Skyfaring by Mark Vanhoenacker
Here, anew, is the simple wonder that remains at the heart of an experience which modern travellers, armchair and otherwise, all too easily take for granted: the transcendent joy of motion, and the remarkable new perspectives that height and distance bestow on everything we love.
"Vanhoenacker is a remarkable writerIn Skyfaring he reveals his passion for flight, the mechanics of planes, the weightless, meaningful geography of the skies and the scent of the cities he flies to. He creates a still, almost poetic point in the turning, travelling world. This mesmerising book will make you view the world differently. All aboard!" -- Helen Davies * Sunday Times *
"[An] ode to the wonder of flight in the tradition of the great pioneer pilot-author Antoine de Saint Exupéry and Charles Lindbergh... flying remains a magical business" -- Charles Bremner * The Times *
"Mr Vanhoenacker, fortunately for his readers, has lost none of his sense of wonder at the miracle of flight itself... a beautifully observed collection of details, scenes, emotions and facts from the world above the world" * The Economist *
"Mr Vanhoenacker, fortunately for his readers, has lost none of his sense of wonder at the miracle of flight itself... a beautifully observed collection of details, scenes, emotions and facts from the world above the world" * The Economist *
"A description of what it’s like to fly by a commercial pilot who is also a master prose stylist… This is a man who is at once a technical expert – he flies 747s across continents – and a poet of the skies. This couldn’t be more highly recommended" -- Alain de Botton
"A beauty. For so many flying has become humdrum: a bus journey to be endured then forgotten, not enjoyed and recalled. Vanhoenacker makes it wondrous again." -- David Sexton * Evening Standard *
"Beautifully... simply put. Vanhoenacker's prose has a functional eloquence that carries the reader along for the ride." -- Geoff Dyer * The Guardian *
"Reminds us of the magic of aviation... full of information that is wonderful in its simplicity" -- Erica Wagner * The New Statesman *
"[An] endlessly surprising, strikingly original book... combines intelligence and sensitivity with an "outward-looking introspection"" * Intelligent Life *
"Not since Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic Vol de Nuit…has there been such a fantastic book about flying… Skyfaring takes the genre to a whole new level. I found myself turning over the corners of almost every page with excitement and admiration" -- Giles Foden * Condé Nast Traveller *
"Engaging, even poetic...Vanhoenacker’s passionate and beautifully written book will remind even the most jaded traveller of the wonder of flight" -- Ian Critchley * Sunday Times *
"An elegant meditation on how flying can lift the soul" * New York Times, Notable Books of 2015 *
"A longhaul airline pilot whose vision is unexpectedly poetic and romantic...what stood out for me was that sense of wonder up there...a rather lovely book" -- Libby Purves * Radio 4 *
"A poet of the skies to rival St Exupéry... an author of real distinction with a genuinely poetic sensibility as well as a memorable turn of phrase... a perfect voice for a glorious subject... This really is a very good book" * The Spectator *
"...both a manual for infrequent flyers (wherein the physics and metaphysics of time and space are for once essayed in a perfectly straightforward manner) and a skilful meditation on the glories of traversing the earth at the helm of mankind's greatest technological achievement that - yes - flies from the page" -- Bill Prince * GQ *
"[An] ode to the wonder of flight in the tradition of the great pioneer pilot-author Antoine de Saint Exupéry and Charles Lindbergh... flying remains a magical business" -- Charles Bremner * The Times *
"Mr Vanhoenacker, fortunately for his readers, has lost none of his sense of wonder at the miracle of flight itself... a beautifully observed collection of details, scenes, emotions and facts from the world above the world" * The Economist *
"Mr Vanhoenacker, fortunately for his readers, has lost none of his sense of wonder at the miracle of flight itself... a beautifully observed collection of details, scenes, emotions and facts from the world above the world" * The Economist *
"A description of what it’s like to fly by a commercial pilot who is also a master prose stylist… This is a man who is at once a technical expert – he flies 747s across continents – and a poet of the skies. This couldn’t be more highly recommended" -- Alain de Botton
"A beauty. For so many flying has become humdrum: a bus journey to be endured then forgotten, not enjoyed and recalled. Vanhoenacker makes it wondrous again." -- David Sexton * Evening Standard *
"Beautifully... simply put. Vanhoenacker's prose has a functional eloquence that carries the reader along for the ride." -- Geoff Dyer * The Guardian *
"Reminds us of the magic of aviation... full of information that is wonderful in its simplicity" -- Erica Wagner * The New Statesman *
"[An] endlessly surprising, strikingly original book... combines intelligence and sensitivity with an "outward-looking introspection"" * Intelligent Life *
"Not since Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic Vol de Nuit…has there been such a fantastic book about flying… Skyfaring takes the genre to a whole new level. I found myself turning over the corners of almost every page with excitement and admiration" -- Giles Foden * Condé Nast Traveller *
"Engaging, even poetic...Vanhoenacker’s passionate and beautifully written book will remind even the most jaded traveller of the wonder of flight" -- Ian Critchley * Sunday Times *
"An elegant meditation on how flying can lift the soul" * New York Times, Notable Books of 2015 *
"A longhaul airline pilot whose vision is unexpectedly poetic and romantic...what stood out for me was that sense of wonder up there...a rather lovely book" -- Libby Purves * Radio 4 *
"A poet of the skies to rival St Exupéry... an author of real distinction with a genuinely poetic sensibility as well as a memorable turn of phrase... a perfect voice for a glorious subject... This really is a very good book" * The Spectator *
"...both a manual for infrequent flyers (wherein the physics and metaphysics of time and space are for once essayed in a perfectly straightforward manner) and a skilful meditation on the glories of traversing the earth at the helm of mankind's greatest technological achievement that - yes - flies from the page" -- Bill Prince * GQ *
Mark Vanhoenacker left academia to work as a management consultant, a position that afforded him regular opportunities to stare out of aeroplane windows and recall childhood dreams of becoming a pilot. He began his flight training in 2001. Today, as a Senior First Officer for British Airways, Mark flies Boeing 747s to major cities around the world. He is also a regular contributor to the New York Times and Slate. When his head is not in the clouds, he divides his time between London and New York.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780701188665 |
| ISBN 10 | 0701188669 |
| Title | Skyfaring |
| Author | Mark Vanhoenacker |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Vintage Publishing |
| Year published | 2015-04-02 |
| Number of pages | 352 |
| Prizes | Short-listed for Warwick Prize for Writing 2015 (UK) |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |