I've read several book by Ernie Gann and being a pilot I was in awe of Mr. Gann's story telling ability in "Fate is the Hunter" and thought this is surely the best autobiography ever written. Now having read "Song of Sirens" I have to re-evaluate this opinion. It makes you want to run out and buy a boat!

Ernest K. Gann is, quite simply, a great writer. In Song of the Sirens he writes about his adventures aboard the many ships he has owned. His writing skill takes the reader, even a landlubber like me, along with him to experience what it is like to ride out a storm 50 miles off the coast of Oregon in a fishing trawler or to sail across the Atlantic Ocean with an old, rusty, leaky training boat with a suspect engine. The book is slanted more for the boating afficionado. While he does explain some of the technical terms, a lot of them are obviously for someone who knows sailboats. There are no pictures, either. Pictures of the ships (not boats because, as he explains in the book, a boat is carried by a ship)would have been helpful. All in all, though, this book will greatly appeal to Ernest K. Gann fans, those who enjoy adventure stories, and those who enjoy sailing stories.

When Ernest K. Gann wasn't flying or writing, he was sailing. This is a beautifully put together set of vignettes of the various boats and ships he loved and his voyages on them.

I thought this book to be one of the all time classics of the last generations aviation master storey tellers.

So much of this book one can rediscover the roots of ones own make up and closer connection to the flying world, romance and lifes experience.

I've read and reread this book several times and enjoyed the experience each time.
Thank you Ernie Gann for bringing us fellow airman into your world of storey telling in subjects we all understand.

this is, with out a doubt, one of the best non-fiction adventure books ever written. Gann takes the reader with him through his turbulent life. From movie maker to actor to aviator to seaman to author. his life was a constant adventure and he seemed to never age (at 69 he flew the U-2 spy plane, along with several other high-preformance military aircraft). his style is eloquent and keeps the reader enthralled throughout the book. this is an excellent book, regardless of whether you enjoy aviation books.

This is a book that once you start reading you can't put it down. Outstanding in every way.

I loved it! Great characters. The story made me think. It provided new insights to a topic I love. And I couldn't put it down! What more does a book need to do?

I have read this one many times. It is a personal favorite of mine. If you have any interest in WWI aviation this is the one novel to read. Brings both the gallantry and the despair of this war to the reader. Loved it.

Although I am a fan of Ernest K. Gann I had not heard much about this book before I found it at a used book store and decided to read it. It is a very enjoyable book about WW1 aviation. A fictional work centering on the experiences of two fighter pilots, one French the other German. Written by Gann during his halcion days as a best selling author (1965) it is an excellent read. It was a book of the month club selection when it first came out and is therefore rather plentiful at used book stores and book sales. If you want a hot tip on another of Gann's books that has been pretty much forgotten try Soldier of Fortune. One of his best even though it is not about Flying. Also made into a pretty good movie staring Clark Gable.

Ernest Gann's books have been an inspiration to all those with a love and Passion for Flight. His insight into the atmosphere and feeling of those of us who take to the skies,is as close as one can get to flight without leaving the ground.
Thankyou "Old Pelican" Keep your Wings Level.Bon Voyage

Ernie Gann's love of aviation burns brightly in this review of classic aircraft. His inimitable style puts you into the action, sweating one minute, and laughing hysterically the next.

The final chapter of this book, On the Beak of an Ancient Pelican, is an excellent glimpse into Ernie's writing style. Anyone who loves flying will love Gann's works.

There's an old adage that 'victors write the history books.' "The Antagonists" is a tale that confirms that old adage. Everyone has heard of the mighty Roman Empire that nearly conquered the world and imposed its' rule wherever it went. What many people don't know that historians do is that Romans went to the Holy Land (Israel) and brutally subjugated its' people, the Jews. They destroyed Jerusalem, massacred entire villages of thousands as symbols of Roman power, and lined the roads of Israel with crucifixes on which corpses were cruelly hung. In the midst of this Roman killing, some people would not give up no matter the cost and "The Antagonists" is their story, the story of a small group who escaped to a fortress known as Masada.

