The Lost Pilots: The Spectacular Rise and Scandalous Fall of Aviation's Golden Couple

by Corey Mead

The saga of two star crossed pilots who soar to the greatest heights of fame, tailspin into scandal and crime, and go the ultimate lengths for a chance at redemption.During the height of the roaring twenties, Jessie Miller longs for adventure. Fleeing a loveless marriage (though without divorcing) in the backwaters of Australia, twenty-five-year-old Jessie arrives in London and promptly falls in with the Bright Young Things, those boho-chic intellectuals draped in pearls, and flapper dresses with martinis in hand. At a gin soaked party Jessie meets William Lancaster, married himself and fresh from the Royal Air force, with a scheme in his head to become as famous as Charles Lindbergh, who has just crossed the Atlantic. Lancaster will do Lindy one fly from London to Melbourne, and in Jessie Miller he’s found the perfect co-pilot.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Aviation, True Crime, Crime, Autobiography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 2018

About the author

Corey Mead is an Associate Professor of English at Baruch College, City University of New York. He is the author of Angelic Music: The Story of Benjamin Franklin’s Glass Armonica and War Play: Video Games and the Future of Armed Conflict. His work has appeared in Time, Salon, The Daily Beast, and numerous literary journals.

Reviews

[Shomeret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won The Lost Pilots by Corey Mead from Goodreads giveaways. It was published last month, so I'm about a month late with my review.

The aviation history aspect of this book was fascinating. I enjoyed reading about Jessie Miller's aviation accomplishments. I even liked reading about the discrimination against women that held her back because it gave me a clearer picture of the experience of woman pilots during this period.

I have friends who love true crime. So they are likely to feel that The Lost Pilots was enlivened by true crime, rather than marred by it. I will say that the true crime aspect of this book did affect me powerfully. I was very conscious of the fact that these were real people and I cared very much about Jessie Miller. When I became fully aware of the personal consequences of these events for Jessie, I felt sick to my stomach and couldn't continue reading until the following day. It seemed to me that she was more of a victim than the dead man, Haden Clarke, because she had to live with the repercussions for the rest of her life. I hated Haden Clarke for not telling Jessie that he was infected with syphillis. In 1932 it was still incurable.

Since I can't imagine writing about the lives of Jesse Miller and William Lancaster without introducing Haden Clarke into the mix, I suppose it was inevitable that this book was destined to include the true crime element, and that I would enjoy reading it less. Yet Corey Mead's writing, organization and research are first rate. So I would recommend The Lost Pilots from a historical perspective.

For the blog version of this review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...

[Shrike58 · Rating 3 out of 5]

By the time I actually got around to reading this book, I appreciated that it was more of an exercise in true crime than aviation history, though without the great post-Lindbergh aviation craze this ultimately tragic tale couldn't have happened. Still, William Lancaster and Jessie Miller were stars for a day, having managed to fly a single-engine biplane from Great Britain to Australia in 1928. Then the Great Depression arrived and, in an effort to make financial ends meet, Miller takes up with one Haden Clarke, ostensibly to ghost-write Miller's memoir, only things get badly out of hand on the romantic front, with Lancaster probably murdering Clarke. I'll leave it to the interested reader to pick up the story from there. The main impression I'm left with is that none of this trio had the best impulse control in the world.

Given the option I could hand out a rating of 3.5 stars.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts of this book that I found absolutely fascinating, but there were also some parts that I felt really lagged. Overall, I think I would have enjoyed it more with a tighter editing in the middle section.



And just a personal annoyance, but the author refers to most of the people in this book by their last names with one notable exception: the only female "main character." I'm not saying it's sexism, I'm just saying I can't think of another reason Jessie Miller is always referred to as "Jessie" when William Lancaster, Hayden Clarke, Mark Tancrel, and Jack Russell (and on and on...) are Lancaster, Clarke, Tancrel, and Russell.

[Els · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover is gorgeous.
The title is intriguing.
It was free.
None of that forgives me for neglecting to read the subtitle or the synopsis.
I am a fool. Skimmed, did not appreciate, abandoned. I love reading about historical aviation... but broken families and scandals rocking worlds ain't my style.

[wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 1920's, this is the story of two adventurous pilots, a man from England and a woman from Australia. They are both married to other people when they team up to fly from Europe to Australia in this age of Lindbergh. This book has crashes, sex, romance, and even murder? This story would be hard to believe if ir didn't really happen. Luckily for the author. the pair left detailed diaries and they were widely covered by the press. A nice non fiction look at the age of early aviation.

[Nancy Groves · Rating 3 out of 5]

This nonfiction book is the story of two pilots, briefly famous in the 1920s for both their flying accomplishments and the taint of scandal surrounding them. Experienced pilot William Lancaster and newcomer Jessie Miller spend several years flying together and inevitably fall in love, but both are married to other people, and Lancaster has two children. They bask in their celebrity status for a few years, before the Depression dries up their opportunities to obtain funding for new attempts at breaking flight records, and meanwhile, Jessie's feelings for William change from romantic love to a close friendship. She also falls in love with a young man who is ostensibly helping her write her memoirs, although he spends a lot more time drinking than typing, conceals his diagnosis of syphillis, and lies to her about other aspects of his life—not exactly a great choice for a potential husband. Things come to a head when William realizes the romance is over, and one night Jessie's lover is shot in the head. William is accused of the murder, but a clever lawyer and convincing (but completely bogus) "specialist's" testimony gain his acquittal (my book club members and I were all convinced he was guilty). Anything he hoped to accomplish by removing his rival comes to nothing, as Jessie's feelings don't change, and his subsequent poorly planned, desperate attempt to set a new flight record ends in a crash in an area so remote that the wreckage and his body aren't discovered for several decades. Jessie goes on to marry someone else, and except to aviation buffs, the two pilots were apparently largely forgotten, thus the title "lost pilots." The book matter of factly recounts their story, largely pieced together from the subjects' personal diaries as well as news articles from their heyday. It's not brilliant writing and ends rather abruptly shortly after the final crash, with little follow up on Jessie's later years. Still, it's an interesting glimpse of the lives of early aviators, taking great risks, being in the spotlight one minute and out of favor the next, always scrambling for financial backers as times change and aviation becomes less the realm of daredevil pilots than an industry (and, as one plot line shows, a new tool for enterprising criminals as well).

[Katie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Australian Jessie Miller flees to England in the 1920s looking for adventure and also to escape a loveless marriage. She soon meets the married William Lancaster, a pilot who is looking to top Charles Lindbergh's historic flight. The two devise a plan to set a new aviation record by flying from London to Melbourne as co-pilots. As the pair fall in love during the journey, they will soon realize success and happiness doesn't last forever. In less than a decade after their historic flight, William Lancaster is on trial for the murder of Jessie's biographer and lover, Haden Clarke. This is the true but often forgotten story of one of the biggest scandals in aviation of the 20th century.

This is definitely a case of a real life story that made the headlines at the time but because so much time as passed is not quite as well-known today. The first half of the book focuses more on the background history of the couple and on the aviation feat itself and the success and fame they experienced because of it. The second half of the book shows their fall from fame and goes into great detail about Lancaster's murder trial.

While the two pilots are certainly interesting and intriguing, the book dragged on a bit when Lancaster was away from Jessie and trying to earn money with Latin-American Airways. It's an important piece of the puzzle, but it was my least favorite part of the book. The trial itself was a good example of how some things were handled so differently back then. Given that I knew nothing about the pilots beforehand, I was actually shocked at how their story was wrapped up. Overall a good read and I particularly recommend if you are a fan of aviation and/or true crime.

