my enjoyment, authors and authoresses. And I'm a terrible multitasker; I love seeing a thought played out fully to its conclusion. I happen to believe that a good story--which this is--does not need this kind of treatment, nor does it have to be this glib and snarky (another regrettable contemporary tendency). In addition, there's a bit of the Gonzo at work here, with Gray injecting himself into the story (fairly well, I think), but this is not great Gonzo (for that, see "Among the Thugs" by Bill Buford, which I recently reviewed). But, God, I wish for the days when historical narratives (yes, with multiple centers of interest) could be told in a more linear and serious fashion without the gimmickry. John Toland, alas, is dead.
I honestly didn't want to know this much minute detail about the lives and mundane adventures of crackpot suspects like Duane Weber or Kenny Chistensen or Barb Dayton (in fact I wish the Duane and Jo Weber narrative, which figits and frets about in an annoying and maddening conspiratorial frenzy but which goes absolutely nowhere and is confusingly told, had been omitted entirely). The screwball antics of the scientists and Cooper cultists I also found plodding and padded; I just wanted to know the results of what they found out and not have to read about their fumblings for page after page. I'm sorry, but however much they amuse author Gray they bored me. I enjoyed the book most when it stuck to the known facts of the case, and particularly those relating to the primary suspect, Richard Floyd McCoy, and also to the speculations about Cooper's likely landing sites and the fate of his stolen money. I understand the point of the author's inclusion of so many suspects is to show how infused the legend of Cooper has become in the pop zeitgeist ; that so many people continue to obsess over the case and that various loonies have come to believe that they themselves *are* Cooper or that their friends and relatives believe them to be so--even after the FBI has ruled them all out. It is an interesting phenomenon. It's so interesting that it might have been enlightening to have some psychological explanation included by experts. But it's not here.
With a reshuffle and heavy editing, this could be a great rundown of the D.B Cooper case, since all the facts are here and they are fascinating. (Rather than summarize the case, I'll refer you to Wikipedia). I think, though, the author--faced with not much to work with--decided to turn his book into a kind of kaleidoscopic comic extravaganza commentary on Americana, which is not a book I cared to read. Actually, the book is a good--and yes, recommendable--overview of the D.B. Cooper case (though I suspect artistic license at play in various details), and will reward any reader who doesn't mind having his or her head batted around like a ping pong ball.
Non-fiction authors, please, please, please, STOP trying to write historical narratives like Erik Larson. Please stop the slice-and-dice multiple-narrative juggling gimmick in which stories are divvied out in tiny spoonfuls, shifting back and forth over long spans of time and interrupted in mid-action in embarrassing Dan Brown Da Vinci Code cliffhanger style, and then resumed several chapters and dozens of pages later after five other narratives have been dribbled out and interrupted, and by which time I've forgotten who the hell these people are and what they are doing in the resumed narrative(s). Does every non-fiction book have to play like Pulp Fiction nowadays? If someone kept opening the door to my bedroom like this every time I was having sex it wouldn't take me very long to get royally pissed. Simply put, you are interrupting my enjoyment, authors and authoresses. And I'm a terrible multitasker; I love seeing a thought played out fully to its conclusion. I happen to believe that a good story--which this is--does not need this kind of treatment, nor does it have to be this glib and snarky (another regrettable contemporary tendency). In addition, there's a bit of the Gonzo at work here, with Gray injecting himself into the story (fairly well, I think), but this is not great Gonzo (for that, see "Among the Thugs" by Bill Buford, which I recently reviewed). But, God, I wish for the days when historical narratives (yes, with multiple centers of interest) could be told in a more linear and serious fashion without the gimmickry. John Toland, alas, is dead.
I honestly didn't want to know this much minute detail about the lives and mundane adventures of crackpot suspects like Duane Weber or Kenny Chistensen or Barb Dayton (in fact I wish the Duane and Jo Weber narrative, which figits and frets about in an annoying and maddening conspiratorial frenzy but which goes absolutely nowhere and is confusingly told, had been omitted entirely). The screwball antics of the scientists and Cooper cultists I also found plodding and padded; I just wanted to know the results of what they found out and not have to read about their fumblings for page after page. I'm sorry, but however much they amuse author Gray they bored me. I enjoyed the book most when it stuck to the known facts of the case, and particularly those relating to the primary suspect, Richard Floyd McCoy, and also to the speculations about Cooper's likely landing sites and the fate of his stolen money. I understand the point of the author's inclusion of so many suspects is to show how infused the legend of Cooper has become in the pop zeitgeist ; that so many people continue to obsess over the case and that various loonies have come to believe that they themselves *are* Cooper or that their friends and relatives believe them to be so--even after the FBI has ruled them all out. It is an interesting phenomenon. It's so interesting that it might have been enlightening to have some psychological explanation included by experts. But it's not here.
With a reshuffle and heavy editing, this could be a great rundown of the D.B Cooper case, since all the facts are here and they are fascinating. (Rather than summarize the case, I'll refer you to Wikipedia). I think, though, the author--faced with not much to work with--decided to turn his book into a kind of kaleidoscopic comic extravaganza commentary on Americana, which is not a book I cared to read. Actually, the book is a good--and yes, recommendable--overview of the D.B. Cooper case (though I suspect artistic license at play in various details), and will reward any reader who doesn't mind having his or her head batted around like a ping pong ball.
November 14, 2016
Archer: What, no, I bet he faked his own death so he can expose the mole!
Lana: There is no mole, and faked it how?
Archer: Paging Dr. Cooper! Dr. D.B. Cooper! Lana, he obviously bailed out and --
Lana: And then... landed safely, buried his chute, ran ten miles to the crash site and then strapped himself into the still-burning wreckage?
This isn't the first time (and certainly won't be the last) that I decided to read a book based solely on an Archer reference. D.B. Cooper was the alias for the man whose crime puts him on most top ten lists of famous disappearances and unsolved mysteries (though, depending on who you ask, I guess it's pseudo-solved today...sort of). He skyjacked a Northwest Airlines commercial flight in 1971 and either mysteriously plummeted to the ground or got away with 200 G's never to be found, despite an extensive hunt by the FBI.
