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True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants: Memoirs and Memories From the Golden Age of Flying
If you liked Ann Hood’s Fly Girl and Julie Cook’s Come Fly The The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am, you’ll love True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants.
The golden age of air travel promised a life of glamour and adventure for beautiful, single, young women interested in exploring the world—and no airline offered more glamour or excitement than Trans World Airlines.
TWA provided an enviable jet-set lifestyle for flight attendants—and the opportunity to travel to exotic destinations like London, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong and Bombay. Flight attendants appeared on TV and in movies, and rubbed elbows with the rich and famous, from Elizabeth Taylor and John F. Kennedy Jr., to presidents and Popes, all while decked out in designer uniforms from clothing designers like Oleg Cassini and Ralph Lauren.
In the 1960s and 1970s, TWA accepted fewer than 1% of applicants to be flight attendants—making it tougher to get into than Harvard. Plus, a flying career offered the best education money could never buy.
TWA flight attendants could cook chateaubriand medium rare, deliver a baby at 35,000 feet, and survive a plane crash—all the while immaculately dressed from their never-a-strand-out-of-place hairstyles, all the way down to their mandatory high heeled shoes. But the glamorous lifestyle of a TWA flight attendant sometimes came at a cost.
True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants is a diary-style fly girl memoir with stories from hundreds of TWA flight attendants, and filled with a fascinating behind-the-scenes, never-before-seen look at the glamour, excitement, and struggles faced by young women as they traveled the world with TWA during this exciting time in airline history—from the golden age of air travel through the great stewardess rebellion and beyond.
Click “buy now” to read the most fascinating, behind the curtain, fly girls’ book of the year!
Perfect for flight attendant gifts too!
“A hilarious, honest, heartfelt journey through the Golden Age of Flying with the people who know it best—flight attendants—on the best airline that ever flew—TWA. Fasten your seat belts and welcome aboard!”
Ann Hood, author of FLY GIRL and TWA flight attendant
The golden age of air travel promised a life of glamour and adventure for beautiful, single, young women interested in exploring the world—and no airline offered more glamour or excitement than Trans World Airlines.
TWA provided an enviable jet-set lifestyle for flight attendants—and the opportunity to travel to exotic destinations like London, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong and Bombay. Flight attendants appeared on TV and in movies, and rubbed elbows with the rich and famous, from Elizabeth Taylor and John F. Kennedy Jr., to presidents and Popes, all while decked out in designer uniforms from clothing designers like Oleg Cassini and Ralph Lauren.
In the 1960s and 1970s, TWA accepted fewer than 1% of applicants to be flight attendants—making it tougher to get into than Harvard. Plus, a flying career offered the best education money could never buy.
TWA flight attendants could cook chateaubriand medium rare, deliver a baby at 35,000 feet, and survive a plane crash—all the while immaculately dressed from their never-a-strand-out-of-place hairstyles, all the way down to their mandatory high heeled shoes. But the glamorous lifestyle of a TWA flight attendant sometimes came at a cost.
True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants is a diary-style fly girl memoir with stories from hundreds of TWA flight attendants, and filled with a fascinating behind-the-scenes, never-before-seen look at the glamour, excitement, and struggles faced by young women as they traveled the world with TWA during this exciting time in airline history—from the golden age of air travel through the great stewardess rebellion and beyond.
Click “buy now” to read the most fascinating, behind the curtain, fly girls’ book of the year!
Perfect for flight attendant gifts too!
“A hilarious, honest, heartfelt journey through the Golden Age of Flying with the people who know it best—flight attendants—on the best airline that ever flew—TWA. Fasten your seat belts and welcome aboard!”
Ann Hood, author of FLY GIRL and TWA flight attendant
- GenresNonfictionTravel
596 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 16, 2022
3.5* As a friend of mine flies the skies as a flight attendant, she has a lot of these stories in her queue, so it was interesting to me. It is a memoir, so if that is not your genre you may not enjoy it. Some stories shocked me while others appear as society norms. Whether it is in the classroom, mall or a restaurant. people never seize to amaze me. Famous people do make them a little more interesting because they are above the norm....LOL
They are short stories, so it doesn't take long to hum through. Attendants are on lengthier rides than a bus ride with school children, but sometimes adults can act just as bad. The book is humorous and contains a lot of puns to enjoy. It will make you think the next time you fly! Be kind to these people and enjoy the ride!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
They are short stories, so it doesn't take long to hum through. Attendants are on lengthier rides than a bus ride with school children, but sometimes adults can act just as bad. The book is humorous and contains a lot of puns to enjoy. It will make you think the next time you fly! Be kind to these people and enjoy the ride!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 13, 2023
The book is a collection of anecdotes compiled by the authors, who wrote the anecdotes in their own words. The few times others’ original words were used, the prose was much better because these main writers aren’t real writers.
This book needs some serious editing: developmental, line, and copy editing. This book has not been seen by editor eyes of any kind. It is an editing virgin. This is a first draft nowhere near ready for publication.
For one, I recommend it be organized by subject: weird passengers, embarrassing moments, dangerous moments, etc. Most of the stories were non-stories, nothing more noteworthy than a random Facebook comment and just as short. But about ten percent were really good.
The writing style is just insufferable. It’s verbose and patronizing and condescending and amateurish:
EXAMPLES ======
We know you all want to know about the naught, so here we go. Many of you have never had a flight on a 747, but to say it is big, well, a small town could travel on it.
And no, we will not give you any more information on how to find this staircase. Why? Because after you read this, we do not want you getting any ideas!
BUT THEN as I got closer to the infant, I smelled it! What was it? Let’s put it this way, why doesn’t someone change that baby’s diaper. It was awful!
Before computers for the masses and cell phones, yes people had to function without these things, we never knew what the passenger load was going to be.
Now here is a small fact that many of you probably don’t know. Most of the time we never drank in a hotel we were laying over in …
But to make sure that you could not cheat, wait for this … there were actually bars on the outside of the windows of each apartment. Metal bars! Just like prison! [ellipsis in original]
Anyway, back to the mock evacuation: my roommate was positioned at the Convair 880 door, and I might add here that this door was really heavy and you had to throw some weight into it as you opened it. The command to evacuate was given when all of a sudden one of the Air Force One pilots got up and was going to attempt to assist her. Not a good idea on his part!
======
The name-dropping was so annoying. The introduction had literally at least 25 ebook pages of names the author was bragging about, most of which I’d never heard of and none of which I actually cared about. I am not the kind of person to be impressed by celebrities unless there is some personal connection, like Will Rogers, who worked with my grandmother in college. Some things were overexplained (we know what a layover is!) and other things never explained (like a lot of airport initials — ORD is not Orlando, apparently).
It took me months and months (eight) to read this. The writing was so cringe, it was like fingernails on a chalkboard and I literally had to force myself to read it. I suspect I was offered this book by NetGalley because I had just read Come Fly The World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am, a much better book about flight attendants and the history of the industry. I do not know if this book improved at all since the ARC stage, but I wouldn’t risk it.
Language: Mild
Sexual Content: Some compromising situations described delicately, lots of one-night stands mentioned
Violence/Gore: Hijackings; drunk passengers hitting people; not graphic
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
This book needs some serious editing: developmental, line, and copy editing. This book has not been seen by editor eyes of any kind. It is an editing virgin. This is a first draft nowhere near ready for publication.
For one, I recommend it be organized by subject: weird passengers, embarrassing moments, dangerous moments, etc. Most of the stories were non-stories, nothing more noteworthy than a random Facebook comment and just as short. But about ten percent were really good.
The writing style is just insufferable. It’s verbose and patronizing and condescending and amateurish:
EXAMPLES ======
We know you all want to know about the naught, so here we go. Many of you have never had a flight on a 747, but to say it is big, well, a small town could travel on it.
And no, we will not give you any more information on how to find this staircase. Why? Because after you read this, we do not want you getting any ideas!
BUT THEN as I got closer to the infant, I smelled it! What was it? Let’s put it this way, why doesn’t someone change that baby’s diaper. It was awful!
Before computers for the masses and cell phones, yes people had to function without these things, we never knew what the passenger load was going to be.
Now here is a small fact that many of you probably don’t know. Most of the time we never drank in a hotel we were laying over in …
But to make sure that you could not cheat, wait for this … there were actually bars on the outside of the windows of each apartment. Metal bars! Just like prison! [ellipsis in original]
Anyway, back to the mock evacuation: my roommate was positioned at the Convair 880 door, and I might add here that this door was really heavy and you had to throw some weight into it as you opened it. The command to evacuate was given when all of a sudden one of the Air Force One pilots got up and was going to attempt to assist her. Not a good idea on his part!
======
The name-dropping was so annoying. The introduction had literally at least 25 ebook pages of names the author was bragging about, most of which I’d never heard of and none of which I actually cared about. I am not the kind of person to be impressed by celebrities unless there is some personal connection, like Will Rogers, who worked with my grandmother in college. Some things were overexplained (we know what a layover is!) and other things never explained (like a lot of airport initials — ORD is not Orlando, apparently).
It took me months and months (eight) to read this. The writing was so cringe, it was like fingernails on a chalkboard and I literally had to force myself to read it. I suspect I was offered this book by NetGalley because I had just read Come Fly The World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am, a much better book about flight attendants and the history of the industry. I do not know if this book improved at all since the ARC stage, but I wouldn’t risk it.
Language: Mild
Sexual Content: Some compromising situations described delicately, lots of one-night stands mentioned
Violence/Gore: Hijackings; drunk passengers hitting people; not graphic
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
December 30, 2022
This collection of ‘flight’ tales is full of historical vignettes...such as "the look"... as in the nails, the hair, attitude, mannerisms, the dress, grooming and training all hostess/stewardess/fight attendants (prior to the 80's) were expected to exude. I remember those days. My aunt began her career as a TWA stewardess in the 60's (one of the first black females to earn her flight wings). Our family adored her. She was gorgeous and so poised, which this book is an eye-opener to what her other experiences with TWA must have been like.
