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Mayday
Twelve miles above the Pacific Ocean, a missile strikes a jumbo passenger jet. The flight crew is crippled or dead. Now, defying both nature and man, three survivors must achieve the impossible: Land the plane.
From master storyteller Nelson DeMille and master pilot Thomas Block comes the classic bestseller that packs a supersonic shock at every turn of the page. The most horrifyingly realistic air disaster thriller ever written, it will make you grip your seat in terror.
496 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 5, 1979
1785 people are currently reading
2592 people want to read
About the author
Nelson DeMille
260 books7,377 followersNelson Richard DeMille was an American author of action adventure and suspense novels. His novels include Plum Island, The Charm School, and The General's Daughter. DeMille also wrote under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt Ladner, Ellen Kay and Brad Matthews.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 529 reviews
July 11, 2012
I don't give out a lot of 5's, so I really need to explain this one for this very reason in addition to this book is way outside of my usual reading genres. I've always felt that if the author can properly evoke an intended emotional response in a reader, then the book is fairly well written. And while this book does stray outside of the realm of possibility on a number of occasions, I don't necessarily discount stories that take creative liberties. Isn't that why they are called stories?
With all of that in mind, this book is one hell of a ride. The suspense is palpable, the horror gut wrenching and the spirit invigorating. There were times where I was actually angry with the authors for taking the detail to the levels that they did. In the end, I couldn't stop with this book. I had to see it through to completion. And while yes the ending was predictable, that didn't keep me from liking the book. I felt compelled and had to experience this from end-to-end. This isn't the most intellectually challenging of reads, but the story is more than solid. Boil it all down, and you will be entertained when you finish with Flight 52.
With all of that in mind, this book is one hell of a ride. The suspense is palpable, the horror gut wrenching and the spirit invigorating. There were times where I was actually angry with the authors for taking the detail to the levels that they did. In the end, I couldn't stop with this book. I had to see it through to completion. And while yes the ending was predictable, that didn't keep me from liking the book. I felt compelled and had to experience this from end-to-end. This isn't the most intellectually challenging of reads, but the story is more than solid. Boil it all down, and you will be entertained when you finish with Flight 52.
May 14, 2018
This is a fantastic techno-thriller. All about a Tokyo-bound supersonic jet flying at 62000 feet hit by a naval missile inadvertently over the Pacific Ocean and how an amateur pilot and a flight steward try to bring the aircraft to safer grounds. The passengers are either dead or suffer from brain damage. The flight crew are all dead. There are only five survivors. The US naval officers in charge, the airline officials and the insurance agency try to cover it up for their own interests. The survivors are now fighting for survival against the turbulent weather, low fuel, malfunctioning controls and people who do not want the airline to land safely.
Fasten your seat belts and enjoy this turbulent ride !
Fasten your seat belts and enjoy this turbulent ride !
January 12, 2024
The story behind the story is probably known well enough by now. Thomas Block, pilot by day, writer by night, pens an air flight disaster novel back in the seventies with the help of his good friend, and superstar novelist in the making, Nelson DeMille. The story is a success and twenty plus years later, DeMille does a re-write to bring the tale into modern times, or at least modern by late 20th-Century standards. Here’s the kick, though, DeMille gets top billing on the re-release... and partner, a DeMille book this ain’t.
The airline disaster plot is a fun, quick read and Block provides plenty of tech speak and filler that could even get diehard Clancy fans reaching for their air masks. Plot complications involving a secret and illegal Navy operation as well as a corrupt and vain insurance agent, quickly set the boundaries on the good being heroic and the evil being dirty and the cliché ruling throughout. However, when oxygen deprivation makes most of the passengers the Walking Dead, this reader quickly wanted to jump ship as amateur pilot and protagonist John Berry is no Rick Grimes.
Nor is he John Corey. Or even John Sutter. Missing throughout the entire book is a complete absence of that DeMille sarcasm. Also missing is anything that remotely passes for believable dialogue, posing the conspiring question whether DeMille really performed a rewrite, or did he simply remove references to in-flight smoking and add the occasional mobile phone appearance.
The star and hero of the book, John Berry, likewise only gets adequate play as far as character development goes, including a half-contrived rocky marriage to deliberately stumble over as he is forced to team-up with a beautiful, and single, stewardess. MAYDAY has all the makings of a late 20th Century made-for-TV movie… which is exactly what happened.
More fun, reviews, and possibly even a zombie or two can be found at Read @ Joe's. Join us!
The airline disaster plot is a fun, quick read and Block provides plenty of tech speak and filler that could even get diehard Clancy fans reaching for their air masks. Plot complications involving a secret and illegal Navy operation as well as a corrupt and vain insurance agent, quickly set the boundaries on the good being heroic and the evil being dirty and the cliché ruling throughout. However, when oxygen deprivation makes most of the passengers the Walking Dead, this reader quickly wanted to jump ship as amateur pilot and protagonist John Berry is no Rick Grimes.
Nor is he John Corey. Or even John Sutter. Missing throughout the entire book is a complete absence of that DeMille sarcasm. Also missing is anything that remotely passes for believable dialogue, posing the conspiring question whether DeMille really performed a rewrite, or did he simply remove references to in-flight smoking and add the occasional mobile phone appearance.
The star and hero of the book, John Berry, likewise only gets adequate play as far as character development goes, including a half-contrived rocky marriage to deliberately stumble over as he is forced to team-up with a beautiful, and single, stewardess. MAYDAY has all the makings of a late 20th Century made-for-TV movie… which is exactly what happened.
More fun, reviews, and possibly even a zombie or two can be found at Read @ Joe's. Join us!
October 19, 2025
Absolute banger
March 24, 2024
Trying to read some of the older Nelson DeMille novels, I turned to this intense thriller, a collaborative effort with Thomas Block. Childhood friends who took different paths, the authors use their expertise to create this strong story of airline disaster and a handful of passengers who try to save themselves while hurtling through the air in the industry’s most advanced jet. With intense moments throughout, DeMille and Block provide readers a stunning story that has all the elements of a great thriller.
Travelling across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Tokyo, a supersonic jet keeps its passengers quite entertained. In the middle of the flight, an errant missile from a military training mission goes astray and slams into the jetliner, tearing a massive hole in the side. After the explosion kills some passengers, the pressure inside the aircraft destabilizes. Passengers are tossed all over the place, many suffering horrible injuries. Panic ensues and nothing seems to be working, including the oxygen masks, which leave many brain dead from the pressure change. The pilots die from the pressure changes, leaving only the autopilot to keep the aircraft on a steady course.
Amongst the dead and severely injured, an amateur pilot comes to his senses. He’s able to make his way to the cockpit, where two flight attendants help him get inside to assess the situation. Noticing that there is no one alive at the helm, he takes control and tries to contact someone, anyone, to assist with steering this massive jet somewhere that can be helpful. Radio messages are left to linger, though when someone does answer, it’s all thought a hoax.
When airline officials soon clue in as to what has happened and that this is not a joke, they try to solve the situation with little intel. No one is aware how the plane ended up with a massive hole, but they know that the insurance payouts will be massive. It is now time to decide what to do and how to limit the human and company damage. Military officials keep quiet when they learn that they were likely responsible, only adding to the chaos.
While the consensus in San Francisco is to have the aircraft crash and assume the losses, those aboard the aircraft refuse to think of anything other than safely getting back to San Francisco and landing safely. It will be a harrowing trip as they try to ensure no other casualties emerge with fuel dwindling and leaving no chance for error. The stunning climax is like nothing the reader could predict, as DeMille and Block send chills up the spine.
I have enjoyed the writing of Nelson DeMille for many years, usually full of of witty commentary and strong storytelling. The earlier DeMille writing is a great deal less sharp-witted and more action-packed. DeMille working alongside Thomas Block adds a great airline intensity to the story, which gains momentum as the narrative builds from the opening pages. Longer chapters keep the reader hooked as they progress through the story, with a number of harrowing portions that are anything but calming. Great character development and strong story themes emerge to flavour the overall reading experience. DeMille and Block leave the reader feeling a sense of peril and excitement in equal measure.
While I have not read a great number of airline thrillers, I found myself quite excited to read this piece and see how the authors would portray the experience. Twists and plot turns are the central means of ensuring the story advances, short of plunging the supersonic jet int he Pacific Ocean. The authors do well to paint a chilling picture, both inside the aircraft and on the ground. They develop a story that weaves and explores how to solve the situation in a timely manner, while stretching things out for the reader’s enjoyment. The authors check all the boxes and left me eager to read more within the genre, as well as other novels by Thomas Block, who has other airline novels that seem just as enticing.
Kudos, Messrs. DeMille and Block, for a captivating thriller that left me, an airline employee, in awe1
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Travelling across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Tokyo, a supersonic jet keeps its passengers quite entertained. In the middle of the flight, an errant missile from a military training mission goes astray and slams into the jetliner, tearing a massive hole in the side. After the explosion kills some passengers, the pressure inside the aircraft destabilizes. Passengers are tossed all over the place, many suffering horrible injuries. Panic ensues and nothing seems to be working, including the oxygen masks, which leave many brain dead from the pressure change. The pilots die from the pressure changes, leaving only the autopilot to keep the aircraft on a steady course.
Amongst the dead and severely injured, an amateur pilot comes to his senses. He’s able to make his way to the cockpit, where two flight attendants help him get inside to assess the situation. Noticing that there is no one alive at the helm, he takes control and tries to contact someone, anyone, to assist with steering this massive jet somewhere that can be helpful. Radio messages are left to linger, though when someone does answer, it’s all thought a hoax.
When airline officials soon clue in as to what has happened and that this is not a joke, they try to solve the situation with little intel. No one is aware how the plane ended up with a massive hole, but they know that the insurance payouts will be massive. It is now time to decide what to do and how to limit the human and company damage. Military officials keep quiet when they learn that they were likely responsible, only adding to the chaos.
While the consensus in San Francisco is to have the aircraft crash and assume the losses, those aboard the aircraft refuse to think of anything other than safely getting back to San Francisco and landing safely. It will be a harrowing trip as they try to ensure no other casualties emerge with fuel dwindling and leaving no chance for error. The stunning climax is like nothing the reader could predict, as DeMille and Block send chills up the spine.
I have enjoyed the writing of Nelson DeMille for many years, usually full of of witty commentary and strong storytelling. The earlier DeMille writing is a great deal less sharp-witted and more action-packed. DeMille working alongside Thomas Block adds a great airline intensity to the story, which gains momentum as the narrative builds from the opening pages. Longer chapters keep the reader hooked as they progress through the story, with a number of harrowing portions that are anything but calming. Great character development and strong story themes emerge to flavour the overall reading experience. DeMille and Block leave the reader feeling a sense of peril and excitement in equal measure.
While I have not read a great number of airline thrillers, I found myself quite excited to read this piece and see how the authors would portray the experience. Twists and plot turns are the central means of ensuring the story advances, short of plunging the supersonic jet int he Pacific Ocean. The authors do well to paint a chilling picture, both inside the aircraft and on the ground. They develop a story that weaves and explores how to solve the situation in a timely manner, while stretching things out for the reader’s enjoyment. The authors check all the boxes and left me eager to read more within the genre, as well as other novels by Thomas Block, who has other airline novels that seem just as enticing.
Kudos, Messrs. DeMille and Block, for a captivating thriller that left me, an airline employee, in awe1
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
May 20, 2013
As a big Nelson DeMille fan, I was happy when I finally snagged this library ebook, but I have to say it was a big disappointment. Excruciatingly slow at points, the basic plot is a Navy violation of an arms treaty causes a missle to inadvertently transect a supersonic jet at 62,000 feet, causing death or brain damage to all but five people, who are either in the lavatories or sub-deck flight attendant station. Meanwhile, nobody seems to want the jet to return safely as the Navy seeks to cover its mistake and the airline and insurance carrier fear for their respective futures. Simply ludicrous.
