John J. Nance
Author of Pandora's Clock
About the Author
John J. Nance was born on July 5, 1946. He received a Bachelor's Degree from SMU and a Juris Doctor from SMU School of Law, and is a licensed aerospace attorney. He is a decorated Air Force pilot veteran of Vietnam and Operations Desert Storm/Desert Shield, and he is a Lieutenant Colonel in the show more USAF Reserve. He is also an internationally recognized air safety analyst and advocate, and is the Aviation Analyst for ABC World News and the Aviation Editor for Good Morning America. He has written several non-fiction books including Splash of Colors, Blind Trust, On Shaky Ground, What Goes Up, and Golden Boy. He has also written numerous novels including Final Approach, Scorpion Strike, Phoenix Rising, The Last Hostage, Blackout, Headwind, Turbulence, Skyhook, Fire Flight, and Saving Cascadia. His novels Pandora's Clock and Medusa's Child both aired as two-part mini-series on television. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Copyright Eye On Books.
Series
Works by John J. Nance
Why Hospitals Should Fly: The Ultimate Flight Plan to Patient Safety and Quality Care (2008) 58 copies, 1 review
Orbita (Seleções - Orbit) 1 copy
Virus en el vuelo 66 1 copy
Associated Works
Reader's Digest Select Editions 1997 v05 #233: The Partner / All God's Children / Medusa's Child / Only Son (1997) — Author — 94 copies, 2 reviews
Reader's Digest Condensed Books 1991 v03: The Firm / Payment in Full / Final Approach / Home Ground (1991) — Author — 23 copies
Australian Reader's Digest Select Editions: Under Orders • The Husband • Scared to Live • Orbit (2007) 16 copies, 1 review
Reader's Digest Auswahlbücher 183 : Letzter Anflug auf Kansas Citiy. Ein Lied gegen die Finsternis. Spiel mit der Angst. Traum im Polarnebel (1992) — Author — 10 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: The Rainmaker • Wedding Night • Phoenix Rising • Cloud Shadows (1996) — Author — 4 copies
Reader's Digest Auswahlbücher 237 - Blackout im Cockpit. Das Schweigen des Glücks. Eifel-Sturm. Die Verheissung der Quelle (2000) 4 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1946-07-05
- Gender
- male
- Relationships
- Bartholomew, Kathleen (-1, spouse)
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Dallas, Texas, USA
- Places of residence
- University Place, Washington, USA
San Juan Island, Washington, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- Washington, USA
Members
Reviews
5-star reviews are rare for me, so that's how impressed I was with the tight writing, plot, and characters in "16 Souls." I've been a fan of John J. Nance for quite a few years now and feel that this is his finest work.
In this book, a pilot is put in the impossible position of choosing who lives and most probably dies after a mid-air collision between his jumbo jet and a commuter plane shortly after their Denver takeoff in a blizzard. The collision has improbably left both planes flying, show more but just barely, The commuter is badly crippled but still in the air only because it's attached to one of the jumbo jet's wings. The jumbo jet's ability to function normally has been compromised by the collision. Add to this impossibly bad weather making the return for an emergency landing abundantly difficult and you have the makings for a white-knuckler.
Nance weaves the story in and around the succeeding 2nd-degree murder trial facing the pilot after landing his damaged jet and the fall-out that was part of that action.
I don't say this often, but this truly was a book that I couldn't put down until I got to its very satisfying ending. show less
In this book, a pilot is put in the impossible position of choosing who lives and most probably dies after a mid-air collision between his jumbo jet and a commuter plane shortly after their Denver takeoff in a blizzard. The collision has improbably left both planes flying, show more but just barely, The commuter is badly crippled but still in the air only because it's attached to one of the jumbo jet's wings. The jumbo jet's ability to function normally has been compromised by the collision. Add to this impossibly bad weather making the return for an emergency landing abundantly difficult and you have the makings for a white-knuckler.
Nance weaves the story in and around the succeeding 2nd-degree murder trial facing the pilot after landing his damaged jet and the fall-out that was part of that action.
I don't say this often, but this truly was a book that I couldn't put down until I got to its very satisfying ending. show less
Originally published in 1990, Final Approach is a thriller about an A360 Airbus flying into a 737 filled with passengers waiting for takeoff. The protagonist is Joe Wallingford, an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Wallingford is assigned as chief investigator when a horrific crash occurs between two jumbo passenger jets at Kansas City International Airport, leaving almost everyone aboard both planes dead. Survivors include each pilot.
