The President's Plane Is Missing

Written in the politically claustrophobic 1960's, Robert J. Serling's, "The President's Plane is Missing", was a huge hit. In the novel, the country is faced with the possibility of a nuclear confrontation with Communist China. Russia refuses to play their hand, but the reader knows who they side with. Popular President Jeremy Haines, (a combination of Kennedy and LBJ according to Serling) is concerned that any wrong diplomatic move by the US could result in disaster. Badly in need of a vacation, Haines and his staff leave for a Palm Springs retreat. On route, Air Force One encounters atmospheric turbulance and disappears off the radar screen. Is the President dead? What will happen to the country under the direction of an incompetent Acting President? Will the Chinese see this as an opportunity to attack? All those questions, and more, will be answered in this novel. If you are looking for a fast-reading political thriller, (and can deal with a little outdatedness) then "The President's Plane is Missing" is a book you will want to pick up. RECOMMENDED

I read this book when it first came out over twenty years ago and very much enjoyed it. A best seller in its time, I recently came across it on my bookshelf and, remembering how much I had enjoyed it, decided to give it another go-around. Time has not diminished the author's ability to grip the reader with this political thriller, though some of it now seems a little anachronistic. Women are regarded differently now and the cold war has long been an issue of the past. Of course, the world has changed much since this book was first released. The book basically opens on a world that teeters on the edge of global disaster, as an uneasy cold war peace is threatened by the specter of a nuclear war. A harried president, worn and weary by the fray, suddenly announces that he wishes to take some time off and schedules a trip on Air Force One to an undisclosed location. The plane takes off as scheduled but never reaches its destination. When the plane is discovered, the mystery only deepens, leaving a weak vice-president to struggle with the pieces of an ever deepening mystery, as well as with a world seemingly on the brink of war.This is a tightly woven tale that those who like a good political thriller will enjoy.

I read this book for a book report. I found this book very well written. It captured my attention from the title, especially after Sept. 11. I found that this book started out slow, but when it got interesting I couldn't put it down. I believe this book is suspense(not horror)with a little bit of mystery. If you like books like that, you will love this book. Pick it up and enjoy!

I bought this book on vacation many years ago. I spent most of my vacation reading 0 I could not put it down - and now, many years later, it still has that fascination for me. Highly recommended - if you can find a copy!

This was the first real suspense, adventure genre book that I read. It kept me spellbound.. so much so that I read it on the subway platforms, while waiting for the next train. I haven't seen a copy for twenty years, so whether it would hold up over time is the question.