December 22, 2023
A disaster movie in print, a missile strikes an airliner, and the survivors must bring it in for a landing.
A lot of tension, in the style of the best disaster movies.
A lot of tension, in the style of the best disaster movies.
April 16, 2012
The book is stated as "one of the greatest air disaster novels of all time". They weren't kidding, as it is tremendous in its drama, horror, suspense, and redemption of the human spirit. A missile is inadvertently shot through a giant passenger airplane in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The utter deveastation is heart wrenching, and almost all either die or are incapicated. Only three people are coherent enough to follow through: a recerational pilot, a flight attendant, and girl adolescent. The maneuver the plane and try to save what is left of themselves and the brain damaged bretheren. It is quite graphic in places, yet necessary. The other half deals with a arrogant Navy commander, and a top adminstrator of the plane corporation who are ruthless to allow this plane to crash and all die. When it comes down to it, it is good vs. evil. For anyone who enjoys top notch suspense, this book is for you!
December 3, 2017
A great edge-of-your-seat disaster thriller! Reading Mayday felt like watching one of those old disaster movies!
The Military test-fires a missile, missing it's target the missile strikes a large passenger flight, killing the flight crew and some of the passengers, and leaving the survivors severely brain-damaged due to the loss of oxygen. Only 3 coherent survivors are left on board, John Berry, a man with flight experience a 13 year old girl named Linda, and Flight Attendant Sharon, take it upon themselves to do everything in their power to land the plane, while certain parties on the ground have a different agenda, the Insurance Companies and the Military trying to cover up the incident.
The book was originally written in the 70's, and it was updated in the late 90's. I picked up a used copy at Goodwill and I'm guessing it's the updated version because Cell Phones are mentioned, and those weren't even thought of in the 70's.
The Military test-fires a missile, missing it's target the missile strikes a large passenger flight, killing the flight crew and some of the passengers, and leaving the survivors severely brain-damaged due to the loss of oxygen. Only 3 coherent survivors are left on board, John Berry, a man with flight experience a 13 year old girl named Linda, and Flight Attendant Sharon, take it upon themselves to do everything in their power to land the plane, while certain parties on the ground have a different agenda, the Insurance Companies and the Military trying to cover up the incident.
The book was originally written in the 70's, and it was updated in the late 90's. I picked up a used copy at Goodwill and I'm guessing it's the updated version because Cell Phones are mentioned, and those weren't even thought of in the 70's.
August 4, 2011
Ok This is just what you want to read when you are flying in a couple of days, kinda like reading Jaws before a week at the beach. A secret missile test goes awry over the Pacific Ocean and hits a jumbo passenger jet. The missile is not armed but goes through the fuselage. The oxygen masks fall and all that crap but it doesn't do much good. The plane loses elevation, and everyone is without oxygen for a little too long, except for a few people who were trapped in locations where the oxygen level didn't fall too low. Needless to say, there are only like 5 people who are ok. The rest are like zombies. Fresh brains, fresh brains, and you also have the sleazy, greasy, pompous villians who are trying to stop the plane. I love Demille, he can tell a story like no other. Great read.
May 29, 2025
Trouble in the skies over the Pacific Ocean as a commercial flight is involved in an illegal military test.
This book shows both the best and worst in people's characters. A passenger is faced with using his limited piloting skills to save a plane full of victims.
This book shows both the best and worst in people's characters. A passenger is faced with using his limited piloting skills to save a plane full of victims.
November 21, 2013
A Military screw-up causes a passenger plane to be hit by a missile. While an amateur plot, a flight attendant and a 13 year old girl try to fly and land the plane safely, military personnel, an insurance agent, and an airline executive, plot to undermine a successful landing to save their own backsides. This novel is Nelson DeMille at his best. A tight, suspenseful story with lots of twist and turns, corruption within the ranks of those in power, interesting interpersonal relationships, and a nail-biting ending. I reminded me of another of DeMille's stand-alone novels, "The Cathedral" which I thought was great.