The first third of the show more book of the riveting. Nance’s description of the crash itself covers a few pages and is absolutely stunning in detailing the horror of the accident and its aftermath. It is Wallingford and his team’s responsibility to determine what went wrong. Immediately, things don’t seem to add up.
Because the story is set in 1990, the characters do not have instant communication as we do now. It was actually fun to turn back the clock and go back to the days when mobile phones were huge and the car rental companies who had them available with certain models of vehicles were few in number. Pay phones were still everywhere. The fastest way to communicate anything written on paper was via FedEx overnight delivery. At that time, FedEx seemed like the Jetsons’ era.
But, do not think the story slows down without cell phones, instant messenger and e-mail. There are multiple storylines going here, as Wallingford and his people track down various theories and some tips on what happened. Because a congressman was on board one of the planes, they have to rule political assassination. There was an Air Force jet with a prototype of a self-contained radar unit onboard which took off just yards from the 737 before it was impacted by the A320. Did the radar emit magnetic waves that interfered with the landing gear on the A320? Was it pilot error?
Nance addresses the tragedy from all perspectives – professionally, personally and politically. NTSB, FAA, the airlines and airplane manufacturers all have professional stakes in the investigation and its outcomes. In addition to the congressman onboard who was killed, there was a US senator on the ground at the airport, inside what was supposed to be a secured area, who hightailed it out of there after both planes burst into flames. Was he there to make sure the hit on the congressman was carried out? Who was he?
Although Nance keeps the pace of the novel moving along, he could have tightened the story up. The reader could do without the two clandestine love affairs. They really add nothing to the story, particularly since each female half of the affair is a perfect woman even through the males involved are kind of schleppy. Why do male authors go so overboard in the perfection of the females they give their protagonists? The other threads that we follow through the book were interesting but even some of them could have been shortened and tightened a bit.
Still, a good read. Lots of technical stuff about jets and how accident investigations are carried out. I found it interesting and I don’t even fly very much. show less
Wallingford is assigned as chief investigator when a horrific crash occurs between two jumbo passenger jets at Kansas City International Airport, leaving almost everyone aboard both planes dead. Survivors include each pilot.
The first third of the show more book of the riveting. Nance’s description of the crash itself covers a few pages and is absolutely stunning in detailing the horror of the accident and its aftermath. It is Wallingford and his team’s responsibility to determine what went wrong. Immediately, things don’t seem to add up.
Because the story is set in 1990, the characters do not have instant communication as we do now. It was actually fun to turn back the clock and go back to the days when mobile phones were huge and the car rental companies who had them available with certain models of vehicles were few in number. Pay phones were still everywhere. The fastest way to communicate anything written on paper was via FedEx overnight delivery. At that time, FedEx seemed like the Jetsons’ era.
But, do not think the story slows down without cell phones, instant messenger and e-mail. There are multiple storylines going here, as Wallingford and his people track down various theories and some tips on what happened. Because a congressman was on board one of the planes, they have to rule political assassination. There was an Air Force jet with a prototype of a self-contained radar unit onboard which took off just yards from the 737 before it was impacted by the A320. Did the radar emit magnetic waves that interfered with the landing gear on the A320? Was it pilot error?
Nance addresses the tragedy from all perspectives – professionally, personally and politically. NTSB, FAA, the airlines and airplane manufacturers all have professional stakes in the investigation and its outcomes. In addition to the congressman onboard who was killed, there was a US senator on the ground at the airport, inside what was supposed to be a secured area, who hightailed it out of there after both planes burst into flames. Was he there to make sure the hit on the congressman was carried out? Who was he?
Although Nance keeps the pace of the novel moving along, he could have tightened the story up. The reader could do without the two clandestine love affairs. They really add nothing to the story, particularly since each female half of the affair is a perfect woman even through the males involved are kind of schleppy. Why do male authors go so overboard in the perfection of the females they give their protagonists? The other threads that we follow through the book were interesting but even some of them could have been shortened and tightened a bit.
Still, a good read. Lots of technical stuff about jets and how accident investigations are carried out. I found it interesting and I don’t even fly very much. show less
In the after Reagan aviation world, a tragic and inexplicable accident involves two aircraft, one of which, in a night of witches Sabbath, literally falls over the other. In addition to the many lost lives, around one of the two planes gathers mysteries that have too much to do with politics and the lobbying that goes with it, in addition to a large amount of human misery.
