Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters

Written by Chesley B. Sullenberger

Narrated by Chesley B. Sullenberger and Michael McConnohie

Now a major motion picture from Clint Eastwood, starring Tom Hanks—the inspirational autobiography by one of the most captivating American heroes of our time, Capt. ‘Sully’ Sullenberger—the pilot who miraculously landed a crippled US Airways Flight 1549 in New York’s Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew.

On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed a remarkable emergency landing when Captain "Sully" Sullenberger skillfully glided US Airways Flight 1549 onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew. His cool actions not only averted tragedy but made him a hero and an inspiration worldwide. His story is now a major motion picture from director / producer Clint Eastwood and stars Tom Hanks, Laura Linney and Aaron Eckhart.

Sully's story is one of dedication, hope, and preparedness, revealing the important lessons he learned through his life, in his military service, and in his work as an airline pilot. It reminds us all that, even in these days of conflict, tragedy and uncertainty, there are values still worth fighting for—that life's challenges can be met if we're ready for them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061967108

Chesley B. Sullenberger

Chesley B. ""Sully"" Sullenberger, III has been dedicated to the pursuit of safety for his entire adult life. While he is best known for serving as Captain during what has been called the ""Miracle on the Hudson,"" Sullenberger is a speaker, aviation safety expert, and accident investigator, serves as the CBS News Aviation and Safety Expert, and is the founder and chief executive officer of Safety Reliability Methods, Inc., a company dedicated to management, safety, performance, and reliability consulting. He lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area.

[villemezbrown · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Much of this autobiography is as heavy handed as its subtitle, and I'd normally rate it three stars, but it gets an extra star because its Sully, dammit, and even though he's a bit of a dork, he landed that plane like a steely-eyed motherfucker just doing some shit that needed to get done. I cried gallons, even more than when I watched the Tom Hanks movie last fall.

[samsattler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first time I saw a replay of Flight 1549's landing in the Hudson River I was struck by the combination of skill and good luck that it must have taken to keep the plane from breaking apart on impact or cartwheeling itself into pieces a few seconds later. If one wing had tipped into the water, Flight 1549 would be remembered today for entirely different reasons than those for which it has become so famous. And, now, after reading "Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters," written by the man who brought the plane down safely, I am certain there was much more skill involved in the landing than there was good luck. Chesley B. Sullenberger and his crew became heroes to the world on January 15, 2009 - although Sullenberger, the man who became known to the world as "Sully," takes great pains in "Highest Duty" to explain why he believes that the word "hero" does not really apply to him. Sullenberger believes that a "hero" must choose to do something heroic, not be thrust into a situation, as he was, that leaves him no choice but to participate in its outcome. This distinction reveals much about Chesley B. Sullenberger. Sullenberger knew he wanted to fly by the time he was five years old. By sixteen, he had learned basic flying skills from a crop duster neighbor and was logging as many solo hours in the air as he could afford. A few years later, Sullenberger would distinguish himself at the United States Air Force Academy where he would be recognized as the Outstanding Cadet in Airmanship in his graduating class. The man loves to fly and he does it well - as he proved on the day he glided US Airways Flight 1549 to safety on the Hudson. "Highest Duty," though, is about more than Flight 1549. It is about a man who prides himself on doing the right thing when nobody else is looking even more than when he has witnesses. Sullenberger was raised in the little North Texas town of Denison in a home he helped build, and expand, over the years alongside his sister, mother and father. Sullenberger's father expected everyone in the family to wield a hammer or use a saw competently and he made sure they got plenty of practice. The home might not have looked like the ones Sully's friends grew up in, but it was "home," and he could see the pride his father took in having designed and built it with only his family's help. In the process, the elder Sullenberger taught his son to be his own man and instilled in him an understanding of what is truly important in a man's life: family, friends, and contentment with one's place in the world. The book does not shortchange readers wanting to know exactly what happened after Flight 1549's harrowing encounter with the flock of large birds that killed both the plane's engines. Sullenberger makes good use of flight transcripts, recordings, and conversations with crew members and investigators to recreate what happened during the 208 seconds he was able to fly the plane after the bird strike. What he tells about those three minutes is remarkable but, by this point in the book, the reader will know exactly how Chesley B. Sullenberger III ended up in that cockpit, and they will not be surprised that he and his crew were able to pull off this "miracle landing." "Highest Duty" is an interesting and rewarding book, the story of an ordinary man who dedicated his life to becoming so skilled at what he does that he could pull a "miracle" from his hat when he needed it most. He deserves our respect and admiration but I have to believe that he is ready, by now, to return to the level of anonymity he enjoyed on January 14, 2009. Rated at: 4.0

[Rene Clulow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! A true officer & Gentleman. I've read & listen to this book twice. My hubby flew jets in the South African Airforce. . Highly recommend this book!

[sleepytimetea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

story about the pilot who landed the plane in the Hudson River. Very interesting.

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An inspiring read, even though at times I wondered if he really was going to tell us about what happened during Flight 1549 (that doesn't come until later in the book, even though they kind of dance around it in early chapters). Having considered getting a pilot's license myself (though not a commercial pilot license) I could appreciate the level of skill that it takes to be a commercial pilot.

[dlmsighx1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Much of the book is about Captain Sullenberger's life, and how he came to be the right pilot at the right time. Jeff Skiles was also a very important part of this mission. This book puts you inside the cockpit of Flight 1549. Unbelievable how much pressure was on these men to make decisions in less than three minutes. I found the book interesting. Captain Sullenberger seems like a very low key guy who is very sure of himself and his skills.

[berthashaver · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a great inspirational book that told the story of how Sully's life of dedication to integrity and safety paid off for him as well as 154 other passengers on board his Flight 1549 leaving LaGuardia airport when it hit a flock of birds disabling both engines and ended up landing in the Hudson River. To land the aircraft, he drew upon years of training, dedication and preparation both as an Air Force pilot and later as a commercial airline pilot to save everyone aboard. Through his life he prepared for the incident by studying safety as well as accidents and had learned from the experiences of others. He used that knowledge plus his own seasoned skills to safely get the crippled aircraft on the ground. It is a very good example of "Life is a combination of what we control and what we can't and the results of the choices we make."

[karenvg3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

So I really wanted to love this book... But the fact that it took 206 pages to actually get to anything about the crash drove me crazy. The only reason that I did not pan this is because once the crash was addressed, it was very interesting. This is one case where I do believe the movie will be better than the book. 2.5 ⭐️

[Hamid · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very impressed by his life experiences, learnt really a lot !

[dara85 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book and followed it up by watching the movie Sully. A pilot that really loves his job, cares about his passengers and his family. Many times in the book he went the extra mile when he did not have to.

[jlynno84 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic! I enjoyed every minute of this book. The historical and professional background Sully provides was interesting. Everytime I picked this book up to read I would walk away encouraged and positive. I am so glad that Captain Sullenberger decided to share his story with the world.

[addunn3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is a story of Sully, not of the accident and aviation safety.

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dry, pleasant read of interest to anyone who remembers the 2009 landing of an Airbus on the Hudson River and who is interested in this modern day airline hero, Sully Sullenberger.