Product Description

Ex-hostess Libbie Escolme-Schmidt has lovingly compiled many hundreds of memories to present the ultimate history of the British Airways air hostess. Collating a multitude of stories from the forties and fifties through to what is often agreed to be the end of the golden age in 1980, this is an important record of the contribution made by women to airline history. During this period flying evolved from a potentially dangerous adventure to a remarkably safe and comfortable means of international travel, and through it all the air hostesses were there. Their experiences range from administering oxygen to passengers flying over the Andes to serving French champagne on Concorde, and the anecdotes are full of humour as they cover training, first flights, sexual discrimination and harassment, disasters, passengers, glamorous stopovers and other temptations. This illustrated book presents the changing times in air travel through the eyes of the stewardess and offers the perfect tribute to the girls who walked the skies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10820 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Review
Compiling the reminiscences of fellow cabin crew from the 1940s to the 1980s, the author provides a fascinating, frank and sometimes funny portrait of life in the skies during the halcyon days of air travel. Filled with 90 colour and black-and-white photographs this will appeal not just to former cabin crew, but seasoned air passengers too. Fasten your seat belts for a nostalgic and illuminating flight. --This England, Autumn 2009

About the Author
LIBBIE ESCOLME-SCHMIDT has had a multifaceted career. Awarded the Order of Australia for her commitment to developing people in Australia, she started out as a teacher, working in Papua New Guinea. She then joined BA, where she was promoted from In Flight service to the training and management division. She has written several publications and contributed to tertiary education material, as well as being nominated for various awards, including the BHP Pursuit of Excellence and New Woman s 100 most spirited women of Australia. She lives in Toowong, Australia.

Customer Reviews

Not all glamour
The book is very selective in its content. I flew with BOAC/BA over a number of the years recorded and I have different memories of some of them.
The stories of the era are legion and attributed to different people, as in the case of "I was there", largely the book is uninspiring and does not truly reflect the role of the air hostess/stewardess.

A book to remember
Having been a Stewardess with BOAC from 1954 to 1958 I found this an enthralling book, hugely interesting and entertaining as well as being a valuable historical record of an amazing time. The Author captures perfectly the FUN it all was - every trip was an adventure and we all felt this. It is beautifully written and a real page-turner irrespective of whether you have been involved in airlines. I could not put it down.

True glamour in the skies.
Excellent book.

Having travelled world wide on business in the days 'before the crowd found the door to the secret garden and trampled all the flowers', (1966 - 1990) I was lucky to really see first hand glamour in the skies and this book brings it all back.