Air Force One: A History of the Presidents and Their Planes

by Kenneth T. Walsh

From the award-winning chief White House correspondent for U.S. News & World Report comes the definitive history of Air Force One.

From FDR's prop-driven Pan Am to the glimmering blue and white jumbo 747 on which George W. Bush travels, the president's plane has captured the public's awe and imagination, and is recognized around the world as a symbol of American power. In this unique book, Kenneth Walsh looks at the decisions that our last 12 presidents made on the plane; the personality traits and peccadilloes they revealed when their guard was down; and the way they each established a distinctive mood aboard that was a reflection of their times, as well as their individual personalities.

Based on interviews with four living presidents, scores of past and present White House officials, and staff and crew members of Air Force One, Walsh's book reveals countless fascinating stories of life aboard the "flying White House." It also features descriptions of the food, the decor, the bedrooms, the medical clinic, and much more--as well as remarkable photos of the planes (inside and out) and the presidents.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Presidents, Aviation, Politics, American History, Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Yichen Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book. Narrator did a great job walking us through the history of AF1 from the first plane to the latest, and detailed various upgrades, state of the world, and symbolism that the flagship plane symbolized. We get an intimate look at how Presidents see AF1, ranging from a leisure vehicle to a 2nd primary office. This was all presented in an interesting, relevant, and non-dry manner.

Not the most exciting read, but a good trip through the past 100 years of American presidency through the lens of AF1.

Note the book only covers presidents up til George W Bush.

[Barbara (Bobby) Title · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be not only a very interesting book but also a very readable one. I have read lots of books about our more modern presidents - ranging from FDR to the present - and books with different slants to them. But I never wondered at all about their "lives" in the air. What I liked about this book for a starter was that it was not front to back about airplanes, nor just a gossipy people-book. And maybe best of all for a busy person, it was a "pick-up and lay-down" kind of book. I am glad I read it. I'll surely be able to pay more attention now to that flying time in our more present presidents...beginning where this book left off, W being the last president of the book, anticipating future updates on Obama and now watching how President Trump makes use of this fantastic piece of equipment that is really an extension of the United States business in the sky.

I appreciated the author's point of view in relaying the human part of his stories as well as appreciate that what he did write about the mechanical end of it was not so technical as to make me give up because I couldn't understand it. This is not a new book, being published in 2003, but it should be interesting to those, like me, who love to find good stuff that we didn't know.

[Nola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Air Force One a History of the Presidents and their Planes is much more about the presidents than I expected. I should have paid more attention to the title, where “the presidents” comes before “their planes”. Kenneth T. Walsh seemed very critical of all the presidents. Speaking of his experience with them on Air Force One, it doesn’t sound like any of them were particularly likeable and most of them were downright strange. He does make a point of saying that Air Force One creates a special atmosphere that brings out behavior that is different than in any other place. I was expecting more details about the planes themselves. There is description of the rooms within the plane, but I had trouble using that to visualize the real thing. It might be helpful to add floor plans, even 3D ones, to the photographs in the book. The photos in the book do add a lot to bringing the planes and presidents to life. This is a book that not only tells a little about the presidents and their planes, but also explains historic events of United States history since the beginning of the aviation age. The context of how presidents used Air Force One to respond to these events is a unique perspective.

[Matthew Kresal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Journalist Kenneth T. Walsh offers up a brief but readable history of American Presidents and their planes with this 2003 book. Covering every President from FDR to the first two years of George W. Bush's presidency, it charts not just the various aircraft used by the Commanders In Chief but also the evolution of the plane we know today as Air Force One into a symbol not just of the presidency but of America as a whole. The briefness of the book comes at something of a cost as it comes across as very gossipy in places but contains some interesting looks at how the plane brought out the best and worst in each President. An interesting if not entirely fulfilling read.

[Steven Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Information on the Presidents and their used of Air Force One

Enjoyable and informative look at the various presidents (FDR through George W). A bit maudlin at times and the writing is overly simplified. It could have been published in USA Today. Other than that, a nice summer read.

[craig hurdle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

Gave it a 4 star rating due to the fact that it did not have Barack Obama
However it was an interesting read
The different presidents of the USA that flew in Air Foce One
It was interesting the stories of the powerhouse presidents aboard AF1
I DID ENJOY THE book bit disappointed that it did not have Barack Obama in it.

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book explaining some History of the Planes themselves but mainly focuses on what the Presidents did and acted on Air Force One. It left me wanting more, I wanted to learn more about the Pilots and how they obtained their position. I wanted to learn more about the plane itself, the development and so forth. Still a good book worth reading if you like Military Aviation or US History

[Kalle Wescott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read /Air Force One: A History of the Presidents and Their Planes/, by Kenneth T. Walsh:

http://www.kennethwalsh.com/air-force...

Interesting!

[Ice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This peek inside the "flying Oval Office" comes courtesy of U.S. News and World Report's award-winning White House correspondent, who has logged more than 200 trips aboard Air Force One. To document the history and evolution of the "flying White House," Walsh (Feeding the Beast: The White House Versus the Press) interviewed more than 120 people, including the plane's crews and staff, plus past presidents and White House officials. Americans once thought presidents should "never stray from the United States," but FDR "changed the whole dynamic," becoming the first airborne chief executive when he flew to a secret 1943 meeting with Churchill in Casablanca. Truman, who used "the plane itself as a power tool," was the first to fly routinely, and Eisenhower was the first to travel by jet. The code name Air Force One was introduced in Ike's era after air traffic controllers confused Eastern 610 with the president's Air Force 610. JFK made the code name public, and his sleek new 707 "seemed to embody modernity itself" after Jackie Kennedy and industrial designer Raymond Loewy devised the now-familiar blue-and-white exterior. Focusing on the mystique and prestige of Air Force One and its ascendancy as a symbol of world power, Walsh describes key decisions made in the air, leaving a contrail of anecdotes about presidential behavior aloft, and concludes by detailing the dramatic events aboard the presidential jet on September 11 when the controversial decision was made not to return to Washington.

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a bit repetitive at points but overall it really captured the feel of a plane that most of us will never step foot in.

Most of the technical info is widely available info. I found a lot of the anecdotes in a book I read earlier this year written by Ronald Kessler. Ironically it was entitled "Inside the White House" but this book about AF1 focuses on what happens on the plane and stresses many of the stories probably would never happen in the White House or in a more formal setting.

It's a good read but for me won't be all that memorable.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book if you like history especially presidential history (from FDR to GW Bush). It also has a lot of behind the scenes type information that you normally wouldn't learn and incite into the personalities of each president.

[David San Filippo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book not only about Air Force One but the Presidents at his parties that traveled with him.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really interesting book. It's less about Air Force One and more about how each president who flew interacted with and used the plane. Highly recommended for political junkies.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much personal bias

A little too much of the author's bias in regards to the presidents. More about the planes would have been good.

[Yosef Shapiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at the history of Air Force One. Along the way , the author shares anecdotes about the Presidents that have flown aboard this plane.