What do you think?
Rate this book
The Vanishing of Flight MH370: The True Story of the Hunt for the Missing Malaysian Plane
CNN Aviation Correspondent Richard Quest offers a gripping and definitive account of the disappearance of Malaysian Airline Flight MH370 in March 2014.
On March 8, 2014, Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared with barely a trace, carrying 239 people on board—seemingly vanishing into the dark night. The airplane’s whereabouts and fate would quickly become one of the biggest aviation mysteries of our time...
Richard Quest, CNN’s Aviation Correspondent, was one of the leading journalists covering the story. In a coincidence, Quest had interviewed one of the two pilots a few weeks before the disappearance. It is here that he begins his gripping account of those tense weeks in March, presenting a fascinating chronicle of an international search effort, which despite years of searching and tens of millions of dollars spent has failed to find the plane.
Quest dissects what happened in the hours following the plane’s disappearance and chronicles the days and weeks of searching, which led to nothing but increasing despair. He takes apart the varying responses from authorities and the discrepancies in reports, the wide range of theories, the startling fact that the plane actually turned around and flew in the opposite direction, and what solutions the aviation industry must now implement to ensure it never happens again.
What emerges is a riveting chronicle of a tragedy that continues to baffle everyone from aviation experts to satellite engineers to politicians—and which to this day worries the traveling public that it could happen again.
INCLUDES PHOTOS
On March 8, 2014, Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared with barely a trace, carrying 239 people on board—seemingly vanishing into the dark night. The airplane’s whereabouts and fate would quickly become one of the biggest aviation mysteries of our time...
Richard Quest, CNN’s Aviation Correspondent, was one of the leading journalists covering the story. In a coincidence, Quest had interviewed one of the two pilots a few weeks before the disappearance. It is here that he begins his gripping account of those tense weeks in March, presenting a fascinating chronicle of an international search effort, which despite years of searching and tens of millions of dollars spent has failed to find the plane.
Quest dissects what happened in the hours following the plane’s disappearance and chronicles the days and weeks of searching, which led to nothing but increasing despair. He takes apart the varying responses from authorities and the discrepancies in reports, the wide range of theories, the startling fact that the plane actually turned around and flew in the opposite direction, and what solutions the aviation industry must now implement to ensure it never happens again.
What emerges is a riveting chronicle of a tragedy that continues to baffle everyone from aviation experts to satellite engineers to politicians—and which to this day worries the traveling public that it could happen again.
INCLUDES PHOTOS
279 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2016
43 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
July 13, 2016
Richard Quest, the unforgettably weird CNN correspondent has written a very thorough book on the mystery of the missing Malaysian airliner that disappeared on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in 2014. Quest explains the technical aspects of the case well, (perhaps too well, since there is a lot of technology involved in how modern airliners are monitored by satellites and radio transmissions.) The mystery is enhanced because the plane was proven to have turned back, (after the radar transponder was turned off) and then flew around the tip of Sumatra and into oblivion in the Indian Ocean. What Quest spends most of the book avoiding is "Why?" but ends up discussing every possible answer, even the most ludicrous and then eventually a couple of plausible ones. Quest also discusses quite frequently the inadequacies in the Malaysian and Chinese investigations into the situation, the ham-handedness of the Malaysian government and Malaysian Airlines and explores a few of the conspiracy theories. He defends CNN's blanket, almost obsessive, coverage of the disaster, that is quite contemporarily relevant considering the tendency of cable news to ratchet up the terror and fear afflicting our world by non-stop overwhelming coverage for hours when there is nothing to report.
February 13, 2017
I was in the mood to read something technical, but not overly so, and this book fit the bill perfectly. The author was the main CNN correspondent for this story, and he sticks to the facts. Two chapters toward the end provide a summary of the speculations about what could have happened to the aircraft, both by mechanical means and by "nefarious" means. I would have liked more illustrations to help me understand some of the technical elements, and a clear map of the Indian Ocean area. Most of the illustrations are photos, and the only two maps are photos of radar screens, which are not clear and only partially labeled. Aside from that, the book was fascinating, and I learned a lot. Highly recommended!
May 14, 2023
After watching the mini series on Netflix, I have been more intrigued by this crash. It wasn't easy to find books about this crash, but this popped up on every search. A lot of this information was covered in the Netflix series, but I learned quite a bit more about the airline industry and how things work within that industry. It still blows me away that we can lose a full size commercial airliner in this day in age. I wonder how long it will take them to find this crash site, if they ever find it. Such a terrible tragedy that seems to have been mishandled from the very jump by government officials.
