Birds of Prey: Boeing vs. Airbus: A Battle for the Skies

by Matthew Lynn

A fast-paced report of international corporate intrigue that explores both the early history of aviation and the ongoing, trans-oceanic battle between two massive corporations.
Birds of Prey is the story of an industry now essential to heavily developed nations. And more than that, it is a paradigm of business, the ongoing story of the struggle between two forces of international commerce. It describes the inner workings of these corporations that are almost nations in how a product is conceived of - the Airbus or the 747 - and then the need for that product is created. And finally it tells how, by manipulation both overt and covert, the battling giants marshall their various resources to achieve their more orders for their factories. And on this level, the salespeople have familiar for Airbus, the star salesman was the late French President Francois Mitterrand; for Boeing, it is President Bill Clinton.

Genres: Aviation

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[John E · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read of history of the Boeing-Airbus competition in the commercial airliner business from the tragedy of the Comet to the mid-1995. As an American I still have a bit of confusion over just what Airbus is and it's relationship to it constituent parts and to the European governments involved. The book ends just before the launch of the A380 Superjumbo and then recently we learned that the A380 never made any money and is being terminated. It also ends just before the merger of Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas and the creation of a single American airliner manufacturer.

[Hari8e · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting enough for me to keep going, but I cant say that its one of my favorite books.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting