The Cannibal Queen: An Aerial Odyssey Across America

Coonts ( Flight of the Intruder ), in this departure from fiction, describes how he spent the summer of 1991 flying a 50-year-old wood-and-canvas open-cockpit biplane over the contiguous United States. This experience was the fulfillment of a dream for the author, who communicates his love of aviation and adventure in a warm, chatty style that will delight both his fans and aviation aficionados. Although he spent the first two weeks flying with his 14-year-old son, for the rest of the trip Coonts flew solo, feeling joy and facing ? `experience' used above; also, `experienced' is especially clumsy as verb, i think danger in Cannibal Queen as the plane hit bad weather, forcing him to tap every one of his considerable piloting skills. He landed frequently to see the country, meet people and visit friends. Lively anecdotes about his experiences add flavor, but readers may wish to skim his rambling political lectures. Photos not seen by PW. (June)