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POSTED: 23 JUNE 2010
Sully: a reluctant hero details the life behind "the miracle of the Hudson"*
Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (with Jeffrey Zaslow), Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters
William Morrow | 352pp paperback | $32.99 | To be published October 2010
On 15 January last year, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger had less than three minutes to plan and execute the stunning water landing hailed around the world as “the miracle on the Hudson”. But in Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters Sully reveals how he’d really spent just about his entire life preparing for those fateful minutes in the cockpit of US Airways Flight 1549, when his actions would mean life or death for 155 people.
While Flight 1549 has made Captain Sullenberger one of the most famous pilots since Charles Lindbergh, this quiet, intensely private man has remained largely a mystery until now. In Highest Duty, Sullenberger looks at his life — from growing up in rural Denison, Texas, to flying fighter jets in the US Air Force, to ascending the ranks as a commercial pilot — exploring the people and experiences that have shaped him personally and professionally.
Though he insists he’s not a hero, Sully is undeniably an inspiration who has lived according to a code based on integrity, courage, discipline, passion and humanity that transcends occupation.
Sully, who knew from the age of five that he wanted to be a pilot, writes about the exhilaration of his first solo flight at age 16, fondly remembering the taciturn crop-dusting pilot who taught him to fly. He candidly describes his father, a complicated and sometimes troubled man, who nevertheless taught his son by example about devotion to family and pride in hard work.
He explains how he forged an unwavering commitment to excellence in the Air Force. Though he was never in combat, the flying was risky and demanding. He saw fellow pilots die during training missions and had close calls himself — vivid lessons on the dire consequences of making a mistake in flight.
On the personal side, he opens up about the challenges of his 20-year marriage, including infertility. While he writes lovingly about his wife and their two adopted daughters, he admits his career choice has taken a toll on family life. To pursue his passion for flying, he’s sacrificed many precious days at home.
Highest Duty also puts readers in the cockpit of Flight 1549, and details for the first time exactly what he was doing, thinking and feeling in the harrowing minutes between the thud of birds striking the plane to the jolt of the aircraft hitting water. He takes us through the evacuation of the plane, the dramatic rescue of passengers shivering on the wings of the sinking plane, and his agonising wait for word that all 155 people on board were accounted for and safe.
Written with humility and insight, Highest Duty gives us an intimate understanding of the man behind one of the most amazing events in the history of aviation. Sully’s example reminds us that cultivating seemingly ordinary virtues can prepare us to commit extraordinary acts.
*NOTE: Based on media release issued by HarperCollins.
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