PIC No. 5:
• Title: Inside Marine One: Four U.S. Presidents, One Proud Marine, and the World’s Most Amazing Helicopter
• Authors: Col. Ray L'Heureux and Lee Kelley
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (224 pages, July 14, 2015)
• Management Bucket #17 of 20: The Operations Bucket
Welcome to Issue No. 5 of PAILS IN COMPARISON, the “little brother” of John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. This blog features my “PICs”—short reviews of helpful books—with comparisons to other books in my 20 management buckets (core competencies) filing system.
Would you spike the ball against the leader of the free world?
If you're a presidential history buff (like I am) and you've enjoyed a hefty diet of thick, thick books on your favorite presidents, then reading Inside Marine One is the perfect dessert following one of your deep dives.
And speaking of deep dives, don't miss the author's description of "The Dunker" test. (That's all I'm gonna say.)
What's not to like about a 10,000-foot view of four presidents from the cockpit of Marine One, the president's high performance helicopter? Read this book and you'll have dozens and dozens of quotable facts and fun for impressing your friends:
• "To fly is heaven...to hover is divine."
• The shell game flying formation—and why.
• Why the helicopters have white roofs.
I don't recall any historian quoting a Marine One pilot, so this is truly a unique, first-person account of "Frenchy's" (Col. Ray L'Heureux) path to leadership (and his appreciation for his mentors)—and the fun and thrills along the way.
Some years back, my wife and I were privileged to have dinner with former President George H.W. Bush (and Barbara Bush)—just 12 guests—and so I especially enjoyed Frenchy's account of his first visit to Camp David and the personal warmth of the Bush family.
At Camp David, Bush 41 invited the Marine pilots to join him for a game of "wolleyball." (So would you spike the ball against the leader of the free world? You'll have to read this marvelous book to find out.)
The author's up-close-and-personal (but always respectful) anecdotes are poignant and memorable—especially the mountain biking excursions with President George W. Bush and the Obama family's first-ever helicopter ride. I have three colleagues who will love this book. (This could get expensive!)
The author says there's not been a single mishap with Marine One. May that proud tradition continue and may God bless our presidents.
PAILS IN COMPARISON: I’d compare this book favorably to other must-read books in the Operations Bucket, including:
• Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory, by Ben Macintyre (read my review)
• The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War, by Malcolm Gladwell (read my review)
TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for Inside Marine One: Four U.S. Presidents, One Proud Marine, and the World’s Most Amazing Helicopter, by Col. Ray L'Heureux and Lee Kelley. Listen on Libro.fm (7 hours, 11 minutes). For more book reviews, visit John Pearson’s Buckets Blog and subscribe to Your Weekly Staff Meeting. (And Amazon Vine for sending me a review copy.)
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