February 20, 2016
I remember the CNN coverage of the disappearance of MH370. I also remember how I felt - sadden and yet, at the same time, mesmerized.
While CNN presented their coverage non stop and had a myriad of "experts" and "correspondents" one did stick out for me - Richard Quest. I liked him because he was extremely, extremely passionate about what he was saying and was not afraid to disagree if needed which is why I decided to read this book. I knew that there would be very little "nonsense" in this telling of events - kind of like the man himself (at least that is how he appears to me).
Let's be honest and say that writing a book about a plane that has yet to be found must be very daunting. Speculation is the name of the game, yet Quest did an excellent job of detailing the facts and expanding on them appropriately. While i knew most of it, it was nice to have it set out in a timeline, with explanations as needed.
I also liked that while there were passages that were somewhat too technical for me (not an aviation fan) the author is aware of his audience and breaks it all down enough for us to understand.
The entire book is written in a very down to earth tone, with a little British thrown in here and there, reminding us that Quest is indeed British. The story also flows well and as I mentioned, it was nice to have a clear timeline of the events preceding that faithful flight, but also during (as much as is known) and after. The after was especially interesting to me.
It is easy to judge everyone involved for their actions or lack thereof. But this book shows us that not everything might have been as "evident" as it is to us who benefit from looking back on the event with the knowledge of what happened, while the people there were living the events, thinking that it was not even a possibility that a 777 would just disappear. I often found myself thinking back on Titanic and how everyone on board was "so sure" that this big ship was indestructible and it was only with hindsight that we saw how wrong everyone had been.
I did enjoy a substantial chunk of this book. I did feel as though he strayed a little with the chapter on media coverage, especially CNN coverage. It felt a little long and dull.
I did think that the brief chapter in which he speaks about the way the families were treated was sad but accurate. I remember watching some of the family members throwing themselves on the floor in hysterics and I kept thinking "why are they showing these poor people?". Interestingly, Quest does mention one particular family member, an American who appeared on CNN regularly and who kept insisting that the plane had not gone down, but had landed somewhere. I remember feeling badly for her, while also thinking "reality is going to hit her hard, when they find that plane" and I immediately felt bad about thinking that way. Yet, Quest, himself, mentions that he was weary himself of speaking with her because despite everything, she seemed to refuse to believe that all the souls were gone. It took guts to write that - which proves to me that the author chose to write an honest book, based on his knowledge and, of course, on his own views.
I don't know how I would have reacted if I had a loved one on that plane. The not knowing...how do you get closure and move on? Maybe I would be that person who could not believe until I had proof, but then, I ask myself, what would ever be enough proof for me? If they found the plane? Would that be enough? or would I only believe if they found my loved one? Such a horrible, horrible thing to have to go through for all the people involved.
Quest does give us his own opinion of what actually happened that night, but as with other theories on MH370 - they are just that.
This book was engrossing and worth a read for anyone who felt compelled by MH370.
While CNN presented their coverage non stop and had a myriad of "experts" and "correspondents" one did stick out for me - Richard Quest. I liked him because he was extremely, extremely passionate about what he was saying and was not afraid to disagree if needed which is why I decided to read this book. I knew that there would be very little "nonsense" in this telling of events - kind of like the man himself (at least that is how he appears to me).
Let's be honest and say that writing a book about a plane that has yet to be found must be very daunting. Speculation is the name of the game, yet Quest did an excellent job of detailing the facts and expanding on them appropriately. While i knew most of it, it was nice to have it set out in a timeline, with explanations as needed.
I also liked that while there were passages that were somewhat too technical for me (not an aviation fan) the author is aware of his audience and breaks it all down enough for us to understand.
The entire book is written in a very down to earth tone, with a little British thrown in here and there, reminding us that Quest is indeed British. The story also flows well and as I mentioned, it was nice to have a clear timeline of the events preceding that faithful flight, but also during (as much as is known) and after. The after was especially interesting to me.
It is easy to judge everyone involved for their actions or lack thereof. But this book shows us that not everything might have been as "evident" as it is to us who benefit from looking back on the event with the knowledge of what happened, while the people there were living the events, thinking that it was not even a possibility that a 777 would just disappear. I often found myself thinking back on Titanic and how everyone on board was "so sure" that this big ship was indestructible and it was only with hindsight that we saw how wrong everyone had been.