The author/journalist comes across the D.B. Cooper case when a PI calls him in regarding a guy who commissioned him to deliver a letter to Nora Ephron, which, fast-forward a bit, turned out to be about the fact that he was sure D.B. Cooper had, in fact, been his brother. The first thing that pops into Gray's mind is book deal (and also Pulitzer Prize, which we hear his internal monologue about quite a few times throughout the book.)
As the investigations continue, we come across an array of theorists and theories- all sure that they know the identity of the elusive D.B. Cooper. The stories are compelling and interesting in their own right: a transexual ex-military pilot, a Northwest Airlines desk clerk with a bone to pick etc. Unsurprisingly, the theorists themselves are quite a cast.
This would have made an excellent episode of This American Life as the conversations and characters are, well, curious and emphatic. Another reviewer likened this book to Jon Ronson's The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry, which I also listened to as an audiobook. I definitely see the resemblance- the books are part theory, part history, part author's journey into "going native." As an audiobook, however, the author/reader lacked that accent that Ronson has that (for whatever reason) always reassures me that he isn't taking himself to seriously. It's not that Gray thinks this is a serious, hard-hitting piece of journalism (the references to his Pulitzer are clearly made with full-knowledge of their ridiculousness in hindsight). However, he still lacked Ronson's charming irreverence. The conclusion isn't exactly satisfying. I don't think I'm spoiling anything by giving away the last line is something to the effect of "Calm down and read me the recipe for the cherry cheesecake!" (-an obvious suggestion that he too has fallen victim to the Cooper curse.)
It's an interesting story and a short enough read, but as the author's sources each go silent and decide to pursue their own book deals, one can't help but wonder what makes his more worth it than others.
Lana: There is no mole, and faked it how?
Archer: Paging Dr. Cooper! Dr. D.B. Cooper! Lana, he obviously bailed out and --
Lana: And then... landed safely, buried his chute, ran ten miles to the crash site and then strapped himself into the still-burning wreckage?
This isn't the first time (and certainly won't be the last) that I decided to read a book based solely on an Archer reference. D.B. Cooper was the alias for the man whose crime puts him on most top ten lists of famous disappearances and unsolved mysteries (though, depending on who you ask, I guess it's pseudo-solved today...sort of). He skyjacked a Northwest Airlines commercial flight in 1971 and either mysteriously plummeted to the ground or got away with 200 G's never to be found, despite an extensive hunt by the FBI.
The author/journalist comes across the D.B. Cooper case when a PI calls him in regarding a guy who commissioned him to deliver a letter to Nora Ephron, which, fast-forward a bit, turned out to be about the fact that he was sure D.B. Cooper had, in fact, been his brother. The first thing that pops into Gray's mind is book deal (and also Pulitzer Prize, which we hear his internal monologue about quite a few times throughout the book.)
As the investigations continue, we come across an array of theorists and theories- all sure that they know the identity of the elusive D.B. Cooper. The stories are compelling and interesting in their own right: a transexual ex-military pilot, a Northwest Airlines desk clerk with a bone to pick etc. Unsurprisingly, the theorists themselves are quite a cast.
This would have made an excellent episode of This American Life as the conversations and characters are, well, curious and emphatic. Another reviewer likened this book to Jon Ronson's The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry, which I also listened to as an audiobook. I definitely see the resemblance- the books are part theory, part history, part author's journey into "going native." As an audiobook, however, the author/reader lacked that accent that Ronson has that (for whatever reason) always reassures me that he isn't taking himself to seriously. It's not that Gray thinks this is a serious, hard-hitting piece of journalism (the references to his Pulitzer are clearly made with full-knowledge of their ridiculousness in hindsight). However, he still lacked Ronson's charming irreverence. The conclusion isn't exactly satisfying. I don't think I'm spoiling anything by giving away the last line is something to the effect of "Calm down and read me the recipe for the cherry cheesecake!" (-an obvious suggestion that he too has fallen victim to the Cooper curse.)
It's an interesting story and a short enough read, but as the author's sources each go silent and decide to pursue their own book deals, one can't help but wonder what makes his more worth it than others.
October 9, 2015
This is the type of true-life story that absolutely fascinates me. In the early 70s, a man boarded a plane, said he had a bomb, got a ransom, parachuted out the back of the plane while it was mid flight, and then was never found. I first heard about DB Cooper as a kid when watching an episode of 'Unsolved Mysteries.' This in-depth search for the identity of Cooper was incredibly interesting.
August 9, 2011
Who was Cooper?
"Skyjack" is an over the top story but then so was D. B. Cooper’s skyjacking of Northwest flight 305 on the day before Thanksgiving in 1971. Gray does a great job at engaging his audience no matter how many disparate characters and theories he stuffs into his tale. It takes some patience to suspend your belief until all the pieces are tied together or at least there’s an effort in that direction. This is a big story with lots of pieces. Gray packs a lot into 300 pages including some history of commercial flight and a look at some of the leading contenders for who D. B. Cooper really was. He does a great job with the facts of the story and an even better job with character analyses. I wish he’d stayed more grounded. He tells one heck of a story though.
"Skyjack" is an over the top story but then so was D. B. Cooper’s skyjacking of Northwest flight 305 on the day before Thanksgiving in 1971. Gray does a great job at engaging his audience no matter how many disparate characters and theories he stuffs into his tale. It takes some patience to suspend your belief until all the pieces are tied together or at least there’s an effort in that direction. This is a big story with lots of pieces. Gray packs a lot into 300 pages including some history of commercial flight and a look at some of the leading contenders for who D. B. Cooper really was. He does a great job with the facts of the story and an even better job with character analyses. I wish he’d stayed more grounded. He tells one heck of a story though.
January 10, 2012
This book had so much promise, and it started off well enough. The first part recreates Dan Cooper's hijacking of the Northwest Orient flight, from the moment he gets on the plane until the flight crew realize he is no longer aboard. The next section looks at the initial investigation.
From there, it's downhill. This is now a record of Gray's descent into conspiracy. He starts with being given the name of a possible suspect and starts looking into him. We then get to hear about other suspects, and how sometimes they're eliminated and sometimes they're not. He then goes on a wild goose chase with characters who remind me of the The Lone Gunmen from The X-Files. At times he trusts them but then he keeps deciding that they're nuts. All this is intercut with information about the potential suspects. Why each suspect didn't get their own chapter, I don't know. The result is a confusing mess.
The ending of Skyjack is equally unsatisfying. Gray didn't wrap it up, so we don't know what he concluded. Instead, it's like he decided mid scene that he didn't want to write any more... so he just stopped. I read the last sentence and went, "Huh?"
If you're interested in the DB Cooper mystery and are sane, I suggest you DON'T go for this book. At least The Lone Gunmen were entertaining.
From there, it's downhill. This is now a record of Gray's descent into conspiracy. He starts with being given the name of a possible suspect and starts looking into him. We then get to hear about other suspects, and how sometimes they're eliminated and sometimes they're not. He then goes on a wild goose chase with characters who remind me of the The Lone Gunmen from The X-Files. At times he trusts them but then he keeps deciding that they're nuts. All this is intercut with information about the potential suspects. Why each suspect didn't get their own chapter, I don't know. The result is a confusing mess.
The ending of Skyjack is equally unsatisfying. Gray didn't wrap it up, so we don't know what he concluded. Instead, it's like he decided mid scene that he didn't want to write any more... so he just stopped. I read the last sentence and went, "Huh?"
If you're interested in the DB Cooper mystery and are sane, I suggest you DON'T go for this book. At least The Lone Gunmen were entertaining.
October 3, 2011
It seems that every couple of years, another book comes out with new information about D.B. Cooper. Remember him? He's the guy that hijacked a Northwest Orient plane back in 1971, got $200,000 and parachuted off into oblivion. He's never been found.
This latest offering recreates the crime and then introduces a whole cast of quirky characters. The tale jumps around at different time periods so remembering everybody can be confusing. The author had access to FBI files and supposedly "new" information but after reading one hundred pages, I had had enough. I don't like the style of writing. It's abrupt and in-your-face. No wonder. Geoffrey Gray used to write about boxing for the New York Times.
This latest offering recreates the crime and then introduces a whole cast of quirky characters. The tale jumps around at different time periods so remembering everybody can be confusing. The author had access to FBI files and supposedly "new" information but after reading one hundred pages, I had had enough. I don't like the style of writing. It's abrupt and in-your-face. No wonder. Geoffrey Gray used to write about boxing for the New York Times.
January 8, 2012
Who is DB Cooper? This book is not the answer. The famed Skyjack of the 1970's that allowed someone by the name DB Cooper to hijack an airplane, jump out of it and disappear into the annuls of history has caused countless speculations over the years. A massive FBI Manhunt ensued that led to many arrests but no convictions or any real clue as to who the hijacker was. The author focuses on the hunt for the elusive DB and goes through the various theories about who and what the hijacker did. He covers the major players that were considered the likely suspect to be DB Cooper and the problems surrounding the case. Overall though the book remains disjointed and he does not take the time to introduce characters until later in the story trying to keep some mystery over his subject. It is a fast moving read but at the end of the day I did not get much out of this book. For those who are looking for information on the real story of DB Cooper this is but one version and a disjointed one at that. There is probably no real answer to who DB Cooper was and as someone coming from a historian background I found the pure speculations and random vignettes into the authors personal search annoying. Overall if you are really into the topic go for it otherwise I would look for something else to read.
February 26, 2017
I had hoped for the definitive history of D. B. Cooper, especially given that author Geoffrey Gray was allowed access to the FBI’s D. B. Cooper files. Instead, I got some history of D. B. Cooper heavily diluted with forays into the lives of Cooper suspects and those obsessed with solving the case. This is a world of crazies, and whenever Gray plunges into crazyland, he extracts himself with a series of rhetorical questions, such as these: “How could I trust Knoss? The whopper he was telling could not be accurate. But what if it was? Or part of it was? How could I afford not to listen?” In related news, the moon is not made of green cheese. But what if it is? Ugh. As is too often the case with popular nonfiction books, I would have been better off reading the Wikipedia article. An entertaining book, but extremely disappointing.
May 30, 2022
When I got this book I thought it would be an in depth investigation into a suspect for D.B. Cooper. To a large extent what it turned out to be was a collection of theories surrounding a cornucopia of suspects. This approach kind of left me flat. I'm used to non-fiction authors who research a mystery and present a viable hypothesis. This was just like the author was afraid to be wrong, so covered every possible base.
An okay read, but nothing spectacular.
An okay read, but nothing spectacular.
July 16, 2012
In 1971, a normal-looking guy on a Northwest Airlines flight out of Portland hands a note to a stewardess. The note says that he has a bomb and he wants $200,000 and a parachute. The airline delivers. He disappears with the money and an urban legend is born. I've been interested in this case since I learned about it at the Northwest Mystery Museum a few years ago, so I was really glad I finally got around to reading a book on the subject.
The author starts from a position of nearly complete ignorance of the D.B. Cooper case. He develops his own theories and follows his own red herrings. Gray meets a lot of nutty people along the way. I don't know why I hoped that this book would end with a definitive answer to the D.B. Cooper case (obviously it is still unsolved!) but I was disappointed when I realized that we were not going to draw any conclusions. It is really about the Hunt for D.B. Cooper. There is a lot of interesting lore and some insights into the various D.B. Cooper legends over the years.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed reading this book. I talked about it a lot when I was reading it. I just can't say that I would recommend it or that it is an especially good book. The narrative jumps around a lot so that it's hard to stay oriented and remember who's your favorite suspect of the moment. A lot of the information and 'research' is provided by D.B. Cooper enthusiasts who all seem to have their own agenda. It seems like Gray used a message board to connect with the most dedicated amateur detectives, and parts of the book are actually message board conversations. I don't necessarily consider these people experts just because they are typing madly on a message board, so....
Two favorite/weird things:
1. d.b. cooper jumped not that far from where i live so i "got" a lot of the geography references and it was good to think about places i've been in the context of the cooper case.
2. one of the more popular theories is that d.b. cooper was a transsexual woman (life-long mechanic and pilot who was frustrated and depressed by financial inability to get surgery, etc) and. well, that sort of criminal queerness is a drug i find hard to turn down.