I won a free copy of this book in a giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

[Gayle Slagle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost Pilots: The Spectacular Rise and Scandalous Fall of Aviation's Golden Couple by Corey Mead is the story of Jessie Miller and William Lancaster, two pioneers in early aviation history. In the midst of the Roaring Twenties, 25 year old Jessie meets Captain Lancaster at a party; both are married but neither is happy in their marriage. Lancaster tells Jessie of his plans to become as famous as Charles Lindbergh, who has just crossed the Atlantic. Lancaster hopes to go Lindbergh one better and fly from London to Melbourne, Australia. Fascinated by his ambition, Jessie convinces Lancaster that she would be his perfect co-pilot on this adventure and the two embark on this journey. After encountering many hardships and dangers along the way, Jessie and Lancaster finally reach Melbourne and realize that they are not only international celebrities, but that they have also fallen deeply in love. The couple soon finds themselves in a difficult situation; while Jessie obtains a divorce, Lancaster's wife refuses to grant him one. They live by writing of their experiences for newspapers and magazines, and by giving lectures on their experiences. Living a step above poverty, they are often broke and not knowing where their next meal will come from. Jessie agrees to write a memoir in hopes of success and hires a ghostwriter, Haden Clarke, to help with the book. It is not long before Jessie and Clarke find themselves falling in love, which leads to a shocking crime, a riveting trial followed by the world, and a final decision to make an attempt to win back former glory, which ends in tragedy. The book is well researched and well-written and paints a portrait of two people who achieve an early success only to spend the rest of their lives trying to recapture that glory.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lost Pilots is a treasure trove of tales from the unpredictable and downright dangerous world of aviation in the 1920s. Aviation and cross sea plane travel was a huge deal in the twenties and daredevil pilots were constantly trying to outdo each other to see who could take the longest and most dangerous journey. Among them was Bill Lancaster and Jessie Miller. They struck up a firm bond over their love of plane travel and were soon taking on journeys each more daring than the last. Despite Lancaster being married they also had a very off/on romantic attachment which would culminate in the bizarre death of writer Haden Clark, who’d been tasked with writing a book on the couple.

If you have an interest in the roaring twenties, don’t be put off by the aviation angle because this book has plenty to offer history lovers. It’s a fascinating read and did make me wonder how anyone survived these flights as Lancaster and Miller suffer with engine malfunctions, loss of fuel and would sometimes resort to following the coastline to find their way. They manage to walk away from crash landings due to a mix of skilful piloting and a lot of luck. Surviving letters and diary entries tell much of the story and the book is impeccably researched. Their passion for flying and each other really shines through and though the risks and stress were huge, they would never waiver from their belief that it was all worth it. This book is a real hidden gem and well worth your time. An excellent read on a fascinating subject.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ARC of this book some time ago though I took my sweet time getting through the story. All thoughts and opinions are my own and aren't influenced by being sent a physical galley.

This was a fascinating true though tragic tale of two pilots named Jesse Keith- Miller from Australia and Bill Lancaster from England who became famous in the early 1900s up until the mid 1930s for their feats of setting records, their love affair and the scandal that nearly caused one of the pilots to be sent to prison.

Throughout the 1920s, they lived quite the exciting lives that were equal parts full of highs and many lows. Both were married, full of ambition and hoped to continue setting records while enjoying one of the things that brought them together which is flying. Alas their love affair was not meant to last and when Bill decides to make one last effort to set a world record, it will be his downfall.

Told in a mixture of facts, hearsay, diary entries and from sources that were current during that time period, it was interesting being able to get a taste as to what life was like then, especially being a pilot and the determination they had to hopefully succeed.

If you are fascinated by pilots, love triangles and life in the 1920s, I highly recommend checking out this book. I had not heard of either of these people before this book but found the tale engaging and am curious to possibly read more about these two!

[LillyBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes I read about the 1920s and wonder how anyone made it out alive.

Other than that semi-random thought, this is a perfectly passable biography about a forgotten aviator team that broke a record and then imploded in a very public fashion. I had never heard of Miller or Lancaster, so it was interesting to read their story for the novelty alone. But I felt the book was shallow; it's not a spoiler to tell you it all ends in a murder trial (it's both on the flap and in the first chapter), but Mead puts absolutely zero effort into trying to find out what really happened the night of the crime. He just quotes and paraphrases the trial transcript and takes what everyone says on the record as the truth, even though those statements contradict each other. Certainly it may not be possible to ever know the truth after all this time, but he doesn't even mention trying to talk to a modern pathologist, for example, about what the gunpowder burns might really mean when examined with modern science. Additionally, I felt like the book ends in a very abrupt fashion.

I don't think this will be of much interest except for early aviation fans.

[Terry Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads, I won a copy of this book.

Guilty omission: I wanted to read this because my father was a pilot 👨🏻‍✈️ and reading anything remotely related to flying comforts me since his passing. That said, I do have a passion for history. This book fed both my needs.

The 1920's : This is the story of Jessie Miller running away from her husband and William Lancaster who is married and wanting to break Charles Lindbergh's historical flight. These two cross paths and develop a plan that will set a new record. During their voyage they fall in love but love doesn't come with a guarantee and it is only a matter of time before Jessie takes a lover, Haden Clarke, her biographer.

The book switches focus to William and his trial for the murder of Haden Clarke and the outcome. My father was born in 1926 so he might have heard about it but I hadn't and I'm glad I had the good sense to enter the giveaway.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of two early aviators, Jessie Miller and William Lancaster. Both are married yet live apart from their spouses and meet in 1927 in London. After having flown airplanes in World War I, William is attempting to fly a new type of "light" aircraft from England to Australia. Though never having flown before, Jessie quickly comes aboard. With her bubbly personality, Jessie helps find funding and learns to fly in order to be a competent back-up on the flight. During the at times harrowing flight, Jessie and William fall in love but endeavor to hide it as they are both still married and the ensuing scandal would be damaging to their careers and reputations. Moving to the U.S., Jessie and William continue to fly but also find making money increasingly difficult as the world plunges into the Great Depression. Eventually things go awry, an alleged crime occurs and William and Jessie find themselves in a whole different kind of struggle.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know how some non-fiction books tend to lag here and there? Not so with this one!

I found it terribly interesting the whole way through! The part leading up to the "terrible incident", I was speed-reading to see what happened!

I loved how the author called out sexism any and every time it showed up in the events.

My only (very-minor) disappointments were that Bessie Coleman was never mentioned, and I would have liked more details about their initial record-breaking flight. I thought that was going to be a lot more of the book, but was done by page.... 30? 50? Early-ish on. I think there were more pages at the end of the book devoted to sources and indices than on that initial flight. Which just goes to show how thoroughly researched is this book! (never a bad thing, amirite?)

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

’d never heard of Lancaster and Chubbie, so every fascinating detail was news to me. Having grown up near to the childhood home of Charles Lindbergh, my education in aviation has decidedly been narrowed upon our local hero. Author Corey Mead nicely organizes the life and times of the two determined and enthusiastic companions/sweethearts whose lives spin out of control in every way. The only thing that I did not like about the story is that (it appears that) Lancaster abandoned his children without much thought. That made me lost sympathy for him. Now I must look online and read more about these two. Great book for anyone who likes historical fiction, history fact, aviation, and the lovelorn.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting in medias res, the story flashes back and traces the history of two 1920s pilots Lancaster and Jesse, who break all types of flying records, then scrape by flying back and forth across North America before and during the depression. As their fortunes fail, their careers flounder. At an ebb, Lancaster accused of murdering their housemate, then stands trial from whence the story began and progresses.

The story is interesting, the flying exciting, the trial is earth-shattering. The reader works hard to dramatize the story.

Look for a different review in AudioFile Magazine http://www.audiofilemagazine.com

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this at goodreads.com!
In the 1920's, Jesse Miller meets William Lancaster in London. They're both pilots and they're both married. This will not stop them from becoming co-pilots.
Planning to top Lindbergh's record, they want to fly non-stop from London to Mellbourne, Australia.
It's the true saga of the couple's soar to fame, their plunge into scandal and wrongdoing, and what they'll do for a shot at redemption.
Told in captivating detail, this part of history was all new to me...and I loved it.

[Krista · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disclaimer, I listened on Audible. I don't know if it was the narrator or the writing style but this book just bored me. I didn't care at all about this couple.