I did enjoy a substantial chunk of this book. I did feel as though he strayed a little with the chapter on media coverage, especially CNN coverage. It felt a little long and dull.
I did think that the brief chapter in which he speaks about the way the families were treated was sad but accurate. I remember watching some of the family members throwing themselves on the floor in hysterics and I kept thinking "why are they showing these poor people?". Interestingly, Quest does mention one particular family member, an American who appeared on CNN regularly and who kept insisting that the plane had not gone down, but had landed somewhere. I remember feeling badly for her, while also thinking "reality is going to hit her hard, when they find that plane" and I immediately felt bad about thinking that way. Yet, Quest, himself, mentions that he was weary himself of speaking with her because despite everything, she seemed to refuse to believe that all the souls were gone. It took guts to write that - which proves to me that the author chose to write an honest book, based on his knowledge and, of course, on his own views.
I don't know how I would have reacted if I had a loved one on that plane. The not knowing...how do you get closure and move on? Maybe I would be that person who could not believe until I had proof, but then, I ask myself, what would ever be enough proof for me? If they found the plane? Would that be enough? or would I only believe if they found my loved one? Such a horrible, horrible thing to have to go through for all the people involved.
Quest does give us his own opinion of what actually happened that night, but as with other theories on MH370 - they are just that.
This book was engrossing and worth a read for anyone who felt compelled by MH370.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2018
As a Malaysian with a soft spot for the national carrier, reading this 4.5 years after the event still sent chills down my spine. The book was rather well written, neither too boring nor too technical, and it read like an extra long news article. I think Quest did a good job in providing a sane, even handed view when analysing the tragedy as it unfolded. What's missing though is the smoking gun, which unfortunately remains unfound until today.
January 2, 2017
My first book of the year. Quest did a good job of presenting the facts as it is, leaving the reader to come up with his/her own conclusion.
December 20, 2018
god yeeted that plane off the face of the earth just so that CNN can constantly cover what little information there is about it until the end of time
September 25, 2023
CNN correspondent Richard Quest deals with missing Malaysian Plane MH 370 which disappeared in 2014. He describes all that followed this disappearance, its investigations and possible causes. The book is very interesting, we get to know a lot of useful information while reading. So it is really worth reading.
June 3, 2016
As a Malaysian, how can I be unaffected by what this book reveals? Not only were Malaysian lives lost, our airline - which many of Malaysians are proud of - was severely affected and has since yet to recover. On top of that, this book reveals flaws in our government that so many of us are only too aware of. Quest explores every theory connected to MH370, even one concerning black holes, and also interviewed key personalities of this tragedy. it's well researched and a painful document of one of the world's most perplexing aviation mysteries. He also managed to write about the discovery of the flaperon that supposedly belonged to the plane right before the book was printed. A thorough, analytical book. Recommended.
February 23, 2022
It was a very good look at could of happened.
December 20, 2024
I decided to put aside thrillers for a spell and pick up a non fiction read. The Vanishing of flight MH370 by CNN aviation correspondent Richard Quest, who covered he story extensively at the time. Happy about the change.
Really well written, explains complicated terms and procedures in laymen terms to make them easy to grasp. Gives you a behind the curtain look at aviation safety procedures and rules without being boring, while covering the unfinished story of Malaysian 370 from all angles.
As of today the mystery has not been solved, 10 years after we still don't know where the plane is. This book was written in 2015 and recounts in details what was happening step by step. The author had an inside view as a CNN correspondent reporting the story, interviewing some of the authorities and politicians.
He remains impartial as to what happened and tries to rely on what can be proved without giving too much weight to conspiracies that were circulating at the time.
He also give space to the families of those on the plane, and recount the way they were treated.
It really reads like its happening right niw, I was totally engrossed in the book, and I like the fact that it sounds really professional, sometimes with a subtle sense of humor, even if it was not intended.
At times I thought there was a bit of repetition, in certain paragraphs, and seems like he likes to use the word PUNDITS...lol... Quite a lot...
It was a really enjoyable and a bit sad read. I would recommend it, unless you are a nervous frequent flyer as it deals with details of many flights gone wrong.
Really well written, explains complicated terms and procedures in laymen terms to make them easy to grasp. Gives you a behind the curtain look at aviation safety procedures and rules without being boring, while covering the unfinished story of Malaysian 370 from all angles.