Masada itself is the name of a fortress built in Northern Israel by king Herod and it was old before the time of Jesus (It was built sometime between 37 to 4 B.C.E.). When the Romans came to Israel, the Jews had mixed opinions about how to deal with the Roman Empire. Thought was split between quite a few groups. The basic differences were between people who welcomed the Roman Empire because of the prosperity it could possibly bring and those who condemned the Roman Empire for its' cultural depravity (Orgies, gladiatorial combat, sacrifice, etc.). Eventually the Romans made the decision easy by imposing crippling taxes on the people and religious oppression. This was the straw that broke the camels back and all the Jews no matter their political differences united. Unfortunately, their unification happened too late. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and razed the Great Temple from the Bible. The survivors fled north to a fortress known as' Masada.

"The Antagonists," the book by Ernest Gann, is also known by the title 'Masada,' tells the story of this small group of 960 Jews who defied the Roman Empire by refusing to give in to Roman demands. It tells the story of Elazer Ben Yair, leader of the Jews, and Flavius Silva, general of Rome's elite Tenth Legion. It tells the story of how Elazer and his small group decided to commit suicide when it became apparent the Roman army would soon breach the walls of Masada. This mass suicide rocked the ancient world, and many peoples oppressed by the Roman Empire took heart in the symbol of a small people who never gave in. The alternative to giving in facing the fortress's defenders was hardly more attractive than death. Once the Romans defeated them, the men could expect to be sold off as slaves or crucified, and the women would be condemned to slavery and prostitution.

Much of the basis of the story is historical thanks to the saved accounts of a Jew turned traitor to Masada's defenders: Flavius Josephus. Josephus as he is better known wrote a history book known as 'The Jewish War' that the Roman Emperor Vespasian had commissioned. As the adage goes, 'victors write the history books,' and Vespasian commissioned Flavius to write a history book that extolled his accomplishments as Roman Emperor including the conquering of Masada. For the Romans, commissioning a person who had actually witnessed the history he was extolling was highly unusual. Most Roman history books were written by men who lived hundreds of years after the events being retold. 'The Jewish Wars' tells the tale of the siege of Masada from the Roman's vantage, but includes details that, to this day, have been useful to archeologists exploring Masada's ruins. Ernest Gann used 'The Jewish Wars' in addition to other references to write his historical fiction novel of the siege of Masada.

I recommend reading Yigal Yadin's (one of the archeologists who has explored Masada) book 'Masada,' Flavius Josephus' 'The Jewish Wars,' as well as trying to rent the 1981 ABC television series 'Masada,' which starred Peter O'Toole. The screenplay of the 1981 ABC television series was made using 'Masada' or "the Antagonists," the novel by Ernest Gann. The television series was very well done and I enjoyed it very much.

I highly recommend the novel 'Masada' or 'The Antagonists' as it is also known. It is a wonderful novel of fascinating historical fiction.

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan

Judge Julian Hickock believes in the law--even more than he believes in himself. But now the lawlessness that he deals with daily threatens his private life, sweeping in its wake his son, and the loving young woman who has changed his middle age into the best time of his life.

THE MAGISTRATE is a story of passion and justice, of love and revenge, and of one man with the awesome power of life itself.

One of Ernest K. Gann's many classics. The story takes place in Hong Kong in the 1950's. A woman goes searching for her husband who has been captured by the chinese communists. She procures the help of a mysterious American with shadowy connections to help get him back. A finely crafted novel with many interesting characters, but also very believable, with a splendid ending. They don't write them like this anymore. And even if they tried they could'nt top Ernie Gann. For some interesting insight read Gann's autobiography, A HOSTAGE TO FORTUNE, with some background on developing the story for this book as well as being a very interesting book in its own right.

I first read this sea story of a mans love for a dying sailing ship and way of life when working on Okinawa in the 60's. Years passed and I foregot the title and author but always wish I knew because I wanted to read it again .Brousing in a used book store one day I found it and was thrilled.The ending is the best of any story I have ever read. I re read it every couple of years and give paper backs to friends to read.

First off, I am an aviation nut. I am a student pilot and aspiring ATP. For me, finding a good book let alone a good aviation book is nearly impossible. So many books are chocked full of technicalities that I either already know or don't care about. Finding a truly interesting aviation book is a rare treat. After about 2 pages of 'Fate is the Hunter' I was truly hooked. This book puts you right in the cockpit with Mr. Gann as you venture the world from the start of his flying career on the DC-2 to flying across the endless Pacific during WWII when airlines were called to help the war effort. Mr. Gann is truly a talented writer and in my opinion one of the best in Aviation right up with St Ex. If you are as engrossed in aviation as I am, this is one book you wont want to put down and will wish would never end.

