This book was fascinating. It not only offered a look into the history and development of international air travel, but of the women who helped shape it. I had no idea of the role airline stewardesses played in so many historical events, most of all Operation Baby Drop, where Vietnamese orphans were airlifted to new lives in the west. Well written and well researched, with personal stories from stewardesses of different backgrounds and different ages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. I found this book very interesting, with political issues that arose from the early days of commercial flying. The manner in which this is told is well done, because by giving us the background of a few early women in this field, it read like a novel. It's amazing, truly, how far we've come.

As someone who would have had neither the patience nor the looks necessary to become one of the famous Pan Am stewardesses, reading Come Fly the World was both intensely frustrating and illuminating to read. I learned so much about the logistical maze women had to navigate in order to have a chance at an independent life and satisfying career, while at the same time being careful not to appear too confident, or loose, or angry, or single-minded, or flirty, or prudish, or smart, or arrogant, or frustrated, or, or or…
Cooke also does a great job at identifying the different hoops that non-white women had to jump through in order to get the same meager opportunities.
What surprised me the most about this book was how intertwined the U.S. commercial airline industry was with U.S. military conflicts overseas. Going into this, I knew very little about “Operation Babylift,” or the role that stewardesses played in getting information and personnel in and out of Vietnam, and now I can recite the million different flight paths in and out of Saigon during the Vietnam War by heart. Not sure where I’ll be able to show off this newfound knowledge, but I’ll give it a shot at the next (post-Covid) party.

4.5/5 🌟
Come Fly the World Is a thoughtfully and thoroughly researched book about the golden age of jet travel and the women who made it possible - the stewardesses (now known as flight attendants, and a profession no longer limited only to women of course).

It’s a fascinating look at a seemingly glamorous career for the world’s first international airline, Pan Am, and the stewardesses’ crucial role in the airline’s expansion and dominance. At the time, being a stewardess inspired awe. In reality, it reeked of sexism-the parameters were unyielding and specific with regard to age, weight, height and marital status, and the uniforms ran from matronly to nearly inappropriate as the years went on-and expected tireless commitment and a vast knowledge base.

The women who made careers out of being a stewardess were intelligent, strong, adventure seeking people who didn’t conform society’s idea of a woman’s role. The book tells the stories of just a handful of women and follows their careers. I was amazed at the range of activities these women were expected to perform - from preparing and serving meals, to ensuring the safety of the passengers, to understanding complicated foreign diplomacy in different African countries and accompanying soldiers to war in Vietnam, to and from their R&R trips, and even for a final trip home, either in a seat or a coffin.

I walked away from the book in awe of these pioneering women and their ability to serve drinks and make their (mostly male) passengers comfortable while also remaining calm in the face of hijackings, being shot at in war zones and even performing lifesaving escapes for foreign diplomats and Vietmanese orphans.

Cooke has presented an absolutely fascinating look at this golden age and how this profession in particular contributed to the feminist movement of the mid century and into the 70s.
While parts of it were dense and confusing (I was lost a bit when she described the political climate of Liberia at the time for example) but overall this is a exceptionally written and very interesting read!

Come Fly The World is a fascinating look at the stewardesses of PanAm. I clearly knew very little about this amazing group of women and I’m so grateful I read this book. From the early days of ground breaking transcontinental air travel, to their early advocacy for women’s right and anti-racist work, these women really did it all. They were incredibly well-educated, adventure seeking, and feminist to the core. I had no idea about their role in transporting soldiers and orphans in and out of war zones during Vietnam. Absolutely incredible. Highly recommend this book.

Some interesting historical tidbits here but, and history again, pretty cringe worthy from a feminist perspective in general. The narrative was scattered and could use some better focus or organization, maybe.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book!

All I know about the golden age of flying is from the movies and TV shows. And as we all know, Hollywood often doesn't exactly tell the truth. So I was eager to learn more about the stewardesses of this age, known for their glamour and somewhat loose morals. Come Fly the World delivered.

Come Fly the World is the story of the stewardesses of Pan Am airlines, an airline that flew exclusively international flights and was the leader of the jet-age American airline industry. The book focuses primarily on the stories of four stewardesses, but only loosely as they relate to the larger narrative. It was interesting to learn about the life of a stewardess, which offered more in terms of independence than was typical of a woman of that time. The role that these stewardesses played in the Vietnam War was also new, and very interesting, as was the rules that the stewardesses had to live by (weight checks, uniform requirements, retire when married, no pregnancies, etc.).

While I enjoyed learning new things, I found the narrative of the book rather disjointed. I hard a hard time keeping track of all of the people mentioned, especially the four women that formed the nucleus of the story. Someone would be introduced, we would stick with them for a chapter, and then meet up with them again several chapters later, by which time I'd forgotten where we'd last left them.

In all, a good read for anyone interested in learning about airlines and women's history.