As of today the mystery has not been solved, 10 years after we still don't know where the plane is. This book was written in 2015 and recounts in details what was happening step by step. The author had an inside view as a CNN correspondent reporting the story, interviewing some of the authorities and politicians.
He remains impartial as to what happened and tries to rely on what can be proved without giving too much weight to conspiracies that were circulating at the time.
He also give space to the families of those on the plane, and recount the way they were treated.
It really reads like its happening right niw, I was totally engrossed in the book, and I like the fact that it sounds really professional, sometimes with a subtle sense of humor, even if it was not intended.
At times I thought there was a bit of repetition, in certain paragraphs, and seems like he likes to use the word PUNDITS...lol... Quite a lot...
It was a really enjoyable and a bit sad read. I would recommend it, unless you are a nervous frequent flyer as it deals with details of many flights gone wrong.
April 29, 2021
So I think it is fair to say that reading it in two days I found it an interesting and enjoyable read.
Mr. Quest states the facts that are publicly known and where those facts come from. He acknowledges where his own expertise was lacking and who the consulted to understand things like triangulating possible positions of an airplane from satellite handshakes and attempting to find pings in over 5,000 feet depth of ocean. He does a pretty good job in explaining it so you understand it too. Or at least as much as you would want to.
He also gives an interesting glimpse into what covering a huge news story 24/7 is like and the ethical questions that raises. Something I found much more interesting than I thought I would.
He does this without sensationalising or exploiting families. (I remember only one family member quoted directly from an interview with him in the book.)
He has two chapters where he speculates what might have happened. He does not come to a conclusion. That can not be done until the black boxes are found and decoded. Which at this point may only happen because a scientific expedition is mapping the ocean in the right place.
I really couldn't find much wrong with this, so maybe it should be a 5? Is there such a thing as a 5?
Mr. Quest states the facts that are publicly known and where those facts come from. He acknowledges where his own expertise was lacking and who the consulted to understand things like triangulating possible positions of an airplane from satellite handshakes and attempting to find pings in over 5,000 feet depth of ocean. He does a pretty good job in explaining it so you understand it too. Or at least as much as you would want to.
He also gives an interesting glimpse into what covering a huge news story 24/7 is like and the ethical questions that raises. Something I found much more interesting than I thought I would.
He does this without sensationalising or exploiting families. (I remember only one family member quoted directly from an interview with him in the book.)
He has two chapters where he speculates what might have happened. He does not come to a conclusion. That can not be done until the black boxes are found and decoded. Which at this point may only happen because a scientific expedition is mapping the ocean in the right place.
I really couldn't find much wrong with this, so maybe it should be a 5? Is there such a thing as a 5?
February 19, 2017
The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on March 8, 2014, will go down in history as one of aviation’s biggest mysteries. How, in this day and age, a Boeing 777 carrying 239 passengers seemingly can vanish into thin air is a question that will continue to plague governments, airline officials, conspiracy theorists and relatives of the victims until the plane is found. At this time, all we have to go off of are the few confirmed pieces of debris that recently washed up on the shores of Mozambique and Réunion Island. And until the plane’s black boxes are discovered, nothing can be known for certain.
The story of MH370 captured the public imagination for weeks on end. People feel strongly about planes, being both terrified of and enthralled by flying. If you care to take things this far, you could track this sentiment throughout history, to when Daedalus and Icarus fled Crete using wings held together by wax. Most likely, our obsession with flight goes back even earlier. It seems to me that humans have always been mesmerized by heights, having a deep-rooted desire to ascend to the stars and an equally prevalent, primal fear of falling. Yet in musing over humanity’s relationship with flying, perhaps I am really airing out my own personal issues with big metal birds.
I do not like flying. Although I know that air travel remains the safest form of transportation, every time I board an airplane, I am convinced that I will not make it down alive. I am prone to anxiety attacks on planes and incessantly ask questions such as “But are you sure we’re not going to die?” which can be a real source of annoyance for my traveling companions. Additionally, being a sucker for conspiracy theories, I am the perfect audience for any type of freak accident. Thanks to the internet, I have a never-ending source of material with which to feed my fears. Today, it feels as though the media sensationalizes disaster to the point where you could label their coverage pornographic. I am not innocent in this consumption.
For the reasons explained above, I was very excited to read The Vanishing of Flight MH370. I hoped to learn details about the disappearance that had been left out of articles I’d read online and, more importantly, to read a fresh, highly original take on what exactly happened and the aftermath. Richard Quest, the book’s author, is a CNN aviation correspondent and business anchor for CNN International. He was profoundly entrenched in the story and stuck with it long after the plane had lost the public’s interest. Most intriguingly, he had actually flown with the plane’s first officer, Fariq Hamid, while filming a segment for CNN two weeks before MH370 vanished.
Quest makes deft use of his knowledge as a specialized television reporter throughout this book. His job, as he articulates time and time again, is to take complicated technical documents and turn them into digestible bits of newsworthy entertainment for the everyman. He is good at his job. The book is easy to read because he is able to effectively break down complex technological procedures and terminology. He also peppers the book with tons of other stories about horrific crashes, comparing them with MH370 in order to contradict popular theories, as well as develop his own, about what could have happened. This is The Vanishing of Flight MH370 at its most interesting.
At its least interesting, it is repetitive and uncomfortable. Quest regurgitates the same ideas to the point where the book actually becomes frustrating to get through. These reiterations allow him to cover every possible angle of the mystery and counter the opacity of government and airline officials who bungled the case. However, his writing choice mimics CNN’s nonstop coverage of the disappearance, emulating how anchors spat out the same ideas in slightly different ways for hours on end, all for the sake of ratings. Quest does not condemn CNN’s coverage of MH370, as so many others have, and he can’t, really, if he wants to keep his job. But his brash defense of the network and its sidelining of other major stories for weeks in favor of turning a tragedy into clickbait makes for an uneasy read.
In short, I didn’t get anything out of The Vanishing of Flight MH370 that I couldn’t have read online in a more condensed form. Upon finishing it, I felt like a rubbernecker gawking at an accident on the side of the highway, blocking the way of drivers trying to get to better places.
My review originally ran on Bookreporter.com.
The story of MH370 captured the public imagination for weeks on end. People feel strongly about planes, being both terrified of and enthralled by flying. If you care to take things this far, you could track this sentiment throughout history, to when Daedalus and Icarus fled Crete using wings held together by wax. Most likely, our obsession with flight goes back even earlier. It seems to me that humans have always been mesmerized by heights, having a deep-rooted desire to ascend to the stars and an equally prevalent, primal fear of falling. Yet in musing over humanity’s relationship with flying, perhaps I am really airing out my own personal issues with big metal birds.
I do not like flying. Although I know that air travel remains the safest form of transportation, every time I board an airplane, I am convinced that I will not make it down alive. I am prone to anxiety attacks on planes and incessantly ask questions such as “But are you sure we’re not going to die?” which can be a real source of annoyance for my traveling companions. Additionally, being a sucker for conspiracy theories, I am the perfect audience for any type of freak accident. Thanks to the internet, I have a never-ending source of material with which to feed my fears. Today, it feels as though the media sensationalizes disaster to the point where you could label their coverage pornographic. I am not innocent in this consumption.
For the reasons explained above, I was very excited to read The Vanishing of Flight MH370. I hoped to learn details about the disappearance that had been left out of articles I’d read online and, more importantly, to read a fresh, highly original take on what exactly happened and the aftermath. Richard Quest, the book’s author, is a CNN aviation correspondent and business anchor for CNN International. He was profoundly entrenched in the story and stuck with it long after the plane had lost the public’s interest. Most intriguingly, he had actually flown with the plane’s first officer, Fariq Hamid, while filming a segment for CNN two weeks before MH370 vanished.
Quest makes deft use of his knowledge as a specialized television reporter throughout this book. His job, as he articulates time and time again, is to take complicated technical documents and turn them into digestible bits of newsworthy entertainment for the everyman. He is good at his job. The book is easy to read because he is able to effectively break down complex technological procedures and terminology. He also peppers the book with tons of other stories about horrific crashes, comparing them with MH370 in order to contradict popular theories, as well as develop his own, about what could have happened. This is The Vanishing of Flight MH370 at its most interesting.
At its least interesting, it is repetitive and uncomfortable. Quest regurgitates the same ideas to the point where the book actually becomes frustrating to get through. These reiterations allow him to cover every possible angle of the mystery and counter the opacity of government and airline officials who bungled the case. However, his writing choice mimics CNN’s nonstop coverage of the disappearance, emulating how anchors spat out the same ideas in slightly different ways for hours on end, all for the sake of ratings. Quest does not condemn CNN’s coverage of MH370, as so many others have, and he can’t, really, if he wants to keep his job. But his brash defense of the network and its sidelining of other major stories for weeks in favor of turning a tragedy into clickbait makes for an uneasy read.
In short, I didn’t get anything out of The Vanishing of Flight MH370 that I couldn’t have read online in a more condensed form. Upon finishing it, I felt like a rubbernecker gawking at an accident on the side of the highway, blocking the way of drivers trying to get to better places.
My review originally ran on Bookreporter.com.
December 18, 2022
This book was very interesting and frustrating at the same time. The author did a great job explaining the details around this strange flight, that was the interesting part. The frustrating part is trying to figure out what happened to this plane. The author does a very good job at attempting to explain in a timeline type of read what was going on during the investigation, and some of the things that they missed and later tried to catch up on. My issue is just what the hell happened. The author did scare the hell out of me on some of the other crashes that were actually solved, think pilot suicide - while taking all lives aboard. And than you have some other crashes caused by some weird shit happening. This occurred in 2014 and I read this book in 2022. Any answers yet folks......... still waiting. On to the next goodreads adventure!
April 24, 2022
In the early morning of March 8, 2014; a jumbo 777 airplane disappeared from radar with 239 passengers on board.
Richard Quest, CNN’s aviation correspondent dissects what happened in the hours following the plane’s disappearance. Mr. Quest recounts the days and months of searching for any sigh of wreckage that has been futile and left the grieving families in despair. He looks at the various responses from authorities and discrepancies in reports to the media and the public. Mr. Quest delves into the various theories, both mechanical & pilot related. A riveting first person account of a heartbreaking mystery that endures to this day. Excellent read, very informative.
Richard Quest, CNN’s aviation correspondent dissects what happened in the hours following the plane’s disappearance. Mr. Quest recounts the days and months of searching for any sigh of wreckage that has been futile and left the grieving families in despair. He looks at the various responses from authorities and discrepancies in reports to the media and the public. Mr. Quest delves into the various theories, both mechanical & pilot related. A riveting first person account of a heartbreaking mystery that endures to this day. Excellent read, very informative.
October 4, 2022
Keep in mind this book was published in 2016, so it's not meant to be the most up-to-date account of MH370. Of course, more information and wreckage has surfaced since this book was published. I am giving it 4 instead of 5 stars, because the book focuses a lot more heavily on the reporting aspect of the event than the title "The Vanishing of Flight MH370" suggests. Otherwise it's a great book to read if you want a flashback to what it was like in those beginning days of finding out the plane was missing.
March 12, 2023
Really easy read, but lacking in many details that are more current.
I wish he would have just left this at being a memoir of his time covering the subject at the height of its coverage on his network.
While he states several times he isn’t an expert, he has made several attempts at making theories, discounting others and trying to explain tech he admits he doesn’t understand.
I think it would have been a lot more effective if it was chronicling his own experience of storytelling for the audience.
I wish he would have just left this at being a memoir of his time covering the subject at the height of its coverage on his network.
While he states several times he isn’t an expert, he has made several attempts at making theories, discounting others and trying to explain tech he admits he doesn’t understand.
I think it would have been a lot more effective if it was chronicling his own experience of storytelling for the audience.
April 3, 2018
I was excited to purchase this book in anticipation of gaining new insights to the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of MH370....that unfortunately was not the case. The book contains a collation of known details from open sources and did not nearly deliver that "nugget" of information that could remotely aid an aviation enthusiast to arrive at, or even consider concrete possibilities to shed new light on the mystery
March 8, 2019
To be honest, if I don’t need to write the thesis about the case MH370, I probably won’t read this book but it’s indeed a good one with the perspective of journalists. Pretty sad that there isn’t a Chinese version. I’ve read couple of books of the same thing, the flight MH370, and this book is good without too much technical explication (which I don’t really need for my thesis). One thing to be clear again, it’s good for a thesis about journalism.
PS. The author speak A LOT about CNN.
PS. The author speak A LOT about CNN.
March 21, 2020
At first I thought it was five stars but thought maybe 3.5 by the end. One big reason: there a lot of pictures of the author but pictures showing the flight path or search area are small and hard to see. Plus, I think there are just two of those. Unfortunately, too much space devoted to how great CNN is and how humble and smart the author is.
January 22, 2024
This is a really boring, repetitive, difficult to get through, and ultimately uninteresting book about a compelling and fascinating event. There are plenty of pictures of Quest and yet I could not find a decent map of the plane's route anywhere in the book. Yes, I know it can be found online. It belonged in the book.
August 19, 2024
An in depth examination of flight MH370 in 2014, which went missing, and has never been recovered. The book covers the worldwide search and investigation by many countries, and presents many of the theories put forth by credible and not so credible sources. A bit dry in spots, but an exhaustive look into what remains a big mystery.
May 28, 2020
Vanishing of MH370
Very interesting book, was impressed with the knowledge in this book, other books about this happening are not so clear and unable to insert the human factor. Enjoyed the book and it changed my mind about what might have happened.
Very interesting book, was impressed with the knowledge in this book, other books about this happening are not so clear and unable to insert the human factor. Enjoyed the book and it changed my mind about what might have happened.
December 15, 2020
A well-written, informative account covering all angles of the disappearance. A must read for aviation-buffs or for those obsessing over MH370 or mysteries in general. Especially enjoyed the chapters on the probable cause of the crash. Certainly an interesting read.
June 7, 2022
A thorough investigation of known facts & plausible theories surrounding the largest airline disaster/investigation to date. A must read for any av geek or disaster fanatic. I should also mention that Quest’s investigative & sincere news personality also shines through in his writing.
March 12, 2019
Bardzo dobra książka. Polecam gorąco !
February 13, 2020
Very informative.
June 25, 2016
Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm terrified to fly and that I've been obsessed with finding out what happened to MH370.
It's been over two years!! Unacceptable!
Richard Quest, has done a great job of giving us step by step of the facts, the theories, and just about everything in between, to help understand what might have or haven't happened. I love his writing, his thinking and just his way of explaining things.
He was thrown in to the mystery jet liner loop in March 2014, by not only being an airline and aviation correspondent, but also having flown with the missing first officer, weeks before MH370 went missing. He's done an outstanding job being put in the spot light, day after day, night after night, being on air, keeping us updated and offering up his expertise while not being too critical or too conclusive without facts. He's the reason I became obsessed with CNN in 2014, and still am!
At the time of publishing, the only piece of debris that's been found and confirmed to come from MH370, is the flaperon, found on reunion island.
As I'm writing this review, more and more suspected debris from MH370, has been found and some has been confirmed from MH370.. But where is the fuselage!?!
We need to find that plane, we need to understand what happened, why it happened, and to make sure it never happens again! Those families need closure!
I really pray that the current search area, is in the right place, that they didn't miss it, and will still find it. If they don't.. I just don't know what's going to happen from there.
My question to quest is.. Will he write another book on MH370, especially after all the debris to be confirmed or almost certainly to be from MH370, and just any new information that has or will be shed to light.
It's been over two years!! Unacceptable!
Richard Quest, has done a great job of giving us step by step of the facts, the theories, and just about everything in between, to help understand what might have or haven't happened. I love his writing, his thinking and just his way of explaining things.
He was thrown in to the mystery jet liner loop in March 2014, by not only being an airline and aviation correspondent, but also having flown with the missing first officer, weeks before MH370 went missing. He's done an outstanding job being put in the spot light, day after day, night after night, being on air, keeping us updated and offering up his expertise while not being too critical or too conclusive without facts. He's the reason I became obsessed with CNN in 2014, and still am!
At the time of publishing, the only piece of debris that's been found and confirmed to come from MH370, is the flaperon, found on reunion island.
As I'm writing this review, more and more suspected debris from MH370, has been found and some has been confirmed from MH370.. But where is the fuselage!?!
We need to find that plane, we need to understand what happened, why it happened, and to make sure it never happens again! Those families need closure!
I really pray that the current search area, is in the right place, that they didn't miss it, and will still find it. If they don't.. I just don't know what's going to happen from there.
My question to quest is.. Will he write another book on MH370, especially after all the debris to be confirmed or almost certainly to be from MH370, and just any new information that has or will be shed to light.
November 3, 2016
Definitely worth reading if you are really into MH370 and myriad surrounding issues. Whatever one can say about Richard Quest, he was certainly involved in every aspect of covering the disappearance. His weaving in of other crashes was interesting and helpful in understanding the larger picture of why and how these things happen. Quest's ultimate theory is also interesting and reasonable, and I would have liked to hear more about it (he spends a few pages here but that's about it).