Overall, in addition the historical pitch of becoming a flight attendant being compared to getting accepted into Harvard, I enjoyed a number of the short tales. Personal favorites; "A Christmas Lament" (cute poem)…and the “Slam clickers”(haha)! “Hey little mama” I as well enjoyed, and oh man, "Did I hear him correctly…” that one I won't easily forget!
Overall, in addition the historical pitch of becoming a flight attendant being compared to getting accepted into Harvard, I enjoyed a number of the short tales. Personal favorites; "A Christmas Lament" (cute poem)…and the “Slam clickers”(haha)! “Hey little mama” I as well enjoyed, and oh man, "Did I hear him correctly…” that one I won't easily forget!
February 9, 2023
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
/
This book was... I don't even know how to put it into words. I guess it didn't live up to my hopes for it to start. I personally love books like this or about the medical field where they tell interesting or funny stories about their time in the job. And That's what I thought this would be.
It had some.. okay stories.. but mostly it bored me. I had a difficult time getting through the book in its entirety. The book was disorganized and chaotic in the way it set up the stories and told them at times.
Some of the stories were good enough and kept my interest, but a lot of them just fell flat for me.
It unfortunately is not a book I'd read again.
/
This book was... I don't even know how to put it into words. I guess it didn't live up to my hopes for it to start. I personally love books like this or about the medical field where they tell interesting or funny stories about their time in the job. And That's what I thought this would be.
It had some.. okay stories.. but mostly it bored me. I had a difficult time getting through the book in its entirety. The book was disorganized and chaotic in the way it set up the stories and told them at times.
Some of the stories were good enough and kept my interest, but a lot of them just fell flat for me.
It unfortunately is not a book I'd read again.
September 28, 2022
They have so many great stories in this book from a woman who suffered from diabetic coma and yet a fellow passenger insisted the hostess climb over her to get his hanging clothes needless to say that didn’t happen the story span from the first flights to the last and although they’re not all funny they’re all very interesting. Especially the people who wanted a kosher breakfast and all she did was wipe off the bacon juice and they said that was the best song with the rapper head. I found these stories highly entertaining and if you like being a fly on the wall tried being one on the TWA flight with the stewardesses or flight attendants. I received this book from NetGalleyShelf and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
December 19, 2022
A lovely collection of anecdotes from TWA Flight Attendants over the years.
And what a collection! Some made you laugh, some were impressive and some tore at your heart - especially two about family members being shipped off to live with others and the recollections of Flight 800.
Stories that will stay with me a while.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.
And what a collection! Some made you laugh, some were impressive and some tore at your heart - especially two about family members being shipped off to live with others and the recollections of Flight 800.
Stories that will stay with me a while.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.
September 22, 2022
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.
Having worked at one of TWA’s hubs for a while back in the 1980s, I was a bit curious to read “True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants” by Kathy Kompare and Stephanie Johnson. I heard a number of true stories from the FAs, as we called them then, ranging from the sweet to the bizarre, to the famous (and infamous), and some of the stories that really did make me either blush or roll my eyes. I really wish that toward the beginning the authors had taken a chapter (or section) to explain who did what on the airplane - including some of the acronyms (TRT is mentioned in one chapter without an explanation). Also, the airplanes themselves would’ve been nice to also be explained (why would someone not have flown on a 747, as mentioned in one story - when were they taken out of service by most commercial airlines? Were they mainly used for international flights? What planes did TWA mostly fly and when?). Luckily all of the stories are short - so if you don’t like one, amongst the stories there probably is one that you will like. The introduction had a lot (and I mean A LOT) of name dropping, so I figured that many of the stories would be about famous people and I was pleasantly surprised that they all were not. Some chapters had me very confused as the background information didn’t read very complete. Some chapters showed determination - such as the one about an incident at Harrods in London. Others showed courage - such as the one about a mishap and subsequent crash due to an engine on fire. Where I did have a problem, though, was that this book felt more like a collection of stories randomly put together opposed to organized in some manner. Additionally not all the stories are actually interesting and, in one case, was mean to prove a point. I’m also really hoping that an editor goes through the book carefully because in addition to a number of grammatical errors and sentence fragments, some famous names were misspelled - ouch! In a few cases, the submitter of the story was not on duty but assisted with the crew if necessary - so that was another thing that threw me for a few stories. Overall, if reading about stories about FAs from another era is up your alley, you might find this one enjoyable. In its present state, I found this book disjoined with many grammatical errors and it read more like comments on a blog entry requesting stories about being an FA. I think this was a good idea, but I wish that the execution had been better - but maybe after the editor takes another whack at it, it might be tighter and more organized. 4 stars for the idea, 1.25 stars for the readability and organization - rounded down to 2 stars.
Having worked at one of TWA’s hubs for a while back in the 1980s, I was a bit curious to read “True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants” by Kathy Kompare and Stephanie Johnson. I heard a number of true stories from the FAs, as we called them then, ranging from the sweet to the bizarre, to the famous (and infamous), and some of the stories that really did make me either blush or roll my eyes. I really wish that toward the beginning the authors had taken a chapter (or section) to explain who did what on the airplane - including some of the acronyms (TRT is mentioned in one chapter without an explanation). Also, the airplanes themselves would’ve been nice to also be explained (why would someone not have flown on a 747, as mentioned in one story - when were they taken out of service by most commercial airlines? Were they mainly used for international flights? What planes did TWA mostly fly and when?). Luckily all of the stories are short - so if you don’t like one, amongst the stories there probably is one that you will like. The introduction had a lot (and I mean A LOT) of name dropping, so I figured that many of the stories would be about famous people and I was pleasantly surprised that they all were not. Some chapters had me very confused as the background information didn’t read very complete. Some chapters showed determination - such as the one about an incident at Harrods in London. Others showed courage - such as the one about a mishap and subsequent crash due to an engine on fire. Where I did have a problem, though, was that this book felt more like a collection of stories randomly put together opposed to organized in some manner. Additionally not all the stories are actually interesting and, in one case, was mean to prove a point. I’m also really hoping that an editor goes through the book carefully because in addition to a number of grammatical errors and sentence fragments, some famous names were misspelled - ouch! In a few cases, the submitter of the story was not on duty but assisted with the crew if necessary - so that was another thing that threw me for a few stories. Overall, if reading about stories about FAs from another era is up your alley, you might find this one enjoyable. In its present state, I found this book disjoined with many grammatical errors and it read more like comments on a blog entry requesting stories about being an FA. I think this was a good idea, but I wish that the execution had been better - but maybe after the editor takes another whack at it, it might be tighter and more organized. 4 stars for the idea, 1.25 stars for the readability and organization - rounded down to 2 stars.
November 2, 2022
This book was entertaining to read in pieces. I couldn't just sit and read it through. A ton of short stories. Lacking any sort of cohesion. Some were, funny some interesting, some not so much. I feel like the book had potential if it was structured better. Stories are randomly thrown together.
But a cool look at the flight industry in the 1900's.
Thank you Netgally, publisher, and author for the RAC.
But a cool look at the flight industry in the 1900's.
Thank you Netgally, publisher, and author for the RAC.
Shelved as 'dnf'
September 26, 2022This book is a collection of experiences/short stories written by TWA flight attendants over the years that they worked for the company. My family is pretty heavily involved with aviation and once upon a time I thought being a flight attendant would be an awesome career. Fast forward a few years and realizing how I get super motion sick on planes, I decided I needed a new plan.
This book didn’t work for me and I could tell by the introduction. The author listed a ton (and I mean a ton) of celebrities who had flown TWA and it just seemed like this grocery list that I wanted to skip over. Then the actual stories began and I read 50 of them before I decided to DNF. And get this, after reading 50 stories I was still only 28% done this book. It is long and despite some of the stories being interesting, I feel like an editor needed to do some serious work to make this consumable by the average reader. I think I would have preferred a professional writer listening to the stories and writing them instead. The grammatical errors and fragmented sentences were the final straw for me, I had to DNF.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC ebook.
This book didn’t work for me and I could tell by the introduction. The author listed a ton (and I mean a ton) of celebrities who had flown TWA and it just seemed like this grocery list that I wanted to skip over. Then the actual stories began and I read 50 of them before I decided to DNF. And get this, after reading 50 stories I was still only 28% done this book. It is long and despite some of the stories being interesting, I feel like an editor needed to do some serious work to make this consumable by the average reader. I think I would have preferred a professional writer listening to the stories and writing them instead. The grammatical errors and fragmented sentences were the final straw for me, I had to DNF.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC ebook.
January 27, 2023
"True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants" is a collection of anecdotes mostly written by former TWA Flight Attendants. I found the accounts to be entertaining, educational, and at times rather emotional. I laughed quite hard when I read about the Black Bean Soup Incident. To me, the biggest value of this book was getting a peak "behind the curtains" to gain a better understanding of what it is like to deal with the vast range of that flight staff encounter. I would certainly recommend this for frequent fliers and those curious about what it is like to work on the flight deck of a commercial airline.
I thank the many authors of this book for their service, professionalism, humor, and sharing these delightful accounts. I also thank them and the publisher for kindly providing a temporary electronic review copy of this work.
I thank the many authors of this book for their service, professionalism, humor, and sharing these delightful accounts. I also thank them and the publisher for kindly providing a temporary electronic review copy of this work.
Want to read
September 25, 2022I could not finish this. It is very poorly written and almost laughable. It reads like a parody.
December 8, 2022
This book is a collection of short (ie 2-15 pages each) memoirs written by flight attendants for TWA, an airport based in Missouri, from the 1960s through 1990s. As someone who's never flown, I was interested in getting this peek into the airline industry and the lives of the flight attendants/hostesses. The stories are so quick to read, but can be a bit repetitive if you read a bunch back to back, so I suggest reading just a few minutes at a time. Most of the stories are fun, happy memories, but a few touch on more serious topics. The book gave me an interesting look into a company and lifestyle that I knew nothing about. I greatly enjoyed reading about this "airline to the stars".
January 31, 2023
I enjoy reading true life stories combining that with the fact I have read a few different books about cabin crew/air stewardesses both fiction and non fiction and found those interesting when I saw this one it ticked both boxes!
I do admit when very young looking through those large rose coloured glasses and becoming fascinated with the idea of air stewardesses, it always looked so glamourous. After flying once aged twelve and being terribly air sick I set my rose tinted glasses on becoming a hairdresser, which I actually did. Especially when referred to in books or on the TV. What I have learnt from books such as this one is it isn't all glamour, it's hard work. All the rules and regulations, and specifications the TWA attendants had to meet, the hierarchy of staff on a plane and how the industry has changed over the years. The whole gender bias, the 'customer is always right' ethic and yes theres the seeing different places in the world but theres also the danger not just of plane malfunctions but terrorist attacks too. Then theres if someone is taken ill on the flight, the constantly on your feet with the expectation of not having a hair out if place too.
It was really quite fascinating learning about the glamorous planes with lounges, extra large seats and lots of leg room and their specifications.
This book contains a wide range of real life stories. Individually most are both interesting and informative. Within the stories theres a whole range of emotions, the good, bad, ugly & intoxicated passengers. The famous & celebs. The perks of going to shows/casinos. Then the harsh reality or terrorism, mechanical faults and the deaths of colleagues. I particularly adored the stories of meeting famous people and learning how 'well behaved' and friendly they were with the staff during their flights.
The stories are presented quite well but I found the book a harder read than I expected. It was better as a book to dip in and out of, which I find is pretty true for most non fiction. I guess what I am trying to say is at times it felt like 'hard work' or 'a bit of a chore' rather than really looking forward to reading this one every night. This book is perfect to dip in and out of. Ideal for journeys to & from work or during you tea break. It's not like a biography, memoir or 'diary' or book to sit and read in one go.
I think I wanted to learn more about the women featured in the book. I felt the book needed a more 'personal' angle. Having said that I did enjoy reading the book and will continue reading other books similar to this one.
I do admit when very young looking through those large rose coloured glasses and becoming fascinated with the idea of air stewardesses, it always looked so glamourous. After flying once aged twelve and being terribly air sick I set my rose tinted glasses on becoming a hairdresser, which I actually did. Especially when referred to in books or on the TV. What I have learnt from books such as this one is it isn't all glamour, it's hard work. All the rules and regulations, and specifications the TWA attendants had to meet, the hierarchy of staff on a plane and how the industry has changed over the years. The whole gender bias, the 'customer is always right' ethic and yes theres the seeing different places in the world but theres also the danger not just of plane malfunctions but terrorist attacks too. Then theres if someone is taken ill on the flight, the constantly on your feet with the expectation of not having a hair out if place too.
It was really quite fascinating learning about the glamorous planes with lounges, extra large seats and lots of leg room and their specifications.
This book contains a wide range of real life stories. Individually most are both interesting and informative. Within the stories theres a whole range of emotions, the good, bad, ugly & intoxicated passengers. The famous & celebs. The perks of going to shows/casinos. Then the harsh reality or terrorism, mechanical faults and the deaths of colleagues. I particularly adored the stories of meeting famous people and learning how 'well behaved' and friendly they were with the staff during their flights.
The stories are presented quite well but I found the book a harder read than I expected. It was better as a book to dip in and out of, which I find is pretty true for most non fiction. I guess what I am trying to say is at times it felt like 'hard work' or 'a bit of a chore' rather than really looking forward to reading this one every night. This book is perfect to dip in and out of. Ideal for journeys to & from work or during you tea break. It's not like a biography, memoir or 'diary' or book to sit and read in one go.
I think I wanted to learn more about the women featured in the book. I felt the book needed a more 'personal' angle. Having said that I did enjoy reading the book and will continue reading other books similar to this one.
October 18, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions contained within are mine and mine alone.
This collection of factual anecdotes from TWA hostesses (flight attendants) from the 60s 70s and 80s was at times interesting, the stories themselves read as flash fiction - most are no more that two pages.
I did enjoy the book. I liked the emotionality of them. Some are serious, some are downright grave, but most are lighthearted. There is a copy of an actual acceptance letter as well as a list of ALL the questions asked (most of which wouldn’t fly today).
I do feel that the book would have benefitted from some type of chapter delineation. Perhaps grouping the stories either chronologically or thematically (even geographically) would have helped
The thing I found disturbing (and I think this is a point they are trying to make) is the idea of blind allegiance to The Airline. These jobs were highly sought after and seen by some as glamorous. But a company so restrictive on height and weight of employees, much less dictating how to wear you hair and your marital status, just doesn’t compute in this day and age.
If I had to define the book in one word it would be “uneven”. But I’m sure there is an audience for it - even if that may not have been me.