I am not, generally speaking, crazy for legal thrillers, but this one I really liked, although it may be in effect show more classified under this type. The situations and characters are vibrant and lifelike, the plot tight, full of twists and turns that keep the reader literally glued to the page, and the undoubted technical expertise of the author has so far dispensed by a clear language reminiscent of the top science writers.
Only the final, a bit sugary and predictable, has prevented me from giving this novel the best score.
Thank Open Road Integrated Media and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Nel mondo dell'aeronautica statunitense del dopo Reagan, un tragico e inspiegabile incidente coinvolge due aerei, uno dei quali, in una notte di tregenda, precipita letteralmente sopra l'altro. Oltre alle numerose vite perse, intorno a uno dei due aerei si addensano misteri che troppo hanno a che fare con la politica e il lobbysmo che ne consegue, oltre a una grossa dose di umana miseria.
Non sono, generalmente parlando, una patita dei legal thriller, ma questo, anche se può essere a tutti gli effetti classificato sotto questo genere, mi è veramente piaciuto. Le situazioni e i personaggi sono vibranti e verosimili, la trama serrata, piena di colpi di scena che tengono il lettore letteralmente incollato alla pagina, e l'indubbia competenza tecnica dell'autore è così ben dosata per mezzo di un chiaro linguaggio che ricorda quello dei migliori divulgatori scientifici.
Solo il finale, un po' mieloso e scontato, impedisce di dare a questo romanzo il massimo del punteggio.
Ringrazio Open Road Integrated Media e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.
Merged review:
In the after Reagan aviation world, a tragic and inexplicable accident involves two aircraft, one of which, in a night of witches Sabbath, literally falls over the other. In addition to the many lost lives, around one of the two planes gathers mysteries that have too much to do with politics and the lobbying that goes with it, in addition to a large amount of human misery.
I am not, generally speaking, crazy for legal thrillers, but this one I really liked, although it may be in effect classified under this type. The situations and characters are vibrant and lifelike, the plot tight, full of twists and turns that keep the reader literally glued to the page, and the undoubted technical expertise of the author has so far dispensed by a clear language reminiscent of the top science writers.
Only the final, a bit sugary and predictable, has prevented me from giving this novel the best score.
Thank Open Road Integrated Media and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Nel mondo dell'aeronautica statunitense del dopo Reagan, un tragico e inspiegabile incidente coinvolge due aerei, uno dei quali, in una notte di tregenda, precipita letteralmente sopra l'altro. Oltre alle numerose vite perse, intorno a uno dei due aerei si addensano misteri che troppo hanno a che fare con la politica e il lobbysmo che ne consegue, oltre a una grossa dose di umana miseria.
Non sono, generalmente parlando, una patita dei legal thriller, ma questo, anche se può essere a tutti gli effetti classificato sotto questo genere, mi è veramente piaciuto. Le situazioni e i personaggi sono vibranti e verosimili, la trama serrata, piena di colpi di scena che tengono il lettore letteralmente incollato alla pagina, e l'indubbia competenza tecnica dell'autore è così ben dosata per mezzo di un chiaro linguaggio che ricorda quello dei migliori divulgatori scientifici.
Solo il finale, un po' mieloso e scontato, impedisce di dare a questo romanzo il massimo del punteggio.
Ringrazio Open Road Integrated Media e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta. show less
I am not, generally speaking, crazy for legal thrillers, but this one I really liked, although it may be in effect show more classified under this type. The situations and characters are vibrant and lifelike, the plot tight, full of twists and turns that keep the reader literally glued to the page, and the undoubted technical expertise of the author has so far dispensed by a clear language reminiscent of the top science writers.
Only the final, a bit sugary and predictable, has prevented me from giving this novel the best score.
Thank Open Road Integrated Media and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Nel mondo dell'aeronautica statunitense del dopo Reagan, un tragico e inspiegabile incidente coinvolge due aerei, uno dei quali, in una notte di tregenda, precipita letteralmente sopra l'altro. Oltre alle numerose vite perse, intorno a uno dei due aerei si addensano misteri che troppo hanno a che fare con la politica e il lobbysmo che ne consegue, oltre a una grossa dose di umana miseria.
Non sono, generalmente parlando, una patita dei legal thriller, ma questo, anche se può essere a tutti gli effetti classificato sotto questo genere, mi è veramente piaciuto. Le situazioni e i personaggi sono vibranti e verosimili, la trama serrata, piena di colpi di scena che tengono il lettore letteralmente incollato alla pagina, e l'indubbia competenza tecnica dell'autore è così ben dosata per mezzo di un chiaro linguaggio che ricorda quello dei migliori divulgatori scientifici.