The author starts from a position of nearly complete ignorance of the D.B. Cooper case. He develops his own theories and follows his own red herrings. Gray meets a lot of nutty people along the way. I don't know why I hoped that this book would end with a definitive answer to the D.B. Cooper case (obviously it is still unsolved!) but I was disappointed when I realized that we were not going to draw any conclusions. It is really about the Hunt for D.B. Cooper. There is a lot of interesting lore and some insights into the various D.B. Cooper legends over the years.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed reading this book. I talked about it a lot when I was reading it. I just can't say that I would recommend it or that it is an especially good book. The narrative jumps around a lot so that it's hard to stay oriented and remember who's your favorite suspect of the moment. A lot of the information and 'research' is provided by D.B. Cooper enthusiasts who all seem to have their own agenda. It seems like Gray used a message board to connect with the most dedicated amateur detectives, and parts of the book are actually message board conversations. I don't necessarily consider these people experts just because they are typing madly on a message board, so....
Two favorite/weird things:
1. d.b. cooper jumped not that far from where i live so i "got" a lot of the geography references and it was good to think about places i've been in the context of the cooper case.
2. one of the more popular theories is that d.b. cooper was a transsexual woman (life-long mechanic and pilot who was frustrated and depressed by financial inability to get surgery, etc) and. well, that sort of criminal queerness is a drug i find hard to turn down.
March 26, 2017
As someone who reads anything I can get my hands on related to D.B. Cooper I was shocked to see a single negative review of this book. Gray sets himself apart from other investigative reporters with a narrative that is both comprehensive and entertaining. I urge anyone interested in mystery to get their hands on this book. You will not be disappointed!
June 14, 2013
Just not good
October 2, 2021
In November 1971, a desperado of the skies jumped from the aft stairs of a Boeing 727 somewhere over southern Washington State and entered folklore as the modern-day Robin Hood. With his jump into the void, Dan Cooper (or "D.B. Cooper," as his alias was garbled by the press) became a modern legend, and the story of his jump, the mystery behind his motives and identity, and the questions surrounding his fate have puzzled many for almost fifty years.
"Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper" by Geoffrey Gray is an intriguing, at times hilarious, deep dive into the world of "Cooperland," where people devote their lives to trying to answer the questions of Cooper's true identity, motives, and ultimate fate, much to the detriment of their own mental health and home lives. Gray, an investigative journalist, falls into the rabbit hole himself, in a manner very similar to Jon Ronson's chronicles of the conspiracy theorist movement in the Nineties ("Them"). With Gray, the clues lead to various potential suspects, none of whom he can definitively say was Cooper (but none of whom he can definitively dismiss as possibilities). Among them, a closeted flight steward, a transsexual wannabe pilot, and an elusive con artist are the most likely to have been Dan Cooper. But there's also the Mormon college student and Vietnam vet who pulled off a similar heist a few months after Cooper's jump, and who died in a shootout with cops a few years later while on the lam. Are any of these people the real Dan Cooper? Can Gray uncover the truth? Will the Pulitzer Prize elude his clutching grasp?
This is a fun, entertaining book about a man who stepped into history the minute he disappeared from radar. Including an overview of the ways in which Cooper's skyjacking resounded in the times that he was living, "Skyjacked" offers the sense that Cooper's leap was almost a countercultural moment in American history, a repudiation of the authority figures who mired us in Vietnam and didn't want to offend the big airlines by imposing more safety regulations (unless of course Cooper was a CIA agent posing as a dangerous criminal, in order to facilitate said new regulations over the objections of the airline bosses). Many a rabbit hole is explored, and many a suspect is considered, discarded, but then re-considered because, as Gray learns to his chagrin, some just can't be discounted entirely. With the status of the case unsolved, and the toil it has taken on the lives of amateur and professional sleuths alike, the "Cooper curse" infects Gray as well, and the book never really answers the central questions because, of course, there *can be* no answers. Dan/D.B. Cooper leapt into folklore, and we'll never really know who he was or if he lived to enjoy his haul.
But we have one hell of a story, thanks to Gray.
"Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper" by Geoffrey Gray is an intriguing, at times hilarious, deep dive into the world of "Cooperland," where people devote their lives to trying to answer the questions of Cooper's true identity, motives, and ultimate fate, much to the detriment of their own mental health and home lives. Gray, an investigative journalist, falls into the rabbit hole himself, in a manner very similar to Jon Ronson's chronicles of the conspiracy theorist movement in the Nineties ("Them"). With Gray, the clues lead to various potential suspects, none of whom he can definitively say was Cooper (but none of whom he can definitively dismiss as possibilities). Among them, a closeted flight steward, a transsexual wannabe pilot, and an elusive con artist are the most likely to have been Dan Cooper. But there's also the Mormon college student and Vietnam vet who pulled off a similar heist a few months after Cooper's jump, and who died in a shootout with cops a few years later while on the lam. Are any of these people the real Dan Cooper? Can Gray uncover the truth? Will the Pulitzer Prize elude his clutching grasp?
This is a fun, entertaining book about a man who stepped into history the minute he disappeared from radar. Including an overview of the ways in which Cooper's skyjacking resounded in the times that he was living, "Skyjacked" offers the sense that Cooper's leap was almost a countercultural moment in American history, a repudiation of the authority figures who mired us in Vietnam and didn't want to offend the big airlines by imposing more safety regulations (unless of course Cooper was a CIA agent posing as a dangerous criminal, in order to facilitate said new regulations over the objections of the airline bosses). Many a rabbit hole is explored, and many a suspect is considered, discarded, but then re-considered because, as Gray learns to his chagrin, some just can't be discounted entirely. With the status of the case unsolved, and the toil it has taken on the lives of amateur and professional sleuths alike, the "Cooper curse" infects Gray as well, and the book never really answers the central questions because, of course, there *can be* no answers. Dan/D.B. Cooper leapt into folklore, and we'll never really know who he was or if he lived to enjoy his haul.
But we have one hell of a story, thanks to Gray.
March 7, 2023
As it turns out, the summary is a bit misleading. If this book had been synopsized as the story of one man's descent into obsession, it would have been more accurate. (I wouldn't have read it, but it would've been more accurate.)
The first part of the book about the hijacked flight and the subsequent investigation was good, if novelized a bit. That’s what I bought the book for and I enjoyed reading it, although I did wonder how much of the detail was invented for dramatic effect considering how little the original investigators could confirm.