My frustration with the book (and the reason why I only gave it three stars, which is low for me) was Quest's overemphasis on the way CNN covered the story. I suppose this is reasonable given his position, but I would have been more interested in his teasing out additional technical details of the search and spending less time defending CNN's emphasis. He had access to every expert in the field, as he mentions on several occasions. The book could have been an opportunity to inform more on some of the details. And I would have preferred less time criticizing Malaysian Airline's communication strategies. Honestly I would classify the book as like media criticism or communications strategy than transportation/aviation.
I would not say this is a bad book. I enjoyed it. It is significantly better than Richard Belzer's "Someone is Hiding Something," which was almost unreasonable, but I would recommend Ewan Wilson's "Goodnight Malaysian 370" before Quest's book, even though their conclusions about what happen could hardly be more different.
MH370 is both fascinating and tragic. It is also difficult to find a fully satisfying book about it. This may be inevitable since the conclusion is impossible to write with any certainty.
My frustration with the book (and the reason why I only gave it three stars, which is low for me) was Quest's overemphasis on the way CNN covered the story. I suppose this is reasonable given his position, but I would have been more interested in his teasing out additional technical details of the search and spending less time defending CNN's emphasis. He had access to every expert in the field, as he mentions on several occasions. The book could have been an opportunity to inform more on some of the details. And I would have preferred less time criticizing Malaysian Airline's communication strategies. Honestly I would classify the book as like media criticism or communications strategy than transportation/aviation.
I would not say this is a bad book. I enjoyed it. It is significantly better than Richard Belzer's "Someone is Hiding Something," which was almost unreasonable, but I would recommend Ewan Wilson's "Goodnight Malaysian 370" before Quest's book, even though their conclusions about what happen could hardly be more different.
MH370 is both fascinating and tragic. It is also difficult to find a fully satisfying book about it. This may be inevitable since the conclusion is impossible to write with any certainty.
December 30, 2016
I truly enjoy Richard Quest's exclusive knowledge and coverage on CNN during this unprecedented disappearance of MH370. I remembered watching his live interviews with numerous aviation experts and investigators during the first days of the accident. Those interviews were very informative and detailed. Hence, I bought his book because I truly want to know a journalist's perspective over this accident.
Upon reading the first chapter, readers would be able to see that this book is presented as 2 parts of a single story. The first covers the tale of MH370 while the other documents how CNN and Richard himself handled the unfolding event. In the first part, he said out all the facts, including the players and timestamps, in an clear, orderly fashion.
Richard then proceeds on to detailing many of the subsequent issues, working through possible explanations for each scenarios, which includes mishandling of communication by the government, lies and misinformation, the wave of conspiracy theories and heap of possible real explanations for what happened to that mysterious flight.
Scattered throughout the book, readers can get a pretty good picture on how CNN coordinated with their staffs to work on this story and Richard's involvement as an experienced aviation correspondent. It is no doubt that he is not a pilot and some have criticised about it. However, I find that that is irrelevant, due to the weight of the fact that he was with the same pilot who flew as first officer of MH370 a few weeks earlier.
This is an excellent book that scrutinises every aspect of the missing flight. I would strongly recommended this to all the aviation geeks who are hell bent on finding out what may have actually happened to that unfortunate airplane.
Upon reading the first chapter, readers would be able to see that this book is presented as 2 parts of a single story. The first covers the tale of MH370 while the other documents how CNN and Richard himself handled the unfolding event. In the first part, he said out all the facts, including the players and timestamps, in an clear, orderly fashion.
Richard then proceeds on to detailing many of the subsequent issues, working through possible explanations for each scenarios, which includes mishandling of communication by the government, lies and misinformation, the wave of conspiracy theories and heap of possible real explanations for what happened to that mysterious flight.
Scattered throughout the book, readers can get a pretty good picture on how CNN coordinated with their staffs to work on this story and Richard's involvement as an experienced aviation correspondent. It is no doubt that he is not a pilot and some have criticised about it. However, I find that that is irrelevant, due to the weight of the fact that he was with the same pilot who flew as first officer of MH370 a few weeks earlier.
This is an excellent book that scrutinises every aspect of the missing flight. I would strongly recommended this to all the aviation geeks who are hell bent on finding out what may have actually happened to that unfortunate airplane.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews