The President's Plane is Missing

by Robert J. Serling

On a calm night in a nervous world, Air Force One jets off from Andrews Air Force Base. Aboard is the President of the United States, Jeremy Haines, an idolized leader whose image combines the best qualities of John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson - but whose inner thoughts remain a dark secret even to his closest aides. The flight is normal - until the plane is high over Arizona. Then, suddenly, before a horrified controller's eyes the plane vanishes from the radar screen.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Historical Fiction, Aviation, Adventure

296 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1966

Reviews

[Scott Rhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a fifty-year-old book, Robert Serling's "The President's Plane is Missing" was a pretty good thriller. It's obviously very dated, which is unavoidable given the setting, Cold War-era America. It may be a bit outdated and politically incorrect in its racial/sexual stereotypes (black people are consistently referred to as "negros" and are cooks or chauffeurs, and the women are either secretaries or housewives). Serling's treatment of Washington politics is also a bit outdated. (It's rather funny reading about a time in which politicians and journalists were actually rather civil to, and respectful of, each other, despite party affiliations. Not to mention the fact that the politicians in this book all seem to have integrity...) Despite all that, Serling's writing is superb, while the story whips by at break-neck speed with several interesting plot twists. I think that this would actually still work, if it were made into a movie today, with a few updated tweaks. Substitute China with, say, North Korea or Iran, and give the journalist protagonists a more antagonistic relationship with the White House staff, and the cover-up plotline may actually be believable. In any case, it's a decent Cold War-era thriller."

[Harish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to thank my uncle who gave me an old copy to read, knowing my penchant for such book.s Boy, wasn't I hooked! A simple plot yet told in a gripping manner with POV of various characters involved in it, the thoughts and emotions they undergo when the fateful news hits them and the climax.... stunning! Must in every one's shelf.

President Jeremy Haines is a character you will remember for a long time to come.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling had a brother who wrote such amazing fiction. Serling knows all about aviation from his time as an aviation writer and he expertly blends political thriller with conspiracy making a book worthy of its own Twilight Zone episode. The different characters that all have their theory about whether the President is alive or dead are all fully fleshed out and melded perfectly. The Vice President, Madigan, driven into an ego maniacal rage from his wife is great and it's even more frightening considering his war mongering stance in regard to our past Presidencies. The best thing about this book is how relevant it is to our current times, despite being written and detailing times in the 1960s. The idea of the President going missing, the panic and the fear of preventative war in case our enemies feel we're at our weakest is still relevant. Serling's work seems to be out of print but I'm gonna try to track down some more of his work as they're unique and page turning!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably one of the very first thrillers I ever read, and maybe that's why it's remained one of my all time favorite books. I remember being caught up in the story of a clueless and ill-equipped vice president thrust into the unimaginable position of trying to run the country in the midst of an unstable political climate while at the same time trying to come to grips with the fact that the president's plane has inexplicably vanished.

[Sieglinde · Rating 5 out of 5]

*spoiler alert*

It's just a few years after Kennedy was assassinated, the Vietnam war is over, and Red China has emerged as a significant threat, raising the risk of a World War III. Tensions have been rising. To the surprise of many, President Haines chooses this time to go on a short vacation to California. To the shock of the nation, and the world, he never makes it – Air Force One goes missing over Arizona. Then the burned out wreckage is found in a ravine, along with charred bodies, but it soon emerges that Haines is not among them... and an unknown male is. Vice President Madigan is on the verge of taking action that could have devastating consequences for the world, presuming that Haines must be dead. But if he is, then where's the body? What happened to the much-loved President of the United States? And can disaster be averted? A hard-working team of journalists are among those seeking answers, but every time they seem to be getting close to the truth the evidence they uncover brings them to a halt.

[Michael Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dated but still effective.

