|
gaby317
, September 21, 2009
(view all comments by gaby317)
Synopsis:
Set in the airline deregulation period of the 1980s, The Target captures the tumultuous first years of airline deregulation and the effects this had on the industry and people who worked in it.
Corporate raider and union buster Carlo Clemenza is generally recognized as the most hated man in the airline business. Working with Wall Street, Clemenza uses junk bonds to finance acquisitions that are made profitable through a winnowing of the ranks, union busting, and large scale budget cuts that increasingly reduce safety measures. Clemenza's methods and unpopularity have resulted in death threats and several attempts on his life.
Arguably, as a class it is the pilots that have been most affected by Clemenza's various takeovers. With the abrogation of union contracts, many pilots chose to strike - and subsequently faced unemployment. Those that returned to Clemenza's Centennial Airlines did so at large reductions in pay and benefits. Those that sought work at other airlines ended up scrounging for work outside the majors and with regional players, air freight, jet charters or similarly less prestigious and lower paying jobs.
A pilot at Centennial Airlines at the time of Clemenza's takeover, Captain Ivan Jasaonovich had followed the union's stance at great cost to himself. After lost half of his retirement in a failed travel agency and unemployed, Ivan had plenty of time to consider Clemenza's role in the continuing decline of the airline industry. Believing that removing Clemenza would halt the airline takeovers and slow down the mismanagement of airlines, Ivan is willing to take down "the Target". Ivan's military training and industry contacts give him an edge not available to many others. The Target follows Ivan as he plans, stalks, and confronts Carlo Clemenza.
Review:
Full of twists and turns, The Target is a detailed and well constructed thriller that gives the reader a fuller understanding of the changes brought by the deregulation of the airline industry in the 1980s. I couldn't help but sympathize with Ivan and his colleagues - I hadn't understood the full impact of airline deregulation. This was a great way to gain insight into that period while enjoying a fast paced thriller. I found The Target a fun and fascinating read.
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation (January 8, 2009), 320 pages.
Courtesy of the author and Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Blog Tours.
|