Some reviews...
Here are some reviews from the Amazon website. If you've read the book then please share your thoughts on Amazon.
I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting (well, lie in actually, jet-lagged in a hotel).
I was, like Kelvin, in Hong Kong when the earlier events related in this book took place: pilots and engineers demoted or dismissed for minor or non-existent errors or differences in opinion. Also like Kelvin, I had the opportunity to leave before the disgraceful events of 2001 took place. Several of my friends were dismissed as 49ers but I didn't really appreciate how awful things were until I read this book.
This should be compulsory reading for all airline pilots, particularly those considering a move to HKG.
Well done John, great book!
Chris Parker.
John's book should be compulsory reading for all commercial pilots ( union and non-union alike). There are , also , salutory lessons there-in for other industry employees . It is gritty and sets out the FACTS about the debacle that was the sacking of the 49'ers from Cathay Pacific all those years ago. John calls it as he sees it and a spade is definitely a shovel. His writing is matter of fact , yet still holds his reader gripped by the twisting and wriggling of the developing court-case. Pilots need to read this on their next stop-over and their wives will enjoy it too.. mine did!
Airline managers would do well to read and learn from this also, remembering John's assertion that with responsibility comes ACCOUNTABILITY!
Do not hesitate to buy this book, you will find it a superb read.
Sandy Easton.
This is a sad story, and also an uplifting one about the resilience of the human spirit when faced with dramatic changes to their lives. I have to declare an interest here, as I was a 747 Captain with Cathay Pacific but retired before this whole issue came to a head. In fact, had I not done so, I'm convinced that I also would have been one of the 49ers!
The fascinating thing for me is the exposure of all the "behind the scenes" activity in this book. As a Member of the Union, I was only told what I needed to know and trust my colleagues to do their best for me. This I happily did - along with many others. The revelations about false information, deceit, disregard for the welfare of the crews and arrogance of Management is an object lesson for all. The transcripts of the Court case are fascinating - you can virtually see Cathay Management wriggling on the hook as their falsehoods are dissected with the rapier of a very competent QC!
There are lessons for all to be learnt here. A fascinating read, and not only for those in the aviation world.
Kelvin Sharman.
This book gripped me from the very beginning; for me, it was one of those "couldn't put it down" reads. It may well serve as an unofficial aviation bible for anyone who finds themselves in a similar position to the author. It will also appeal to the layman as Mr. Warham has written the book in a no nonsense way and done away with the `bells and whistles'.
The book starts with the author explaining how he got into aviation and worked his way up through the ranks and became a senior pilot on the Boeing 747 with Cathay Pacific Airways. Later, as well as being a pilot, Mr. Warham also became a prominent member of the HKAOA (Hong Kong Aircrew Officer Association) and then the Chief Negotiator with the CPU (Cathay Pilots Union). Whilst holding this position with the unions their main aim was to negotiate a better rostering practice for the pilots in an attempt to make the operation safer for themselves and the passengers they carried, and to reduce the stress the pilot's were under, which can ultimately cause something known as `cumulative fatigue'. The senior management however had little interest in the union's efforts and their pleas went largely ignored.
Cathay Pacific then sacked 49 pilots and in effect threw them out of their jobs and defamed them in the press and industry at large to the point where they became virtually unemployable. Cathay claimed that they were not sacked because of their union activities but because they were "not acting in the company's best interests", something the 49ers vehemently disagreed with and they eventually proved that this was not the case.
In a bitter twist and at a crucial point in the negotiations the union is suddenly split and one of the author's union colleagues and best friends, who also fought for the same issues and sat by his side throughout the negotiations, jumps ship without mentioning his intentions and tries to set up a break-away union on his own. This only serves to undo a lot of work which had taken years to set up just when it seemed the CPU were making progress with the Cathay management.
Throughout his career Mr. Warham obviously tried to uphold and pass on valuable legacies handed down to him by his father and his Uncle, who both fought in the RAF in WWII, and people in the industry who left a lasting impression on him. Two great quotes in this book are "the best we can hope for is to put as much back into it as we derive from it and leave our profession in a better condition than when we entered it", and later on when some of the senior Cathay management find themselves on the witness stand and wishing they were somewhere else entirely is "with responsibility comes accountability".
The author reveals how the Director of Flight Operations for Cathay Pacific at the time had a degree in `Zoology' - go figure! - and no experience whatsoever in the aviation industry prior to joining the airline. He explains how he'd seen the airline go from working with the staff to working against them, and he lays the blame squarely with the men at the top, The Swires of London, for their mismanagement of the airline.
I had some (what I later found out to be) misconceptions not only about commercial pilots but also the airline industry itself. I now have a better understanding of how the aviation industry operates and also how the legal system works in Hong Kong, and for me this book was a real eye-opener.
A very important point made by the 49ers (only 18 of them "the hard men" managed to stay the full course and later termed themselves the `Band Of Brothers') was that at no time had any of them breached the terms of their contracts. Mr. Warham states, as it currently stands no one employed in Hong Kong from any profession, regardless of their seniority within that company, can expect any protection from their contract of employment. As, in a court of law in Hong Kong their contract will be worthless. The author tells how he's still a shareholder in Cathay Pacific and how he would one day like the airline to succeed and be an airline that people are proud to represent.
A very well-written book that left me wondering whether or not there will be a sequel.
Bluetooth Whizz.
Last edited by 6feetunder; 21st Apr 2011 at 00:15.