But the additional sections about the various suspects were so initially confusing and eventually frustrating that I skimmed through them. They should've been succinct sections in ORDER, not chopped up and tossed throughout the rest of the book.
At this point the book spirals from a decently interesting retelling of events to straight obsessive territory. The reporter becomes the fanatic, fixating on the details he's sure will lead to him discovering the truth behind Cooper's identity that decades of work by previous investigators hadn't yet uncovered.
And the ending was so abrupt that I read through half the first page of acknowledgements before I realized what was going on. I’m pretty sure he just….ran out of things to say, decided that was a good place to quit for the day, and then
The first part of the book about the hijacked flight and the subsequent investigation was good, if novelized a bit. That’s what I bought the book for and I enjoyed reading it, although I did wonder how much of the detail was invented for dramatic effect considering how little the original investigators could confirm.
But the additional sections about the various suspects were so initially confusing and eventually frustrating that I skimmed through them. They should've been succinct sections in ORDER, not chopped up and tossed throughout the rest of the book.
At this point the book spirals from a decently interesting retelling of events to straight obsessive territory. The reporter becomes the fanatic, fixating on the details he's sure will lead to him discovering the truth behind Cooper's identity that decades of work by previous investigators hadn't yet uncovered.
And the ending was so abrupt that I read through half the first page of acknowledgements before I realized what was going on. I’m pretty sure he just….ran out of things to say, decided that was a good place to quit for the day, and then
Read
January 30, 2021Geoffrey Gray delves into the world of "D.B. Cooper Land" where fantasists and conspiracy theorists cloud up the legitimately interesting story of the only successful "skyjacking" in American history. More people think that their husband/brother-in-law/father/friend was D.B. Cooper than you might believe, and weird coincidences and anomalies abound. Who was the "real" D.B. Cooper? We still don't know, and certainly none of the people in this book do either, but it's an entertaining read. One annoyance was that Grey, who according to his book made several trips there, was unable to pronounce "Willamette" correctly throughout, pronouncing it "Will-ah-mett" instead of the correct "Wil-lamm-ett." This is a pet peeve among fellow valley people, about as grating as the incorrect pronunciation of "Orrah-gone" instead of "Orreh-gun."
April 3, 2019
I was only intrigued to read this because one of my friends told me about this guy. I am always intrigued with people who disappear out of nowhere such as people like Amelia Hart. I have a weird fascination with cases like that, so this was right up my alley. Unfortunately, the writing style was very dense, it was not like anything that I thought it was going to be. It was one of those books that could have been better if it was written better. I also thought it was going to be more of a memoir type of book or at least more nonfiction style like.
I felt that the contents were very dry and I just did not care to read by the first page. I would stick to reading articles about D.V cooper or if there is any film adaption. This one was very trite and forgettable, it was not worth the read so it was a huge letdown.
Another book that bites the dust.
NEXT!
I felt that the contents were very dry and I just did not care to read by the first page. I would stick to reading articles about D.V cooper or if there is any film adaption. This one was very trite and forgettable, it was not worth the read so it was a huge letdown.
Another book that bites the dust.
NEXT!
May 31, 2024
Book Rating: 1.5 stars
Read if you're in the mood for something: mysterious, & reflective
Pacing? Medium
This book tells you absolutely nothing you can't find in a few more interesting podcast episodes, with fewer needless tangents, and less author bias.
This book is more about the author's obsession with the case than the actual D.B. Cooper case and was a total waste of four and a half hours of my life. Also, this book is VERY dated in its language and depictions/descriptions of LGBTQIA+ people.
Narrator Rating: 3.0 stars
The narrator did a decent job, but nothing special.
Content Warnings
Read if you're in the mood for something: mysterious, & reflective
Pacing? Medium
This book tells you absolutely nothing you can't find in a few more interesting podcast episodes, with fewer needless tangents, and less author bias.
This book is more about the author's obsession with the case than the actual D.B. Cooper case and was a total waste of four and a half hours of my life. Also, this book is VERY dated in its language and depictions/descriptions of LGBTQIA+ people.
Narrator Rating: 3.0 stars
The narrator did a decent job, but nothing special.
Content Warnings
March 29, 2017
So what do we know? Essentially we don't know. I admire Gray's efforts and research. I'm not a fan of the jumping timeline (although in this case it wasn't terrible) and reintroducing characters that by four chapters later I have forgotten who is who. I was very interested in the story but at some point with so many different characters and suspects and conspiracies (the government did it; James Earl Ray was involved, etc;.) it was hard to tell what was truth and what was the result of some conspiracy nutjob. All that said, I learned (I think) something and yet I learned nothing but I still liked the book.
March 5, 2024
The first 2/3 of this book was pretty enjoyable. It was good coverage of exactly what happened during and immediately after the hijacking. However the third act was pretty weak as it was just the author himself trying to solve the case 30 years later and not really getting anywhere. If the last 60 pages were removed I’d probably give it a 4/5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2022
Mysterious fun.
April 23, 2022
Absolutely amazing book. So many details not just about DB Cooper but all the people involved in the case. So well written and so much information!!!
August 19, 2011
This book is a good overview of the D.B. Cooper case. In 1971 a man going by the name Dan Cooper hijacked a plane and actually got away with it.
The book adds some new characters, and when I say characters I mean it. (Everyone in this book is awesomely crazy.) The author does a really good job of making these people very human and interesting. (read: crazy.) And even though he writes about these very dedicated/obsessed people he still manages to keep the tone respectful. Mr. Gray breaks the story down into three parts: The Jump, The Hunt, and The Curse. What a great idea, because he often jumps around to different characters as well as points in time, so this way the sections of the book gel together better. At first, all the jumping from person to person was really confusing and kind of maddening (mostly because of the jumps in time, he'd go from 1971 to something in 1980 to 2008 back to '71. It was annoying at first.) but if you stick with the book, you learn the characters and it gets easier to follow.
My favorite part of the book was The Curse because it shows how the people who get involved in the mystery really get swept up in it. They all obsess over it, and in most cases it really takes over their lives; even the author succumbs. Which, I don't know. The author is a reporter, a journalist, and he gets involved and writes about himself? And to me that's kind of no good. Again, my opinion, but if you're a reporting on a mystery, and you're not part of the mystery (a suspect in it/solving it) then why are you in the story? In this particular book the author writes himself in, I think, to show that he too goes a bit bonkers when he gets sucked into the mystery. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just a gray area is all.