One of my absolute favorite eras is the 1960s leading into the 1970s. If you're someone who loves Mad Men or anything from that time, this is the book for you. When the series Pan Am was cancelled, I always craved more stories from that time and experience in travel and aviation. Furthermore, the direct encounters and societal norms that women faced during the era are especially intriguing to me.

Last year, I made a conscious effort to read more non-fiction. I achieved this by starting with reading at least one non-fiction book to my reading schedule every month. Pair my relatively new foray into non-fiction with a subject that has always fascinated me makes for a highly anticipated read. Happy to report that I was not disappointed - in fact, I absolutely loved this book.

Having stated my efforts to read more non-fiction, I have to admit something. This read much more like a novel than I would have expected. A welcome surprise that only helped in imagining the stories of the stewardesses that set the history of travel in motion. What is clear no matter the scenarios faced is that these women were educated and self-assured in an era that is often recollected as a sea of "Betty Drapers".

The women are a very diverse group, all who had a very different experience within the same uniformity of the airline and its rules. I was especially drawn to Hazel Bowie, one of the very few Black stewardesses during that time. Her experience as a woman of color was poignant and my only complaint about this book is that I could have read a lot more pages about her.

Furthermore, the author goes into describing Pan Am's role during the Vietnam War. This was something I knew about, but not in the kind of depth described here. I appreciated the gripping accounts of soldiers being flown in and out of battle. The book is nothing short of exciting to say the least.

I would highly recommend this to anyone. A captivating account about Pan Am and first hand accounts from the women who experienced it.

Going off on a little tangent here but how beautiful is the cover? There have been a lot of beautiful ones lately, but the contents haven't been matching up. In this case, the glamour, power, and artistry depicted on front was ever present on the inside.

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I wish history class was in school was this interesting! This book was part history lesson, part memoir as it followed several Pan Am stewardesses during their tenure with the airline. These women had a first hand view of several moments in history, especially in Vietnam. I love how the author provided a historical, accurate background interspersed with the stories of these amazing women who flew the skies with Pan Am.

When reading this book, readers need to remember that the cultural and sexism towards women is different that it was today. Women were treated differently, and this book depicts this. If this is something that offends you, I do not recommend this book. However, if you are able to acknowledge that this is what women went through (and still experience daily), then you will enjoy this book immensely.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

It would be easy to get frustrated with this book based on a feminist viewpoint. The beyond blatant sexualization of stewardesses and the infuriating mindset of corporate men (I imagine this to the the same type of mentality when some men who believe that exotic dancers "really like" them).

Doing so, however, would be a deprivation. The book is rich in history and reading about the struggles and victories of these women kept me occupied and held my interest.


I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to Julia Cooke, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and NetGalley.

Far from being a story about the glamor of the "jet-age", this well-researched book is about some of the very independent and educated women who became stewardesses for Pan Am when it was the premiere airline. I found it very interesting because I've flown for a major carrier for the past 35 years, but I never realized the contribution flight attendants made toward equality for women and in changing the thinking of modern culture in the roll of women in society. I also never really knew how involved Pan Am was in "Operation Baby-Lift" when hundreds of orphans were rescued from Vietnam. Also discussed is how the very swinging 747 contributed to the demise of Pan Am, partly because of the soaring cost of jet fuel. Told through the stories of five former Pan Am stewardesses, this is a compelling chronicle of 20th-century American history. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC edition of this book.

Come Fly The World is so much superior to what we have come to expect from a book about the world of the stewardess. It does not have salacious tidbits about celebrity passengers but it does give an insider’s look at what the job was like in a bygone era of glamorous jet travel. It is not a memoir per say but the author does have first hand stories from women who were flight attendants in that era. In fact, until reading the author’s notes at the end, I thought that those characters might be a composite of many women. Of particular impact are the stories of Pan Am and it’s crews during the Vietnam War. Their service to the soldiers and, in the aftermath, to the children left behind has not to my knowledge been widely known. In the end, I would classify this wonderful book as a very readable social history that anyone with a love of traveling and our world will love.

<i>Come Fly the World</I> details the history of flight attendants. The jazzy cover and description grabbed my attention. I love air travel and enjoy the history of women in the workforce, so this seemed like a great read. I thought the content was excellent, but the delivery fell flat for me. I wanted to like this book so much. I'd read a bit, think the narrative was fascinating (plane hijackers, hot pants and fishnets, and EEOC lawsuits!), and then lose attention/want to put the book down because nothing kept it flowing for me.

It seems like others had a better reading experience than me, so it might be worth a try. The historical perspective is interesting, but I would not personally recommend.

About flight attendants in Vietnam:
"To every woman who crewed any airline into Vietnam, the U.S. government issued a slip of paper that designated her a second lieutenant in the U.S. Armed Forces. Every stewardess was to carry her Geneva Conventions identification card at all times in case she was captured by enemy forces, it ensured that she would be treated as a prisoner of war."

