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Summary: GREAT SUSPENSE AND ACTION - PREDICTABLE ENDING
Review: ONCE I FOUND OUT NELSON DEMILLE HELPED WITH THIS BOOK I HAD TO READ IT. CLEARLY MY FAVORITE AUTHOR AND I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED, ALTHOUGH THE ENDING WAS PREDICTABLE. I HAVE ONE PROBLEM WITH THE STORY: ALL MODERN AIRLINERS HAVE PHONES ON EACH SEAT, ALTHOUGH THE RADIOS ARE OUT, WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE TRY THE PHONES? THEY WORK ON DIFFERENT SIGNALS AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN WORKING, UNLESS THIS NEW STATE OF THE ART SUPERSONIC JET DID NOT COME EQUIPPED WITH THOSE PASSENGER GTE CREDIT CARD PHONES. ANOTHER REVIEWER CALLED THIS A CROSS BETWEEN AIRPORT AND NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE. MAYDAY WAS SCARY, AND FOR ANYONE WHO FLIES ALOT, WILL MAKE YOU THINK THE NEXT TIME YOU GET ON A PLANE. NEVER TAKE YOUR SEATBELT OFF.
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Summary: Simply the best
Review: This is one of the most realistic and most exciting books i have ever read. On second thought - it is the best! Peter Carlsson
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Summary: Catastrophe in the stratosphere, updated.
Review: In the foreword section of the new "Mayday", we learn that Nelson Demille and Thomas Block worked together on the 1979 edition, although Block received sole credit as author. They also collaborated on "By The Rivers Of Babylon", credited only to Demille - turnabout is fair play. Most of the text in this new edition is unchanged from 1979, but there are touch-ups scattered throughout which give welcome new information about the characters and their setting. The chapter dealing with the aftermath of the Straton's return is all new and much more suspenseful. Highly recommended for new readers, fans of the first "Mayday", and followers of Nelson Demille.
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Summary: Catastrophe in the stratosphere.
Review: "Mayday" tells the story of private pilot John Berry, who is a passenger in a 'Straton' jumbo jet along with some 300 others. The crew sights a military target drone and avoids a collision, but they fear (rightfully so!) that a missile will choose their aircraft over the drone. The missile punches through the passenger compartment. The Straton is at such a high altitude that oxygen masks are useless. Only those few who are trapped in positive pressure areas escape the devastating effects of decompression and prolonged lack of oxygen. From this point on, "Mayday" reads like a cross between "Airport" and "Night Of The Living Dead". Berry and his ragtag crew must fly the aircraft while fending off hundreds of mindless 'zombies'. As if that weren't enough, the military wants to cover up its mistake and an insurance executive doesn't want his company to go broke. Block came up with an impressively suspenseful 'first novel'. Even the stereotypes and cliches did more good than harm by helping the narrative to flow smoothly. Now it's interesting to note that the author has teamed with Nelson Demille to produce a new "Mayday", due in 1998.
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Summary: Great action-packed read
Review: This was a very good read in the typical "movie for your mind" style of DeMille. It had a solid plot, and didn't stray from it. The crippling of this airliner has major effects on the lives of several characters in this book, and DeMille does a wonderful job of getting into the different mindsets of each of those characters. The dialogue is flawless and the plot is very solid. I thought the characters could have been a little more detailed. It is still a very good read, and I'd recommend it to anyone that likes a fast paced action/adventure book. It's one that leaves you wondering how the protagonist is going to get out of this situation. The only reason I gave it a 4 is because, as a huge DeMille fan, I didn't think it was a good (detailed) as his later works. The aviation expertise that Block added to the book are a huge plus though. Enjoy this one, then read Plum Island, The Lion's Game, and Cathedral.
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Summary: Wonderful
Review: I read several books at a time and can count on a few hands how many books I need to tell the world about.
This is one of them. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and all of the other books I had stashed in by favorite reading spots were forgotten until I finished Mayday.
I just couldn't believe how good it was!
Enjoy!
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Summary: Mayday will make your day at 60,000 ft.
Review: A near-orbit flying airliner is struck mid-course by a stray missle. A chaotic and maddeningly hopeless situation develops as the government and airline thwart attempts to save the passengers.
The detail, and graphic depictions make this such an engaging and engrossing story that anyone interested in action/adventure/mystery will be compelled to read this book from cover to cover without putting it down.
This book isn't for the squeamish or faint of heart. It's gory and grisley at 60,000 ft!
Rating: 
Summary: BORING and Not Believable
Review: As a DeMille fan, I was truly disappointed with Mayday. It was simply not a believable premise, was tedious and a slow read. As for Block . . . hope he doesn't loose his flying job . . . or that he can come up with a far better storyline for his next book (if he's planning one)!
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Summary: FOR SOMEONE WHO NEVER READS A BOOK ALL THE WAY THROUGH
Review: MAYDAY By Nelson DeMille and Thomas Block My first thought when I finished this book was damn. Damnit, this is too short and should NOT be ending now, it is TOO good a book to end. I found myself putting it down after a couple of pages to think about it. I was just trying to find a way to stretch it out and delay turning the page and finding that last chapter. Yes, Real Readers, THAT kind of book. Okay, here's the setup: Disaster novel. New supersonic airliner zooming along at 62,000 feet when some Navy clones, pretending they didn't catch the news release about a newly signed treaty AGAINST testing the missile they were about to test, tell their pilot to let er rip. Oh, oops, the pilot saw two images on his radar, but what the hell, had to be a glitch, yes? It worked. Sudden decompression at 62K feet isn't a good thing. Five survive permanent brain damage or being sucked out of the big holes in the side by being in a pressurized space, like the head, when the plane got whacked. One survivor, a good guy, with a private pilots license takes over and the cover-ups start. The Navy covering their butts and the airline covering their butts. Guess what? They want the airliner to crash. Or explode. Or just disappear. Call me a cynic, but I buy into comparing our politicians, bureaucrats, or any high brass with lawyers. If their lips are moving they are lying. The victims don't matter. All that matters is the `make-it-go-away-save-my-job- for-the-good-of-the-country'[garbage]. The book is so well written and plotted that you will not be able to put it down until you know that bad guys are taken care of and the good guys win. Maybe they win. Buy this book readers. Immerse yourself in vintage Nelson DeMille. You will absolutely love it.
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Summary: No Tom Clancey
Review: When I read the back cover at the book store, I thought I was buying a good thriller. However, I was soon dissapointed. After reading through half the book, I saw it as I see many bad adventure movies that rely on gore to cover up a bad plot. This could have been a great story but did it need an passenger compliment of brain damaged people to make this story good. Or the fact that almost everyone on the ground is an evil monster. I thought I was going to be reading a good book about desperate people trying to save the passengers with help from the ground. Also, the suspense is lame, I was waiting to find out at the end that he only had 3 minutes to make it to his dinner appointment, and oh my, oh my, oh my, the traffic is heavy, oh my, he isn't going to make it, what is he going to do!! Read the true story of FedEx Flight 705 for a true thriller instead.
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