There were, however, two things that I would have liked better. First, the part of the plot that had a bunch of menacing, oxygen-deprived brain-injured survivors in the plane was over-done and unnecessary. The plot was riveting enough without them, and having them there gave a too-easy excuse for others to act inhumanely. Also, the teen-aged girl as a main character, needed to be given more depth and substance. She seemed like a add-on that wasn't given a distinct role.
Despite those things, the book was a fun-scary read.
There were, however, two things that I would have liked better. First, the part of the plot that had a bunch of menacing, oxygen-deprived brain-injured survivors in the plane was over-done and unnecessary. The plot was riveting enough without them, and having them there gave a too-easy excuse for others to act inhumanely. Also, the teen-aged girl as a main character, needed to be given more depth and substance. She seemed like a add-on that wasn't given a distinct role.
Despite those things, the book was a fun-scary read.
September 3, 2011
If you're into planes or disaster scenarios, you should definitely pick up this book. It's written by a pilot so the descriptions of the plane, protocols, etc. are extremely detailed (almost too detailed for the average person). It's actually pretty gory in some parts and that turned me off although I can see why some of those parts were in the book. The book has characters you'll cheer for, characters you'll hate, and even those you'll feel sorry for. I've heard that some people have problems with the decompression "zombies" on the plane and while I did have problems once or twice, I honestly don't know enough about decompression to accurately gauge whether the book hammed it up or not. I thought the ending was movie-ish. Ironically, I don't think this made it into the made-for-tv movie.
January 29, 2014
May day may say mayday
I felt like yelling May day throughout the entire book, one f the best I have e read in some years. it is so different than any aircraft thriller than I have ever read, until the very end. Will be reading more by this author right away.
I felt like yelling May day throughout the entire book, one f the best I have e read in some years. it is so different than any aircraft thriller than I have ever read, until the very end. Will be reading more by this author right away.
December 5, 2014
Mayday is an exciting story from beginning to end. The story was believable and gripping, and I finished the book at 3:00 a.m. today. If you like suspense, read Mayday. You're in for a "wild ride."
February 5, 2013
The only thing that could have made this novel better was more emphasis and punishment on the criminals who conspired against the survivors. 9 of 10 stars
October 8, 2018
Disappointing, not the Nelson DeMille I know.
April 27, 2019
One of the best thrillers I have ever read. I simply could not put it down and stayed up all night reading it.
May 31, 2019
Mayday was originally written back in 1979 and was a pretty substantial hit, twenty odd years later it's now been updated to (more) modern standards giving it a contemporary feel which doesn't feel at all dated.
The essence of the story is that a supersonic aircraft is rerouted due to weather through a military testing area, the military commander on scene is pressed for time and chooses to press ahead with his missile test without checking for civilian aircraft conflicts. The end result is a kinetic missile punches through the side of the 302 passenger supersonic aircraft causing catastrophic depressurisation, the lack of oxygen disables the pilots and majority of the passengers except for a handful in positive pressure zones of the aircraft. From here it's a battle to save the plane, keep it aloft and somehow get home.
Complicating the issue is that the radios have been disabled, navigational systems have been disabled and the only contact they have to the outside world is a text based data link system with the airline headquarters dispatch office. A dispatch office that is soon to be manned by a executive and insurance officer who are both more interested in limiting exposure than they are in getting the plane home safely. The military commander on scene, after realising what has happened is also more interested in limiting exposure than saving lives.
It's quite a gripping tale and I would recommend for people interested in thriller, disaster, aircraft novels.
The essence of the story is that a supersonic aircraft is rerouted due to weather through a military testing area, the military commander on scene is pressed for time and chooses to press ahead with his missile test without checking for civilian aircraft conflicts. The end result is a kinetic missile punches through the side of the 302 passenger supersonic aircraft causing catastrophic depressurisation, the lack of oxygen disables the pilots and majority of the passengers except for a handful in positive pressure zones of the aircraft. From here it's a battle to save the plane, keep it aloft and somehow get home.