This collection of factual anecdotes from TWA hostesses (flight attendants) from the 60s 70s and 80s was at times interesting, the stories themselves read as flash fiction - most are no more that two pages.
I did enjoy the book. I liked the emotionality of them. Some are serious, some are downright grave, but most are lighthearted. There is a copy of an actual acceptance letter as well as a list of ALL the questions asked (most of which wouldn’t fly today).
I do feel that the book would have benefitted from some type of chapter delineation. Perhaps grouping the stories either chronologically or thematically (even geographically) would have helped
The thing I found disturbing (and I think this is a point they are trying to make) is the idea of blind allegiance to The Airline. These jobs were highly sought after and seen by some as glamorous. But a company so restrictive on height and weight of employees, much less dictating how to wear you hair and your marital status, just doesn’t compute in this day and age.
If I had to define the book in one word it would be “uneven”. But I’m sure there is an audience for it - even if that may not have been me.
November 5, 2022
Up, Up and Away
As someone who took their first airline flight in the 1960’s at age twenty, then flew to Europe on TWA at age twenty-five I got to experience flying as an adventure one dressed up for and appreciated the lovely inflight service provided by the crew. I married a TWA pilot who flew the New York to Geneva, Switzerland route and got to hear his tales of life as a crew member. He has a special fondness in his heart for all things TWA and I can hear this unique connection in the authors stories and reflections. Thank you for giving me a peek into what was a very unique time for all who were a part of the TWA family.
As someone who took their first airline flight in the 1960’s at age twenty, then flew to Europe on TWA at age twenty-five I got to experience flying as an adventure one dressed up for and appreciated the lovely inflight service provided by the crew. I married a TWA pilot who flew the New York to Geneva, Switzerland route and got to hear his tales of life as a crew member. He has a special fondness in his heart for all things TWA and I can hear this unique connection in the authors stories and reflections. Thank you for giving me a peek into what was a very unique time for all who were a part of the TWA family.
April 4, 2023
I had just had my fifth birthday the first time I flew on a plane. My older brother had just turned eight four days after my birthday, and my younger brother was born two days later, shortly before Halloween. The day my mother came home from the hospital with him was the day that my father took me and my older brother to California, to spend some time at Disneyland. I don’t know where my older brother was on the flight, but I do know where my father was since he was flying the plane, except for a few minutes he spent with me once the flight was in progress to check on me. But the flight attendants, then called stewardesses, took me under their wing (and gave me my own wings to wear), took me to their semi-circular ‘lounge’, and trained me to give whatever the then standard stewardess spiel was to the passengers.
The small, two square block neighborhood with less than 20 houses that I grew up in never had less than three pilots living there at the same time, but overall there were more. I know at least two worked for TWA, one being my father, and the other being the godfather of one of my brothers, but am pretty sure the other two did, as well. My mother had been an ‘Air Hostess’ before my parents got married, and as they were at the airport ready to head off on their honeymoon, Howard Hughes approached my mother, and proposed to her. She said no, but my father was in no position to have words with Hughes, since Howard Hughes was technically his boss.
One of my last flights that I took was to Denver to visit an old friend, and on the way in the airport tram, I was surrounded by pilots. I noticed one of them had a TWA bag - although this was after TWA ceased to exist, and I commented on it, and shared that my father had worked for TWA. It turned out that they all had been with TWA and asked who my father was. When I told them his real name, Harry, but that most of his pilot buddies called him ‘Snorky’ they all laughed, and said “You’re his daughter? That son of a b*tch?”, laughing, and quickly said how much they appreciated him, and shared a few short stories of how much he’d helped them in their early years.
There are several stories inside these pages that - while I never could have expected some of these individual experiences of these women, are definitely worth reading. Some were amusing, even outrageous, some were sad, but overall it was a wonderful and entertaining read. It covers the early years as well as the years leading up to the last days of TWA as an airline. The changes over the years, the life of being among the famous and elite passengers, the stories involving scandalous behavior during flights. Stories that were funny, sad, or outrageous, as well as the ones that involved danger. The tragedies over the years, the lifelong bonds formed, and the last days of TWA.
Thanks so much to the author, Kathy Kompare, for sharing your, and others, experiences of flying TWA.
November 14, 2022
Not TWA quality
Although I'm quite sure a valiant effort was made to not only tell their stories while also capturing the "essence" of TWA, I don't feel that this book met that goal completely.
First, it was very long and drawn out. I am normally a pretty fast reader but it took me days to get through this book and I was actually tempted to delete it halfway through. It DID bring back several memories of flying TWA when I was a child going to visit my grandmother with my mom. Boarding a plane was very different then, it was an event that one dressed up for and something even the adults looked forward to. I remember that instead of just rows of seats with very little space, there were a few round tables set up and my mom and I were seated at one of these and like the others, were served beverages and snacks there. I remember asking "Mommy, is this a party" and the adults laughed. The "stewardesses" were very glamorous looking, always smiling and not a hair out of place!
I realize the stories were meant to be short, but I did not expect the repetition I saw in some of them. Nor did I expect the spelling mistakes here and there. I expected that those in charge would make sure that just like the airline they loved and represented, everything must be perfectly presented. It wasn't in this case but some of the stories were interesting and did stir the memories.
I was especially touched by the respect paid and the stories told regarding TWA Flight 800 from New York to Paris. I remember sitting in my apartment later that evening watching the news and seeing the devastating live shots of the mostly calm ocean with pieces of flaming debris illuminating the dark night. I still feel so deeply sad for the loved ones of those who perished that night and I pray those souls rest in peace eternally.
I feel this tragedy was the beginning of the end for the legend that was TWA.
Although I'm quite sure a valiant effort was made to not only tell their stories while also capturing the "essence" of TWA, I don't feel that this book met that goal completely.
First, it was very long and drawn out. I am normally a pretty fast reader but it took me days to get through this book and I was actually tempted to delete it halfway through. It DID bring back several memories of flying TWA when I was a child going to visit my grandmother with my mom. Boarding a plane was very different then, it was an event that one dressed up for and something even the adults looked forward to. I remember that instead of just rows of seats with very little space, there were a few round tables set up and my mom and I were seated at one of these and like the others, were served beverages and snacks there. I remember asking "Mommy, is this a party" and the adults laughed. The "stewardesses" were very glamorous looking, always smiling and not a hair out of place!
I realize the stories were meant to be short, but I did not expect the repetition I saw in some of them. Nor did I expect the spelling mistakes here and there. I expected that those in charge would make sure that just like the airline they loved and represented, everything must be perfectly presented. It wasn't in this case but some of the stories were interesting and did stir the memories.
I was especially touched by the respect paid and the stories told regarding TWA Flight 800 from New York to Paris. I remember sitting in my apartment later that evening watching the news and seeing the devastating live shots of the mostly calm ocean with pieces of flaming debris illuminating the dark night. I still feel so deeply sad for the loved ones of those who perished that night and I pray those souls rest in peace eternally.
I feel this tragedy was the beginning of the end for the legend that was TWA.
January 26, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Kathy Kompare and Stephanie Johnson have assembled a variety of short stories about the early years of TWA, concentrating on their impact on the flight attendants. Reading these stories is like having a conversation with a bubbly flight attendant, with a dash of seriousness thrown in to keep the central the light-hearted approach realistic. Although the stories concentrate on the pleasure of being a TWA flight attendant, there are serious moments as well, adding to the value of the record.
The stories are the memories of the writers and co-workers, are based on fact, but as acknowledged in the introduction, may have altered over time. Some names are authentic; others have been omitted. The writers thank former TWA flight attendants, their families, and other employees for their contribution to the stories. With a lively statement that truth is better than fiction, the writers launch into their, and others’ recall of events on TWA flights, exotic locations, and, at a different pace, the sorrow of a crash in 1996 – as they say, hundreds of stories.
Although this is not a book that I was prepared to finish – the unremitting upbeat nature of the writing, and some of the stories were not to my taste – True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants would be a good book to dip into at the beach, or on a relaxing holiday. On a more serious note, this is a part of a history that is worth recording, and Kathy Kompare and Stephanie Johnson have certainly provided the flavour of the period and the particular work environment of the TWA years.
Kathy Kompare and Stephanie Johnson have assembled a variety of short stories about the early years of TWA, concentrating on their impact on the flight attendants. Reading these stories is like having a conversation with a bubbly flight attendant, with a dash of seriousness thrown in to keep the central the light-hearted approach realistic. Although the stories concentrate on the pleasure of being a TWA flight attendant, there are serious moments as well, adding to the value of the record.
The stories are the memories of the writers and co-workers, are based on fact, but as acknowledged in the introduction, may have altered over time. Some names are authentic; others have been omitted. The writers thank former TWA flight attendants, their families, and other employees for their contribution to the stories. With a lively statement that truth is better than fiction, the writers launch into their, and others’ recall of events on TWA flights, exotic locations, and, at a different pace, the sorrow of a crash in 1996 – as they say, hundreds of stories.
Although this is not a book that I was prepared to finish – the unremitting upbeat nature of the writing, and some of the stories were not to my taste – True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants would be a good book to dip into at the beach, or on a relaxing holiday. On a more serious note, this is a part of a history that is worth recording, and Kathy Kompare and Stephanie Johnson have certainly provided the flavour of the period and the particular work environment of the TWA years.
December 9, 2022
Oh what a different world it was in the 60's and 70's. I totally enjoyed these little snippets of memories that made up this book. I was very familiar with TWA - Kansas City was my hometown - and the airline always had a stellar reputation. I actually applied to be a 'hostess' when I graduated from college but was turned down for being 'too tall'. Nothing much I could do about that!!
Most of the stories are funny with some more serious ones thrown in occasionally. There is a lot of repetition which is understandable since different employees had similar experiences.
I was sorry the author ended the book on a tragic and sad note. I wish the last stories would have been some of the funny ones.
Most of the stories are funny with some more serious ones thrown in occasionally. There is a lot of repetition which is understandable since different employees had similar experiences.
I was sorry the author ended the book on a tragic and sad note. I wish the last stories would have been some of the funny ones.
February 6, 2023
I have heard much about the golden age of flight with TWA and how flight was an event with only the best people and best offerings. I was interested to read about the actual experiences of the flight attendants and what the job was like from their side. The first thing I noticed was there was not rhyme, or reason to how the stories were organized and this would have made a difference to me as a reader since the stories were directly based on different types of experiences, whether it be celebratory sightings, or what ultimately led to the end of TWA. I had to read this book in spurts for this reason. I thought the stories were well written, but ended up just being a jumble for me. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.
September 28, 2022
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
All opinions are my own.
While I thought the idea of this whole book was SUPER interesting and was the sole reason I requested this, the actual execution and writing of the book was terrible. As other reviewers have noted, it seems like a comment section on a blog post and not an actual book- I could not agree more. There is no organization or cohesive narrative and I did not enjoy this at all.
I would not recommend this to others.
Thank you to NetGalley and Telemachus Press for the ARC!
All opinions are my own.
While I thought the idea of this whole book was SUPER interesting and was the sole reason I requested this, the actual execution and writing of the book was terrible. As other reviewers have noted, it seems like a comment section on a blog post and not an actual book- I could not agree more. There is no organization or cohesive narrative and I did not enjoy this at all.
I would not recommend this to others.
Thank you to NetGalley and Telemachus Press for the ARC!
October 12, 2022
I’ll give this book one thing - there are a lot of stories and they are very short. This is super positive. The problem is, many of the stories are pretty boring.
I’m not sure what I was really expecting but very few of these stories held my attention and that’s sad. I’m not sure if it’s the stories themselves or my head space but this just didn’t do it for me.
Even though this wasn’t my cup of tea and my rating is low, I still recommend it. I feel like there’s an audience out there that will absolutely adore this book - I’m just not part of it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ebook!
⭐️⭐️
I’m not sure what I was really expecting but very few of these stories held my attention and that’s sad. I’m not sure if it’s the stories themselves or my head space but this just didn’t do it for me.
Even though this wasn’t my cup of tea and my rating is low, I still recommend it. I feel like there’s an audience out there that will absolutely adore this book - I’m just not part of it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ebook!
⭐️⭐️
November 27, 2022
As it happens I was reading this book on recent Flights I took and found the stories and memories amusing. It contains a variety of memories and stories from many decades and so we learn about the sexism flight attendants faced from TWA as well as from the crew and customers. Some of the stories are really interesting, some are really dated and cringe-worthy. This is a light and quick read that you don't have to read in one sitting so although not a lot of substance here, still can be an enjoyable read.
January 24, 2023
I received a complimentary copy of this book prior to publication. I did not enjoy it. I felt the writing style was very juvenile and it was story after story of unprofessional behavior by flight attendants who seemed to view their jobs as opportunities to joke around - the stories of pranks and joking around got really old and it made the author sound unintelligent.
There were also careless misspellings - Ed McMann instead of Ed McMahon. If you’re going to name drop, at least get the spelling right.
There were also careless misspellings - Ed McMann instead of Ed McMahon. If you’re going to name drop, at least get the spelling right.
March 16, 2024
My mother was a TWA stewardess back in the golden days of flying and has told me many stories of her flying years, so I was very curious to read this book. The writing isn’t great and the book has its share of grammatical errors and misspellings, but the stories are charming and really paint a picture of the the quality, professionalism, and topnotch performance of TWA’s crews and planes. If you read it, make sure to look for my mom’s story on having Elizabeth Taylor as a passenger (spoiler: she was a true delight 😊).
October 23, 2022
True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants is an interesting look into earlier air travel times. I enjoyed the mostly humorous stories of actual flight attendant experiences. The stories range in length from a single page to several pages. The writing styles vary widely, which makes total sense since this is a compilation of stories from many people. The book ends on a very somber note with several remembrances from the crash of TWA 800.
I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley.
I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley.
December 6, 2022
As an ex TWA F/A, I enjoyed relating to many of the stories. Not sure others without the same background would feel the same - or perhaps they would be shocked at what passengers actually do in pubic. Though asked to contribute I was unsure just what was expected or desired, but after reading, I found I could add many stories that were equally or perhaps even more interesting.
January 17, 2023
This is a tell-all of the early elegant years of air travel told by a veteran flight attendant. Names are dropped and bad behavior all around is highlighted. Some are funny, some are shocking but it is clear that the Pandemic was not the start of passenger behavior issues. I think the book might have been improved by better tighter editing but this is a fun, gossipy read.
September 27, 2022
Not the greatest book I've read, but passing. Seems as if it was thrown together on short notice.
Thanks to publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.
Thanks to publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.
March 21, 2023
I really enjoyed the stories that were presented in this book. This is a perfect read for those days where you just want to escape the dramas of real life. I will definitely recommend this story to others.
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