The Target

by J.R. Hauptman

Book Overview

"THE TARGET" is set in the late nineteen-eighties and tells the tale of the tumultuous first years of airline deregulation and the shocking effects it had on that industry and the people who worked... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1436309344
• ISBN13: 9781436309349
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Xlibris
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

a pilot's view

There is a reason J.R. Hauptman is living in obscurity down in Florida...this book is sure to raise the ire of the powerful people depicted in the plot. An informative and quick moving read that is sure to please, it was written from the heart by a pilot who has lived much of the story. In these times, stories of corporate greed are something many of us can sink our teeth into, with real experience of how it affects our every day lives. Thanks, Hauptman, wherever you are, for a great read!

The Target is Highly Recommended for Those Who Enjoy Great Thrillers

The sub-title of The Target by author J.R. Hauptman is Love, Death and Airline Deregulation and is an apt depiction of this debut novel that captivates the reader from the opening pages. The Target is set in the 1980's in the years after the Airline Deregulation Act became law in the fall of 1978. Our protagonist is Ivan Jasonovich, a helicopter gunship pilot during the Vietnam War, and a commercial jet pilot in the 70's. We first meet Ivan dressed as an Elk hunter in Sun Valley, Utah where he is preparing to set an ambush on a ski trail to kill Carlo Clemenza. At this point, author J.R. Hauptman has us hooked. Why would this war veteran, father and airline captain have any desire to commit cold-blooded murder? Through clever use of back story, Hauptman shows the airline industry was once a country club for overpaid pilots with few worries other than which beautiful young stewardess they would bed on the next layover. He peppers the story throughout with evidence of how deregulation allowed Clemenza to singlehandedly bust unions, devastate lives and bankrupt Centennial Airlines with corrupt business practices more suited to the mafia than a major airline. Despite barely escaping with his own life when the attempt on Clemenza fails, Jasonovich can't let his desire for vengeance wane. Many of the pilots of the time were Vietnam War veterans. In the war, they flew countless combat missions, risking life and limb for an ungrateful nation. Only after they began their commercial careers flying rich vacationers and businessmen around the world did they receive the respect they rightfully deserved. Ivan and his colleagues lived a rockstar lifestyle, envied by men and desired by women. Carlo Clemenza took away more than just their livelihood; he took away their pride and self-worth. Marriages ended, families estranged, many never flew again and there were suicides. Those who returned to the skies flew in a much different industry. When the unions crumbled, so did the pilots' ability to say no; no to flying fatigued in broken planes in dangerous weather. Instead, it was fly or you're fired. These unsafe conditions lead to crashes, one of which killed two of Ivan's close friends. Clemenza became the most hated man in the airline industry and a common sentiment was, "Please! Won't somebody kill that SOB?" After a failed travel agency business, Ivan returned to flying jets; however, no longer for a major airline. Between flights for lesser companies he continued to track Clemenza. It soon appeared that Ivan was now also the hunted, as one or more of Clemenza's thugs were on his tail. With help from friends in the military and the airline industry, Ivan was able to form his plan for an epic confrontation with Carlo Clemenza. J.R. Hauptman draws on his vast experience as a jet pilot to bring the reader into the cockpit with vibrant sensory descriptions and strong, scene-setting narrative. He has written an intriguing plot filled with plenty of tension

Deja vu on my so called career-

Having lived through the carnage in the airline industry from the salad days of the seventies through deregulation and the angst of the eighties and beyond, this story hit home hard. The rush of memories dredged up by the plot played out on the little screen in the mind with accompanying sound track, 'oh yeah, so true!' Anyone with an interest in the airlines, commercial flying and pilot lifestyles would do well to tackle this novel. It is true to life, technically accurate and fascinating.

Great read!

The Target is a fun and fast read. I could not put it down once I started. I'd like to see a follow up novel with this cast of characters.

An entertaining adventure of karma and men pushed to the edge

Sometimes there are people so utterly despicable and hate-worthy that they just need killing. "The Target: Love, Death, and Airline Deregulation" is the story of Carlo Clemenza, the most despised man in the airline industry. Every who works under him comes to hate him with all their being, wishing death upon him. There is one pilot, however, who is willing to do more than just wish. "The Target" is an entertaining adventure of karma and men pushed to the edge, recommended.