Monthly Archives: November 2010

What was, at the time, the world’s most exciting undertaking – flying

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Gregory

Out in New Jersey the next day, Shirley Wilke Mosley, ever beautiful and gracious, made me tea. In her living room, we perused two black & white photo albums her father took in China between 1929 and 1940 while she … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, aviation history, China, China's Wings, CNAC, Uncategorized, World War II, Writing, Reading, and Research | 1 Comment

The first hints of something much more substantial…

Posted on November 28, 2010 by Gregory

I had one of my life’s best 24-hour pushes in New York: at Bantam, I lunched with John Flicker, my acquiring editor (thanks, John!),  and Nita Taublib , who might be the most well-read person I’ve ever met, gave one … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, China's Wings, CNAC, Uncategorized, World War II, Writing, Reading, and Research | 1 Comment

I staggered upstairs, collapsed on my bed, pulled a blanket over my head, and sobbed tears of relief.

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Gregory

For the next year and a half, I failed to land another book project, and it wasn’t for lack of trying. Amidst the magazine writing and the part-time gig, three other well-developed ideas failed to launch. I was working through … Continue reading →

Posted in China's Wings, Writing, Reading, and Research | Leave a comment

It was the lowest I’d ever been

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Gregory

I came home from the reunion, thrilled to have bumbled into such an incredible story, invested three months researching and writing a book proposal about the madcap adventures of the China National Aviation Corporation, and had my agent submit it … Continue reading →

Posted in China's Wings, Writing, Reading, and Research | 2 Comments

“Where were you ten years ago, Mr. Writer, when I had twice as many members?”

Posted on November 25, 2010 by Gregory

On the last morning of the reunion, the hospitality room again filled with CNAC people and their wives. I sat to the side and watched them socialize, the conservative shirts, Sunday dresses, crinkled smiles, and thick glasses. Moon Chin leaned … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, China's Wings, CNAC, Moon Chin, World War II, Writing, Reading, and Research | 2 Comments

“I have no doubt I could start it up and fly her out of here.”

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Gregory

CNAC veterans Fletcher “Christy” Hanks and Gifford Bull scrambled up the ladder into the plane and made a bee-line for the cockpit. I clambered up after them and stood behind the pilots’ seats. Neither of them had been in the … Continue reading →

Posted in China's Wings, CNAC, World War II | 3 Comments

“Back then, I was younger than you are now.”

Posted on November 23, 2010 by Gregory

The reunion room thundered with band of brothers camaraderie, packed with overjoyed old dudes slapping backs and bellowing into each other’s hearing aids, faces flushing red as they roared greetings and good-natured abuse. Hard-earned exuberance: not a man among them … Continue reading →

Posted in China's Wings, Moon Chin, World War II | Leave a comment

You’d better hope you fall in love with it

Posted on November 23, 2010 by Gregory

Us narrative non-fiction guys and gals are pretty dependent on the quality of the stories we discover. A story swallows a massive chunk of your life if you decide to write a book about it: you’d better hope you fall … Continue reading →

Posted in China's Wings, CNAC, Enduring Patagonia, Writing, Reading, and Research | 7 Comments

Waiting… I’ve been doing a lot of it, and it’s making me a little crazy.

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Gregory

Waiting. I’ve been doing a lot of it these last five or six months, and it’s making me a little crazy. I’m waiting to hear back from my editor at Bantam Dell, an event which will hopefully get us into … Continue reading →

Posted in China's Wings, CNAC, Writing, Reading, and Research | 3 Comments