About the flight attendant uniforms:
"'Skirts were up, prudery was down,' wrote feminist Alix Kates Shulman. A bare stretch of leg on a woman who chose to show it could signify youth and beauty in service of a woman's own pleasure rather than husband-hunting. 'There are lots of girls who don't want wait,' miniskirt designer Mary Quandt told a reporter. 'Mini-clothes are symbolic of them.'"

I've always been fascinated with the life of a flight attendant, and seeing this beautiful masterpiece of a cover drew me in instantly. I was looking forward to reading stories about the exciting, glamorous women who worked for Pan Am in the 60's and 70's. Instead of riveting stories that read like a novel (as one of the reviews stated), I felt like I was reading a dissertation about the history of Pan Am airlines mixed with some world/U.S. history. The stories would begin interestingly enough then get bogged down with historical information. The characters were never fully developed because of the way their stories were broken up. They were merely names on the page with no intimacy or connections to the reader. I ended up skipping over much of the book and nearly gave up on it halfway through. I'm glad I stuck with it, though, as the second half--dealing mostly with the Vietnam War--was enlightening. I had no knowledge of the Operation Babylift, which was shocking and sad. The bravery and willpower of the flight attendants were to be recognized and honored. It's amazing the amount of research the author put into her book, as evidenced by the notes in the back. Impressive! This was just not the style of book I was expecting, and it didn't flow well for me. The book's description was more enticing and fascinating than the book itself.

Historical as well as compelling reading. Five stars!

I really enjoyed this book that was part narrative, part history lesson. The women profiled in the book witnessed some of the most exciting moments of history, especially with regard to Africa and Vietnam.

I appreciated that the book was not explicit or sensational (it in fact referenced the "Coffee, Tea, or Me" book and set the record straight as to the exploits featured in that book). The stories of the women were completely intriguing on their own without un-factual embellishment.

I recommend this book to women's fiction and non-fiction readers. It would be great for a book club. It is cross-generational, meaning that it would appeal to both older readers who would remember some of the moments in time that it presents, as well as younger readers, who would do well to learn of the progress made by women before them. Above all, it kept my attention being at times fun, sad, and always interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. It is my favorite book so far this year.

Ok, Pan Am. Traveling. Cute Cover. I was intrigued.

A deeper look into the women of Pan Am and how they were responsible for a lot more than serving drinks. Informative and interesting, which is great for a non-fiction book. Heartily Recommend!

Thanks To #Netgalley for a free digital copy of #ComeFlyThe World!

I graduated high school in the late ‘70s and, under the influence of books like Coffee, Tea or Me and similar books, I seriously considered becoming what was then called a stewardess. But the minimum height was 5 foot 3 and I’m not quite 5”1, so I never followed up. So, when I saw this book, I was very excited to read it. It’s quite a different book from those popular “stew” books of the late ‘60s and ‘70s. Lots less glamour and lots more facts, which is a good thing — those stew books have not aged well!

I received this nonfiction work as an ARC from net galley. I am not usually a big fan of nonfiction but this book held by attention. The entire culture of stewardesses that Pan Am created is amazing. The advertising, the branding, the sexism, the ageism It is all there to read about. The role PanAm played in the Vietnam War and in our country was also interesting to read about.

For those of you, like me who are fascinated by historical events, the evolution of the aviation industry, and specifically the seemingly glamorous days of flying on a Pan Am flight, this book is for you.

I can cite several things that drew me into these topics - does anyone remember the Gwyneth Paltrow movie, View from the Top? Or what about that scene in Gilmore Girls where Lorelei gets the Pan Am stewardess bag? Are you obsessed with Mad Men? Or, in school, did you start in the Women of Lockerbie play? These are the places my mind instantly went when I learned this book covered Pan Am stewardesses during the 60’s and 70’s and as a huge fan of history, I was drawn into learning about their role in major historical events (transporting soldiers from Vietnam to their R&R, evacuating children as a part of Operation Babylift).

What’s more, is Cooke weaves together stories of real Pan Am stewardesses who were trailblazers, not taking the safe and traditional path of being a teacher or librarian, but living a glamorous and sometimes dangerous life, all while paving a new path that has contributed to women’s liberation movements, we reap the benefits of today.

*huge thanks to @netgalley and @houghtonmifflinharcourt for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Come Fly the World by Julia Cooke really shows us what it was like to be a stewardess for Pan Am in the late 1960's. It focuses on real women and what they went through to get the job with the airlines. There were many rules and the one that surprised me the most was when you got married you were expected to quit your job. It goes through the training these women went through, the high standards involving looks and weight and even knowing a foreign language. A lot of the book centers around Vietnam and the big role Pan Am played in transporting both soldiers and later refugees who were trying to escape the war. I really learned a lot and would highly recommend this book!