I read this story first as a teenager about fifty years ago. Reading it brought back personal nostalgia but also, as a professional historian, it raised a number of questions. It made me wonder how the US and its leaders might respond in some sort of similar scenario today. Would the country be so polarized,that one party ‘s leadership would simply surrender to the enemy whomever it might be or adopt a fascist dictatorship similar to our current enemies in order to survive, while the other party pushed the button to show it could be tough enough or be so weak that it would surrender national independence to the United Nations to secure a flimsy peace? Would the press/media show such restraint or would it react in a way to further exacerbate the tensions and hasten the destruction of the US just to keep each of their own readers/listeners/viewers happy and satisfy advertisers and share holders? You probably can guess the answers. The story may be dated but the questions the book raises are even more relevant.

[Joseph Carrabis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread The President's Plane is Missing alongside Fail-Safe, The Manchurian Candidate and Seven Days in May because I went on a Cold War binge. No other excuse, really.
All are excellent reads, all thrillers in the truest tradition, all wonderfully written, all highly recommended to political science students, history buffs, psych and sociology majors, definitely literature students.
Great stuff, these.

[Jillian Higham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where is the President of the United States?

What if Nixon was not the president to follow LBJ, but a really caring, charismatic fellow called Haines. Gets a little wordy at times, but the detective work of the press is interesting, perhaps what happened with Watergate. Far too many typos though, so really poor editing.

[Millie Bentley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this at a used bookstore in Gold Beach, Oregon. Of course I had heard about the movie from years ago, but never read the book. I enjoyed it, wonder if something like that could actually happen today!

[Kim Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually go in for books set in America, but I really quite enjoyed it. And whilst said plane of the title isn't actually missing for that long, the President certainly is. Where he is and what he's doing and all the machinations that are going on whilst he's away made for a good read.

[Tina Rupolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story was very good, suspenseful, with a bare minimum of the casual sexism and racism that I have come to expect from vintage novels. But what I loved most was reading well spoken, intelligent characters- in the White House! I’d almost forgotten.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good suspense. After the first couple chapters, it's hard to put down.

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Airplane Is Missing/Intrigue/Mystery/Death and Destruction

A quiet Presidential mission turns into a nightmare when Air Force One crashed in a deserted area. The question begins when the plane crashed and the answers from those that need to know what he has done to prevent a potential catastrophe. This is an excellent read for the genre. DEHS

[Shawn Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this 1967 novel that struck a sort of "All The President's Men" feel.

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good writing. Bestseller in 1968. Unconsciously racist and, esp, misogynistic.

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 1972. Involving mystery and suspense.

[Barbara J Wicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

You won't be able to stop reading

WOW..... I'm usually able to figure out the plot. Not in this one!! When I thought I had the whole story , I knew I didn't!! Now I can breathe!!

[Mark Hem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that I had figured the mystery out - like several characters in the blood - three quarters through. Well - written and spell-binding.

[Rossbrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent thriller but some of it hasn’t dated that well- unintentionally humorous at times especially having a female character called Lynx Gaines- a precursor to Pussy Galore?

[Milton Fulghum · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting study of what might happen if the President was missing.

