Flying Hero Class is a 1991 thriller novel by the Australian author Thomas Keneally.[1]
 | |
| Author | Thomas Keneally |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Hodder and Stoughton |
Publication date | 1991 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 224 pp. |
| ISBN | 0340531479 |
| Preceded by | Towards Asmara |
| Followed by | Chief of Staff |
Synopsis
editOn a flight between New York and Frankfurt Australian Aboriginal dance troupe, the Barrarnatjara, find themselves hostages after their plane is hijacked by a group of Palestinians.
Critical reception
editMark Thomas, writing in The Canberra Times noted: "Flying Hero Class is meant to combine a political thriller with a morality play. The components of the thriller are obvious enough, especially if you have ever worried about being blown out into the atmosphere at 30,000 feet...The morality play reflects Keneally's interest in the proposition that Aborigines might prove sympathetic to Palestinians complaining about their loss of a homeland. Keneally's halves are not equally balanced. The thriller bits limp and creak; the novel is too much talk and too little action...But this novel has quieter charms. Keneally is a keen, kind observer of life, and his characters (including the bit parts) are cleverly drawn."[2]
Publishing history
editAfter the novel's initial publication in UK by Hodder and Stoughton in 1991,[1] it was reprinted as follows:
- Warner Books, USA, 1991[3]
- Sceptre, UK, 1991 [4]
- Coronet, Australia, 1992[5]
See also
edit- Tom Keneally was interviewed about the novel by Robert Hefner for The Canberra Times[6]
- 1991 in Australian literature
References
edit- ^ a b "Flying Hero Class by Thomas Keneally (H&S 1991)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ ""Quiet charms amid high-flying dramas"". The Canberra Times, 9 March 1991, p27. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "Flying Hero Class by Thomas Keneally (Warner 1991)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "Flying Hero Class by Thomas Keneally (Sceptre 1991)". Austlit. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "Flying Hero Class by Thomas Keneally (Coronet 1992)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ ""What makes a terrorist tick?"". The Canberra Times, 3 March 1991, p21. Retrieved 20 June 2024.