Being a fan of aviation and spending a great deal of my time reading about various pilots and aircraft, it is without a doubt easy to confess that FATE IS THE HUNTER is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. Probably one of the greatest things about this book is that you really do not have to know a lot about aviation to really understand it. While it is true that Gann writes in a style that is somewhat different from most of the more contemporary writers, it can still be said that the way that he tells this story is will entertain, inform and captivate who ever reads it. Probably the most unique thing about this book is that you do not have to know much about aviation to appreciate and enjoy it. Infact, just about anyone who has been in an aircraft can and most likely will find this story at the least appreciable and at the most an eye opener to the world of commercial aviation and the courages pioneers of commercial flight who insticts and abilities are seldom matched by todays standards. Those who have read this book know what I speak of and to those who have not read it I strongly recommend it. The pilots, the planes and the elements of flight have never been described the they have been in FATE IS THE HUNTER. Read it, enjoy it and appreciate it.

A wonderful story with history and life mixed together. Well written and insightful. Told in a simple manner by a man honest with himself and others. Hard times can make good people. And hard lessons can make good pilots. Buy this book and deliver the mail in icy weather without radar or sometimes even hope. Deliver war material anywhere in the world. A single mistake can be your last. Even if you don't care about airplanes- read this book. He will tell you about people- and yourself.

I first read this book in the late 50s in the Readers Digest edition;I guess I would be about 12 at the time. Its one of those books that leaves a lasting impression-after 40 years I can almost remember what page things happened on, and I can recall all the names and the frontispiece drawing .It was the very first book that started a lifelong habit-reading slower and slower so as to postpone the evil moment I finish a really good book. I was so drawn to the novel that one of my main hobbies is still aircraft accident investigations, and I am by profession a forensic scientist. Recently I came to realise that the plot was closely based on true events -a series of runaway propellers on Stratocruisers over the Pacific just past the point of no return, which caused engine fires, loss of propeller, running out of fuel and tense hours before either ditching in the sea (1956)or eventually landing in Hawaii against all the odds(1957). Trouble is, the book was written several years before either of these events! Yet even the fine detail is mirrored between novel and real life.
If anyone is interested in reading about the real crashes, which also involve heroic fights against the odds and in one case a planned ditching right in the middle of the Pacific next to the only ship for 500 miles (does this sound familiar from the novel...)buy Air Disaster vol 4 (The propeller Era)by Macarthur Job. Or look up CGC Pontchartrain on the internet
At the age of 12, I guess I wasnt too bothered about the personal characterisations and sub-plots but rereading the book this year, they still dont seem too bad to me. After all, Ed McBain invented a genre with his excellent and popular police procedural novels without much depth of characterisation-perhaps we can call Mr Gann's books 'plane procedurals'?
Either way, this is a rattling good read which stands up well after 50 years and has the benefit of faultless and, as it turns out prescient, research. The film of the book is rather less clear in my mind but I remember it as being very true to the book in plot and fairly close in characterisation. It was the first 'disaster' movie or should that be non-disaster movie? Oops, gave the ending away!

I first read "The High and The Mighty" in a Reader's Digest Condensed Books version and, later, the entire book, courtesy of the Manhasset, NY, public library, followed by the movie. If you love aviation, especially the Gann descriptions which put you in the cockpit with Dan Roman as he struggles with his pilot to squeeze every drop of avgas to produce more air miles, you'll thoroughly enjoy this book. Gann's "Fate Is the Hunter" perhaps contains more aviation data, but H & M combines aviation thrills with the individual lives of the passengers and crew. The characters stick with you over the years. I haven't read the book in more than 35 years, yet the names remain...stewardess Spalding, copilot Roman, navigator Leonard, the aging Mr. Briscoe, Sally, Hobie and all the rest. Gann brings these characters home to you in a way few authors can match.//I'd like to find a hard copy edition some day, but the thought struck me tonight that a second ! best opportunity might be to contact Reader's Digest for their copy of the condensed version of "The High and The Mighty." Finally, I strongly hope that John Wayne's family gives public access to the movie version of this great story. Any suggestions on how to move this along? Please let me know. I'll be glad to help.

Gann had a special gift in his ability to capture the everyday people and events of life and carry them into an unexpected and revealing landscape. This 45 year old story is somewhat dated, but remains engaging and well crafted. I'm still looking for a signed copy.