Complicating the issue is that the radios have been disabled, navigational systems have been disabled and the only contact they have to the outside world is a text based data link system with the airline headquarters dispatch office. A dispatch office that is soon to be manned by a executive and insurance officer who are both more interested in limiting exposure than they are in getting the plane home safely. The military commander on scene, after realising what has happened is also more interested in limiting exposure than saving lives.
It's quite a gripping tale and I would recommend for people interested in thriller, disaster, aircraft novels.
July 27, 2023
My favorite DeMille book so far! I’m a huge fan of the John Corey series from this author and this was the first stand-alone book of his that I read. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. It was engaging and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It definitely has a scary, sci-fi element to it and got pretty dark at times which I wasn’t necessarily expecting. I really liked that the story is told from 4 different perspectives: the F-18 pilot, US Navy personnel on the Nimitz, officials and employees from Trans-United & air traffic control, and of course the perspective of those inside the supersonic jet flying at 62k feet that the story is based around. The rotating perspectives break up the story really well and does a really good job at leaving you wanting more (but you have to wait until their perspective comes back around!) All parties involved were challenged with moral dilemmas, balancing right v wrong, protecting themselves v protecting the “greater good”. This book was so so so good, and I could not recommend it more! This story is full of attempted cover ups & selfishness, but also courage and heroism, and a hell of a lot of luck. 10/10
May 13, 2022
I'm not the Nelson DeMille fans that others know. In fact, this is only the third book authored by DeMille that I've read. Many reviewers claim it doesn't sound like him at all and is missing his classic sarcasm. I don't know his writing well enough to be offended by that yet. I'm not a fan of Sci-Fi because I don't easily wrap my head around things that just don't seem plausible. The Zombie-like state of most of the passengers on this plane after suffering lack of oxygen from decompression was equal parts absurd and believable ... kind of like Harry Potter. Regardless, the deep and tangled web of cover-ups kept me intrigued because at my core, I believe that some of the world's highest-ranking officials will go to almost any length to cover up the kinds of errors that would bring down and agency and put powerful people behind bars. Riveting might not be the perfect word, but this book kept me on the edge of my seat and had me reading late into the night to find out what happened next.
January 6, 2020
I felt this was a riveting tale of how the cover up is often worse than the original crime/reckless action. The action is unrelenting and the horror of the premise is played out in stark scenes based on the expertise of the authors. True, the cynicism expressed through the actions of the naval and airline agents is a bit far fetched(I hope), still this is plausible enough to be thought provoking and frightening.
March 26, 2023
Brilliant, Nelson DeMille has done it again. If you want to read a book that you can't put down look no farther than MAYDAY. Written with Thomas Block it is a book of aircraft disasters. Plane leaves San Francisco on a flight to Japan a missile strikes a jumbo passenger jet. With the flight crew unable to fly the plane a passenger steps up to the plate to fly this monster plane. Hold onto your seat I recommend you read this at home not while your flying.
November 20, 2023
A gripping and tragic tale. Though the introduction written by one of the authors advises against reading this story while on an airplane (and he's probably right about that being a bad idea), it's not going to keep flyers off of airplanes after having read it because the cause of the emergency, while realistic enough, is miniscule in probability.
October 9, 2018
Another great read from Nelson DeMille with author Thomas Block. This is an updated book that was published in 1979. It's very well done. Nelson is my favorite author and he doesn't disappoint in this reprinted book. His books are always accurate and to the point.
August 7, 2017
This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that had hubby and I absolutely riveted.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
January 25, 2019
Love this book! I was on the edge of my seat the entire book.
September 25, 2019
Loved this book. It was non stop action. This is a thriller from start to finish.
July 11, 2022
FINALLY
August 12, 2024
Suspenseful and thrilling pacing
Displaying 1 - 30 of 529 reviews