Solo il finale, un po' mieloso e scontato, impedisce di dare a questo romanzo il massimo del punteggio.
Ringrazio Open Road Integrated Media e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.
Merged review:
In the after Reagan aviation world, a tragic and inexplicable accident involves two aircraft, one of which, in a night of witches Sabbath, literally falls over the other. In addition to the many lost lives, around one of the two planes gathers mysteries that have too much to do with politics and the lobbying that goes with it, in addition to a large amount of human misery.
I am not, generally speaking, crazy for legal thrillers, but this one I really liked, although it may be in effect classified under this type. The situations and characters are vibrant and lifelike, the plot tight, full of twists and turns that keep the reader literally glued to the page, and the undoubted technical expertise of the author has so far dispensed by a clear language reminiscent of the top science writers.
Only the final, a bit sugary and predictable, has prevented me from giving this novel the best score.
Thank Open Road Integrated Media and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Nel mondo dell'aeronautica statunitense del dopo Reagan, un tragico e inspiegabile incidente coinvolge due aerei, uno dei quali, in una notte di tregenda, precipita letteralmente sopra l'altro. Oltre alle numerose vite perse, intorno a uno dei due aerei si addensano misteri che troppo hanno a che fare con la politica e il lobbysmo che ne consegue, oltre a una grossa dose di umana miseria.
Non sono, generalmente parlando, una patita dei legal thriller, ma questo, anche se può essere a tutti gli effetti classificato sotto questo genere, mi è veramente piaciuto. Le situazioni e i personaggi sono vibranti e verosimili, la trama serrata, piena di colpi di scena che tengono il lettore letteralmente incollato alla pagina, e l'indubbia competenza tecnica dell'autore è così ben dosata per mezzo di un chiaro linguaggio che ricorda quello dei migliori divulgatori scientifici.
Solo il finale, un po' mieloso e scontato, impedisce di dare a questo romanzo il massimo del punteggio.
Ringrazio Open Road Integrated Media e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta. show less
I received [b: Final Approach|875100|Final Approach|John J. Nance|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320558131s/875100.jpg|254920] by [a: John J. Nance|24794|John J. Nance|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] from NetGalley. This is in exchange for an honest review. I got an Amazon.Kindle e-book version.
It took me a few pages to buckle my seat belts, and relax into the first class seat. Once I strapped in, the experience was exciting, tragic show more and meaningful. It is a trip that I will not soon forget.
This novel begins with excitement, groans in horror, and keeps the reader breathless. It is pure artful writing that keeps suspense growing. The solutions to the mysteries remain elusive, and the subplots gain substance. [a: John J. Nance|24794|John J. Nance|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] does this.
This is not just an airplane story. It covers current events and the instability of our Nation.
Corruption in government and good guys hide in fiction, but truths are revealed.
[b: Final Approach|875100|Final Approach|John J. Nance|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320558131s/875100.jpg|254920] brought up memories of "Airport" by Arthur Hailey that I read in 1970. There is the manliness of Clive Cussler and Lee Child books.
"Final Approach" does not leave women out. There are strong female protagonists at work in this novel.
If you are looking for a gift for your dad, brother or other aeronautic fan, I recommend this book. I will request our library to carry it.
I see a movie at the end of the runway. show less
It took me a few pages to buckle my seat belts, and relax into the first class seat. Once I strapped in, the experience was exciting, tragic show more and meaningful. It is a trip that I will not soon forget.
This novel begins with excitement, groans in horror, and keeps the reader breathless. It is pure artful writing that keeps suspense growing. The solutions to the mysteries remain elusive, and the subplots gain substance. [a: John J. Nance|24794|John J. Nance|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] does this.
This is not just an airplane story. It covers current events and the instability of our Nation.
Corruption in government and good guys hide in fiction, but truths are revealed.
[b: Final Approach|875100|Final Approach|John J. Nance|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320558131s/875100.jpg|254920] brought up memories of "Airport" by Arthur Hailey that I read in 1970. There is the manliness of Clive Cussler and Lee Child books.
"Final Approach" does not leave women out. There are strong female protagonists at work in this novel.
If you are looking for a gift for your dad, brother or other aeronautic fan, I recommend this book. I will request our library to carry it.
I see a movie at the end of the runway. show less
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- Works
- 43
- Also by
- 17
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- 3,702
- Popularity
- #6,846
- Rating
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