The writing is good, the story moves along, there are a million characters, but they are all so unique so you're not bogged down all, "Who?" The only thing wrong here is that there is no ending. The mystery isn't solved. The suspect the author favors at first is easily eliminated halfway through the story, kind of making the story not a story anymore. It then becomes about the curse of the mystery driving people crazy. When I finished the book I wasn't satisfied. I was just sad thinking about all of these very unhappy people whose lives were ruined for seemingly nothing.
Will I read another book by this author? Yes.
Will I read another book about the D.B. Cooper case? Probably not. It's way too messy and filled with way too many wacky people. And by too many wachy people I'm talking about all the people who claim to have been Dan Cooper.
The book adds some new characters, and when I say characters I mean it. (Everyone in this book is awesomely crazy.) The author does a really good job of making these people very human and interesting. (read: crazy.) And even though he writes about these very dedicated/obsessed people he still manages to keep the tone respectful. Mr. Gray breaks the story down into three parts: The Jump, The Hunt, and The Curse. What a great idea, because he often jumps around to different characters as well as points in time, so this way the sections of the book gel together better. At first, all the jumping from person to person was really confusing and kind of maddening (mostly because of the jumps in time, he'd go from 1971 to something in 1980 to 2008 back to '71. It was annoying at first.) but if you stick with the book, you learn the characters and it gets easier to follow.
My favorite part of the book was The Curse because it shows how the people who get involved in the mystery really get swept up in it. They all obsess over it, and in most cases it really takes over their lives; even the author succumbs. Which, I don't know. The author is a reporter, a journalist, and he gets involved and writes about himself? And to me that's kind of no good. Again, my opinion, but if you're a reporting on a mystery, and you're not part of the mystery (a suspect in it/solving it) then why are you in the story? In this particular book the author writes himself in, I think, to show that he too goes a bit bonkers when he gets sucked into the mystery. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just a gray area is all.
The writing is good, the story moves along, there are a million characters, but they are all so unique so you're not bogged down all, "Who?" The only thing wrong here is that there is no ending. The mystery isn't solved. The suspect the author favors at first is easily eliminated halfway through the story, kind of making the story not a story anymore. It then becomes about the curse of the mystery driving people crazy. When I finished the book I wasn't satisfied. I was just sad thinking about all of these very unhappy people whose lives were ruined for seemingly nothing.
Will I read another book by this author? Yes.
Will I read another book about the D.B. Cooper case? Probably not. It's way too messy and filled with way too many wacky people. And by too many wachy people I'm talking about all the people who claim to have been Dan Cooper.
September 10, 2013
There has always been something about a real life unsolved mystery that captivates me. Sometimes not knowing the solution can cause people to come up with interesting theories. The D.B. (Dan) Cooper is one of those mysteries that still captivates people.
When new theories are presented, they can go a couple of ways. Sometimes the theory is interesting, other times just off the wall. Skyjack is a mixture as it does help you understand the case, but is presented in a way that can turn people off
First off, if you do not know anything about the D.B. Copper case, the first two parts of this book will bring you up to speed. The writing is quick and gives enough information to fill the case in for you.
Even though his writing is clear, there are a couple of areas that make you question his approach to presenting the story. The first is how he approaches the chronology of the story, and the second is his motives behind the book.
The major part of the book that I can see causing issues is his narrative. Instead of writing in a chronological fashion, he jumps between different time periods. At first this is jarring to read, but after a while you start to think of why he is doing this.
After a while it feels like he is doing this as a way to ground the story into a context. To have you try and think of the which theory he is going to go with. This allows him to set up the stories of the suspects at the same time. In turn, by presenting the different suspects keeps you guessing on the direction he is going. Though I am was more familiar with the suspect Richard McCoy due to a previous book I had read, D.B. Cooper, the Real McCoy.
The other part of the book that can cause concern is how the author starts off the book how he thought he could get fame from this case. At one point he even points out the he feels the lead investigator is wrong and the author is right. This started to make it feel that he had only his interests involved and was becoming focused on one theory.
He does settle down after a while, because he actions research the case leads into an overall theme of this book, how the case can consume people's lives. I would recommend this book as a good primer for the Cooper case. Bringing you up to speed on it, plus a good cast of suspects. Just keep in mind the approach the author is taking and bear with it. It does come together for the most part. The ending of the book seems slightly abrupt.
When new theories are presented, they can go a couple of ways. Sometimes the theory is interesting, other times just off the wall. Skyjack is a mixture as it does help you understand the case, but is presented in a way that can turn people off
First off, if you do not know anything about the D.B. Copper case, the first two parts of this book will bring you up to speed. The writing is quick and gives enough information to fill the case in for you.
Even though his writing is clear, there are a couple of areas that make you question his approach to presenting the story. The first is how he approaches the chronology of the story, and the second is his motives behind the book.
The major part of the book that I can see causing issues is his narrative. Instead of writing in a chronological fashion, he jumps between different time periods. At first this is jarring to read, but after a while you start to think of why he is doing this.
After a while it feels like he is doing this as a way to ground the story into a context. To have you try and think of the which theory he is going to go with. This allows him to set up the stories of the suspects at the same time. In turn, by presenting the different suspects keeps you guessing on the direction he is going. Though I am was more familiar with the suspect Richard McCoy due to a previous book I had read, D.B. Cooper, the Real McCoy.
The other part of the book that can cause concern is how the author starts off the book how he thought he could get fame from this case. At one point he even points out the he feels the lead investigator is wrong and the author is right. This started to make it feel that he had only his interests involved and was becoming focused on one theory.
He does settle down after a while, because he actions research the case leads into an overall theme of this book, how the case can consume people's lives. I would recommend this book as a good primer for the Cooper case. Bringing you up to speed on it, plus a good cast of suspects. Just keep in mind the approach the author is taking and bear with it. It does come together for the most part. The ending of the book seems slightly abrupt.
October 27, 2011
I was really, really excited to get this book from the library. I’ve always had a weird fascination with this incident, especially considering it happened long before I was born. I think I saw a few specials on the History Channel or some such thing and was intrigued by the mysterious hijacking case.
If you’re not familiar with who or what I’m talking about, in November of 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper (later turned into D.B. Cooper in the media) hijacked a plane, secured $200,000 in ransom and parachuted out the aft stairs somewhere over the Pacific Northwest. And…that’s the last of it. He was never found (dead or alive) and only strange clues (such as a few of the bills from the ransom money) have been found.
Gray begins the book by discussing the events of the case and reports how the hijacking unfolded. From there, he transitions into the post-hijack investigation: who the initial suspects were, how far the search parties spread, how they determined where he may have landed due to the flight path, etc. After the more or less factual evidence put in place, Gray begins to veer off into his own story, explaining details of a few of the “good” suspects that he tried to learn more about. He performed dozens of interviews, hunted down countless family members and tried to peace together the vague what-if possibilities that follow most of the major suspects in the case.
This would have been an altogether fantastic book, if not for a few things. First, Gray jumps around all over the place. It’s hard to keep track of when he’s narrating in the present tense or describing a past event. There’s no strict chronological telling of events. He goes from the hijacking to a personal anecdote to a story about one of his suspects. It’s uneven and difficult to follow at times.
Second, although Gray’s final analysis is inconclusive, the ending of the book was abrupt and unsatisfying. I would have gladly accepted the inconclusive ending (after all, it’s nearly impossible now to pin down the identify of Cooper) had Gray pulled together his thoughts coherently. I see what he was trying to do with the last chapter of the book, but it didn’t quite work out.
If you’re looking for some entertaining nonfiction or if you are interested in this case, I’d still recommend it. Although I had some issues with the book, I still read it fervently over the space of two days.
If you’re not familiar with who or what I’m talking about, in November of 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper (later turned into D.B. Cooper in the media) hijacked a plane, secured $200,000 in ransom and parachuted out the aft stairs somewhere over the Pacific Northwest. And…that’s the last of it. He was never found (dead or alive) and only strange clues (such as a few of the bills from the ransom money) have been found.
Gray begins the book by discussing the events of the case and reports how the hijacking unfolded. From there, he transitions into the post-hijack investigation: who the initial suspects were, how far the search parties spread, how they determined where he may have landed due to the flight path, etc. After the more or less factual evidence put in place, Gray begins to veer off into his own story, explaining details of a few of the “good” suspects that he tried to learn more about. He performed dozens of interviews, hunted down countless family members and tried to peace together the vague what-if possibilities that follow most of the major suspects in the case.
This would have been an altogether fantastic book, if not for a few things. First, Gray jumps around all over the place. It’s hard to keep track of when he’s narrating in the present tense or describing a past event. There’s no strict chronological telling of events. He goes from the hijacking to a personal anecdote to a story about one of his suspects. It’s uneven and difficult to follow at times.
Second, although Gray’s final analysis is inconclusive, the ending of the book was abrupt and unsatisfying. I would have gladly accepted the inconclusive ending (after all, it’s nearly impossible now to pin down the identify of Cooper) had Gray pulled together his thoughts coherently. I see what he was trying to do with the last chapter of the book, but it didn’t quite work out.
If you’re looking for some entertaining nonfiction or if you are interested in this case, I’d still recommend it. Although I had some issues with the book, I still read it fervently over the space of two days.
July 12, 2013
Oh how quaint, those long lost days of the monthly air hijack that ended either in Cuba, or in a parachute jump with a satchel full of cash. Back in the early 70s, before metal detectors and pat-downs became a rite of passage in airports, the hijack was practically a spectator sport. And, so the legend goes, it was all started by a John Doe known to the media as D.B. Cooper.
My first encounter with the D.B. Cooper urban legend was in a book I had as a kid about unsolved mysteries. I remember the details pretty well: a nondescript guy in a business suit hijacks a plane with a (fake) bomb, demands $200,000 in cash and a parachute, lowers the aft stairs of the in-flight 727 and leaps into the stormy night, never to be seen again. Even back then, I remember my 10-year-old self asking "what's the mystery? He's dead." The stolen cash never appeared in circulation again (though a few bundles were found buried on a beach near the probable drop site in 1980). Everyone who ever came forward, it seems, had a history of mental illness. Just because a few kooks swear they are the long-lost princess Anastasia doesn't prove their story--same with Cooper. There's just not enough evidence to prove anything at all. But that doesn't stop author Gray from tracking down and interviewing every last kook...and that's the REAL story here.
If you were looking for the "definitive" D.B. Cooper solution, this book doesn't deliver on that front. However, if you're a fan of This American Life-type stories in which the weirdness of the journey is more fulfilling than any neatly tied solution, this book might be a fun ride. The book starts out with a straightforward narration of the D.B. Cooper case, but as the author/investigator hits more dead-ends, he begins to follow crazier and crazier leads, ending with (I thought) a fitting meta-moment where . It's a hell of a long shaggy dog joke, perhaps, but I did laugh at the end.
My first encounter with the D.B. Cooper urban legend was in a book I had as a kid about unsolved mysteries. I remember the details pretty well: a nondescript guy in a business suit hijacks a plane with a (fake) bomb, demands $200,000 in cash and a parachute, lowers the aft stairs of the in-flight 727 and leaps into the stormy night, never to be seen again. Even back then, I remember my 10-year-old self asking "what's the mystery? He's dead." The stolen cash never appeared in circulation again (though a few bundles were found buried on a beach near the probable drop site in 1980). Everyone who ever came forward, it seems, had a history of mental illness. Just because a few kooks swear they are the long-lost princess Anastasia doesn't prove their story--same with Cooper. There's just not enough evidence to prove anything at all. But that doesn't stop author Gray from tracking down and interviewing every last kook...and that's the REAL story here.
If you were looking for the "definitive" D.B. Cooper solution, this book doesn't deliver on that front. However, if you're a fan of This American Life-type stories in which the weirdness of the journey is more fulfilling than any neatly tied solution, this book might be a fun ride. The book starts out with a straightforward narration of the D.B. Cooper case, but as the author/investigator hits more dead-ends, he begins to follow crazier and crazier leads, ending with (I thought) a fitting meta-moment where . It's a hell of a long shaggy dog joke, perhaps, but I did laugh at the end.