[Bella Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Βρήκα αυτό το βιβλίο μια εξαιρετική ανάγνωση. Είναι ένα σπουδαίο κομμάτι εποχής που φαντάζομαι ότι πρέπει να είχε κάνει πολλούς ανθρώπους να μιλάνε στα τέλη της δεκαετίας του 1960. Πρόκειται για ένα πολιτικό θρίλερ με μυστήριο και σασπένς.
Στο αποκορύφωμα του Ψυχρού Πολέμου και στο χείλος του πολέμου, το αεροπλάνο του Προέδρου των ΗΠΑ συντρίβεται. Το πτώμα του, ωστόσο, δεν βρίσκεται στα συντρίμμια. Εκτοξεύθηκε μακριά; Καταστράφηκε ολοσχερώς; Ή μήπως δεν ήταν ποτέ στο αεροπλάνο; Αυτές οι ερωτήσεις υφαίνουν την πλοκή. Το βιβλίο εξερευνά ένα σενάριο όπου οι Κινέζοι απειλούν με πυρηνικούς πυραμούς, ο Πρόεδρος αγνοείται (όπως και ο αδελφός του), και ο αντιπρόεδρος —λίγο δημοφιλής και απροετοίμαστος— πρέπει να αναλάβει καθήκοντα Προσωρινού Προέδρου. Η πλοκή ακολουθεί τις συνταγματικές επιπτώσεις και τις εντάσεις μεταξύ κυβέρνησης και τύπου.
Το βιβλίο ξεκινάει πολύ αργά . Ωστόσο, μόλις το Air Force One απογειώνεται, η ιστορία αποκτά ρυθμό και δεν μπορούσα να το αφήσω κάτω. Παρατήρησα ότι κάποιες φορές πήγαινε σε υπερβολική λεπτομέρεια για συγκεκριμένα μέρη της ιστορίας, τα οποία και παρέλειψα.
Το βιβλίο έχει λογικά σφάλματα, όπως η αναφορά ότι ο Πρόεδρος έτρωγε πρωινό στο υπνοδωμάτιο του Λευκού Οίκου πριν γίνει Πρόεδρος, ή η χρήση δακτυλικών αποτυπωμάτων για την αναγνώριση εντελώς απανθρακωμένων σορών. Είναι κρίμα που αυτά τα λάθη δεν τα πρόσεξε ένας επιμελητής, ειδικά για ένα βιβλίο που ήταν στη λίστα ευπώλητων των NY Times.
Παρά τις ατέλειες στην ποιότητα της γραφής, το βιβλίο θέτει τροφή για σκέψη. Διερευνά ηθικά ερωτήματα κατά τη διάρκεια του Ψυχρού Πολέμου, την ισορροπία μεταξύ εθνικής ασφάλειας και ελευθερίας του Τύπου, και ενδιαφέροντα συνταγματικά ζητήματα σχετικά με έναν Πρόεδρο που αγνοείται.
Συνολικά, η βαθμολογία μου είναι 4 στα 5 αστέρια. Είναι ένα καλογραμμένο παράδειγμα πολιτικού μυθιστορήματος που άξιζε τον χρόνο μου, αρκεί κανείς να παραβλέψει τα επιμέρους συντακτικά και λογικά σφάλματα.
Συνολική Εμπειρία: Συναρπαστική ανάγνωση, με σασπένς και ενδιαφέροντα ηθικά διλήμματα.

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published when I was in high school, this novel is one of the first political thrillers I ever read. It holds up, but not as a thriller. The cold war plot seems unrealistic in the light of history, although it seemed timely when I read it almost 50 years ago.

The strength of this novel now is as a historical snapshot of aviation practices and wire services operations in the 1960s. Serling’s experience as a wire service reporter and aviation writer keep the book believable. The detail is fascinating.

[Kayleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good little story told with carictures of the players invovled. I blame the era it was written for some of the cheesy stereotypes. But that said, as an aviator formerly of Andrews, I enjoyed reading someone else's version of those operations. It read a bit like pulp fiction, but if you like that style, this is a fun, quick read.

[Dreepa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super quick read.
I think I have seen the movie in the past.
A reporter is trying to uncover the facts of why the president's plane is missing.

A feeble VP is in charge.

Some plot 'twists'... seems naive compared to some of today's books.

Also some cold war stuff in here that of course is dated.

Couldn't decide on what book to read... so read this as it was short.

[Alise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. 4 stars is a little high but I felt it deserved 4 more than 3. This book is written in a time where thrillers were still a pretty new genre, and it's not as fast paced as a thriller today. But it was written well and was pretty suspenseful once it got going, and I thought I knew the ending a couple times but I was wrong.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frankly I think I was judging Rob Serling by the standards of his brother and expecting more of an ending, but the characters were well drawn. Write what you know, they say, and he sure did.

[Jay O · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was published in 1967. It was on the New York Times best seller list for 30 weeks (according to the cover). It was boring at times and the ending just didn't have the snap it should have.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book I put on my "Big Bear Reading List" started in Jan. 1986. Started writing down every book I read.

[Don Gubler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good suspense.

[Susan]

Enough facts to make it more interesting; enough mystery to keep me reading!