The Golden Age of Hijacking




Midday on WNYC show

Summary: Brendan I. Koerner describes how in 1968 airplane hijackings had become routine, and that over a five-year period the desperate and disillusioned would seize commercial jets nearly once a week, using guns, bombs, and jars of acid. Some hijackers wanted to escape to another country, others aimed to swap hostages for cash. In The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking Koerner writes about cast of characters ranging from exiled Black Panthers to African despots to French movie stars, and paints a psychological portrait of America at a turbulent time.