July 15, 2011
I was absolutely riveted by Gray’s thorough investigation into the D.B. Cooper mystery. He explores not only the incident itself and the subsequent investigation, but the political instability of the nation and the structure of commercial aviation during the late 60’s and early 70’s. He uses his own experiences interviewing witnesses and investigators as the framework of the book, and intersperses his narrative with the biographies of possible suspects. Initially, I thought the writing was disjointed, but as Gray immerses himself in D.B. Cooper lore, his writing gains consistency. I was astonished at the huge amount of resources used in the initial investigation to scour the densely forested Pacific Northwest for traces of the notorious hijacker. As he rules out possible perpetrators, Gray encounters a subculture of D.B. Cooper enthusiasts. He also discovers that people involved in finding out the true identity of Cooper often become not only obsessed, but depressed/suicidal/paranoid, known as the D.B. Cooper “curse.” The deeper he gets into the mystery, the more these symptoms affect Gray, especially when he explores the possibility that the hijacking was staged by the government to draw attention away from controversial legislation. Though no positive identity is made, I thought Gray’s comprehensive examination of all aspects of the D.B. Cooper case made for an entertaining read that fueled my own curiosity about the legendary Skyjacker.
I received a complimentary copy of this book via the Amazon Vine program.
I received a complimentary copy of this book via the Amazon Vine program.
July 31, 2018
I look at this as a personal book, written just for me. Since 1978 I have taught a unit on mysteries every spring using an article about four famous disappearances: Amelia Earhart, Judge Crater, Percy Fawcett, and D.B. Cooper. Considering all the changes in education in that time, that little article is still current--everybody is still an unsolved disappearance, and for three of the four still currently in the news. I wish I had other lesson plans that served me that well.
That being said, this latest D.B. Cooper book is a great compilation of theories, suspects, and weird investigators into the only unsolved skyjacking in U.S. history. Apparently there is a cottage industry in claiming you or a relative is the famous D.B. Gray interviews these claimants and investigators hoping to win the Pulitzer for solving the mystery, only to find he ends up with more questions than answers. I understand that not everybody may be as interested in this as I, after all you don't have 34 years invested, but there will be a suspect or conspiracy for everyone. We even have a local boy, Richard McCoy, who is certainly in the top ten of possibilities!
As I tell my students, real-life mysteries are the most interesting, and if this pretty exhaustive book is accurate, I will have D.B. Cooper to study for years to come.
That being said, this latest D.B. Cooper book is a great compilation of theories, suspects, and weird investigators into the only unsolved skyjacking in U.S. history. Apparently there is a cottage industry in claiming you or a relative is the famous D.B. Gray interviews these claimants and investigators hoping to win the Pulitzer for solving the mystery, only to find he ends up with more questions than answers. I understand that not everybody may be as interested in this as I, after all you don't have 34 years invested, but there will be a suspect or conspiracy for everyone. We even have a local boy, Richard McCoy, who is certainly in the top ten of possibilities!
As I tell my students, real-life mysteries are the most interesting, and if this pretty exhaustive book is accurate, I will have D.B. Cooper to study for years to come.
November 26, 2014
Crazy. That is what I kept muttering to myself while reading this true account of a plane hijacker who not only successfully pulled off "the perfect crime" in the amount of $200,000 in the 1970s (not sure what the inflation rate is now) but also, to this very day, was not only never caught, but was also never identified. Crazy also because the plan was so straightforward (wear some shades, hand a simple handwritten note to a stewardess, take the money, then while in flight, parachute down into the wild Pacific Northwest terrain), yet ludicrous to the point of how could he have pulled it off?
There were so many conflicting testimonial accounts that you can't help but be in awe of this slick guy. The amount of manpower behind the investigation to solve, track, and identify the culprit was very impressive; involving not only the local police and PIs but also the Feds, CIA, US army, and state-of-the-art technology. The fact that 40+ years later there are still individuals stateside and overseas who are highly interested in uncovering the thief's identity (or thieves) further shows the thrall that D.B. Cooper still has on the public, whether he is dead or alive.
There were so many conflicting testimonial accounts that you can't help but be in awe of this slick guy. The amount of manpower behind the investigation to solve, track, and identify the culprit was very impressive; involving not only the local police and PIs but also the Feds, CIA, US army, and state-of-the-art technology. The fact that 40+ years later there are still individuals stateside and overseas who are highly interested in uncovering the thief's identity (or thieves) further shows the thrall that D.B. Cooper still has on the public, whether he is dead or alive.
August 23, 2011
This book does not solve the mystery of D. B. Cooper's identity. Rather, it revels in the many treasure hunters, investigators, witnesses, and suspects unveiled by the cursed quest to solve this mystery. Gray gives a detailed portrait of the lives that have been touched by this case, and they are very interesting lives. My favorite of his suspects is Barbara Dayton--whose difficulty acquiring a male to female transgender operation in the early seventies is also well described--because I love the idea that this almost mythic picaro was, in fact, a woman. And D. B. Cooper is like that. His getaway inspired dozens of copycats among those least likely to commit crimes. The search for him drives the obsessive for a multitude of reasons, the greatest of which is that--like the parachuting comic book hero that inspired his alias--Dan Cooper is so much larger than life. He could be anyone. He got away with it.
To uncover the truth at this point would almost be a disappointment.
To uncover the truth at this point would almost be a disappointment.
November 22, 2011
I have to admit, I am so very conflicted about this fascinating and completely engrossing book. Author Geoffrey Gray's personal hunt for D. B. Cooper reads like a fabulously unbelievable fiction story and, knowing the current status of the case I was totally setting myself up for disappointment as I got sucked further and further into the story--waiting for the ending and it just ended. That's it. Gray totally left us hanging. Is he saving the last "clue" for another book? Or was it another question? Another dead end? I'm so freaking frustrated!!! Is that Gray's fault? No, probably not, but he gets the blame because he wrote the book. The story is just so engrossing. The book was very well-written and well-researched and thought-out. At points, the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up...the truth is so close! Close enough to touch it! Literally! And then it ENDED! Who is D.B. Cooper?!?!? I HAVE to know!
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