Book Review: Concorde by Mike Bannister

19th May 2025 Going Postal 20th Century, Book Review, History, Literature, Science, Technology 2071 Comments
British Airways Concorde G-BOAC
Eduard Marmet, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL 1.2, via Wikimedia Commons

Introduction

In response to Swiss Bob’s lack of articles, I have dashed this out, instead of a fuller version I had planned.  In short, I heartily recommend Mike Bannister’s book ‘Concorde’, which I listened to on Spotify, but more traditional formats are available.

Review:

Instead of a review, I copy below the email I sent to Captain Mike on finishing the book.

Dear Mike,

I have just finished listening to your incredible audiobook Concorde, and I was so thrilled by the experience that I wanted to write and thank you.

Just a few days ago, the YouTube video of the ATC conversation from the last scheduled Concorde flight popped up in my feed, and I listened to it, completely fascinated with the event and the outpouring of love and respect to you, the crews and the airplane.  I particularly chuckled at all the other pilots at JFK asking to ‘hold’ so they could see that historic moment.  I followed this up with re-watching the available footage from Concorde’s farewell flights, and then found your book on Spotify.

The book is simply outstanding, a real tour de force, and one by the end of which I felt I knew you, understood Concorde and it reminded me of my own (sadly unrealised) dream of one day flying in her.  The technical parts were brilliantly explained in lay terms and the parts about AF4950’s crash, the investigation and court case were both informative, astonishing and terrifying. Your obvious love of Concorde and all who supported her operations rang out so clearly that much of it felt like it transferred to me. I know this, as when I explained to my wonderful wife what I had been listening to so avidly, my breath caught in my throat with emotion as I repeated just some of the mountain of detail I had absorbed.

What an incredible career you had.  Thank you for sharing it in such detail and in such a manner that I and many thousands of others have been able to experience just a little of the technical knowledge and skill that were required for you to pilot, captain and manage that incredible icon of the skies – not forgetting the emotion and thrill of being able to do so!  Your fight to bring Concorde back from the brink and into operations again in the aftermath of AF4950’s tragic crash was a very moving part of the book.  And your influence in what became a celebration of Concorde in her final months of service allowed so many who would never have flown her, or even seen her, to share in this passion.

Thanks once more – a brilliant book and one that I will certainly buy in hardcopy.

Warm regards,

It was a great surprise to receive a reply a few days later, which included the following, along with a thank you for me having taken the time and trouble to write – a classy operator:

  • It was 20 years in the thinking, 2 years in the writing and I couldn’t have done it without all of those who gave so much time, effort and energy to bring it all together in publication.
  • I’m still plugged in to supersonic passenger flight as an Advisory Council Member for Boom Supersonic, working on their XB-1 and Overture projects.  See: https://boomsupersonic.com/

 

It seems we may yet see supersonic passenger flight again!  Captain Mike’s experience will no doubt be a great help and he is in some of the videos on the Boom-Sonic website.

Concorde in Flight:

This is the only photograph of Concorde flying at supersonic speed. It was taken by Adrian Meredith who was flying in an RAF Tornado jet during a rendezvous with the Concorde over the Irish Sea in April 1985.

Source: https://americasbestpics.com/picture/the-only-picture-ever-taken-of-concorde-flying-at-mach-hu9buKDJA

Although the Tornado could match Concorde’s cruising speed it could only do so for a matter of minutes due to the enormous rate of fuel consumption. Several attempts were made to take the photo, and eventually the Concorde had to slow down from Mach 2 to Mach 1.5-1.6 so that the Tornado crew could get the shot. After racing to catch the Concorde and struggling to keep up, the Tornado broke off the rendezvous after just four minutes, while Concorde cruised serenely on to New York.

Links:

 

© Endeavour 2025
 

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