Two people married to others decide to make history with their flights and end up falling in love. They can't act like they are in love because it would look bad in the press and they need money they raise from sponsors. Then she falls in love with someone else, who ends up dead, was it her flying partner? Who knows? He is obsessed with her, she falls in and out of love at the drop of a hat, and leaves a trail of men.

[Jake Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who needs to read fiction when there are stories like this

The well written story based on facts, emotions and experiences of real people brought this story to life. As a pilot I enjoyed the read although some of the flight details were a bit fuzzy and not what I would have experienced. I once provided LORAN navigation units to two pilots who flew from England to Australia in a 1948 Stinson and made it, they had great stories to tell. This book brought back memories. Better than fiction and delighted that I found it to read.

[Rick Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Corey Mead and Goodreads for providing this Giveaway...
I've been on a losing streak lately in terms of my book choices (Such as Artemis by Andy "The Martian" Weir). The Lost Pilots more than makes up for my book reading malaise. What a great book this is. I've always been a fan 0f books on the Wright Brothers, Lindbergh, and the other pioneers of aviation, so this is right up my alley. A shame if this gem is not a major best seller. Enjoy it.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating look back into the world of early aviation. The love story between Jessie and Bill is intriguing as the time period doesn’t really allow for this type of romance. I enjoyed learning more about pilots during the inception of long distance flights. The only thing I would have liked to have seen more about would be their legacy in their families. Overall good read, although it took me awhile to get through.

I received an ARC for an honest review.

[Kreditor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corey Mead’s engaging book illuminates the perilous but thrilling lives of early aviators Jessie Miller and Bill Lancaster. Mead draws on multiple resources—including Jessie’s own diary—to detail not only the facts of his story but also his subjects' emotions and conflicts. This is a rich historical saga, offering a true but novelistic tale of adventure, forbidden love, fame, fortune, tragedy, scandal, loyalty, and redemption.

[Neil Harmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading about the golden age of aviation. I was a little surprised (but pleased) to find a story that I was not already familiar with. This book paints a gritty and realistic picture of the rags-riches or perhaps feast or famine situation that many in aviation faced in that time. This story is quite different than the sanitized stories of the early Heros of aviation and, as a picture of both the time and of aviation in the early days, it is well worth reading.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read.

I was totally unaware of the life of Jessie Miller, the first woman (and an Australian) to fly from England to Australia in a Avro Avian light aircraft, creating the world record of the time. It was meant to be a joint record with Captain Bill Lancaster, but due to bad weather and the need for repairs, Bert Hinkler overtook them.

Their later life was a series of ups and down with near bankruptcy, marital issues and a major murder trial.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corey Mead has re-created a time in aviation history that captivates the reader when the tale of these individuals is beyond belief. Overcoming insurmountable odds flying, intertwined relationships, scandal, a murder and trial, international acclaim on many levels, failure and turmoil make a read that is educational and entertaining. Masterfully written and thoroughly enjoyed.

[Lucy Meeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography will keep you captivated from beginning to end. I loved the historical facts and the characters coming to life that you really get to know their personalities and adventures. I would definitely recommend reading this book if you like aviation history. It won’t disappoint and is a really good read!!

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lost Pilots is a fascinating, extremely well-written and well-researched look at the early days of aviation and a riveting true-crime story to boot. I was particularly interested in learning more about early female pilots. So much has been written about Amelia Earhart, and yet I realized in reading this how incomplete my picture of that era actually was. I highly recommend this book!

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable. Mead's gripping narrative about pilots Jessie Miller and Bill Lancaster combines romance, adventure, and courtroom drama. Along the way we get a concise history of early aviation, an unlikely perspective on the British Empire, and a moving account of what it takes to be a trailblazer in a new field of human endeavor. Told with brisk efficiency.

[Patrick Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting and gripping history of early aviation and a couple who moved in the same sphere as Lindbergh and Earhart, as well as showing the impact of the Great Depression on the individuals concerned.

[Jean Mehochko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting true story about two record-breaking pilots, a man and a woman, and their relationship. I enjoy a story that sets a particular human history with some national and world history (this is set in the 1920s and 1930s). This was well-written and had a bit of twist at the end. Good read.