Airport Days and Nights, Terminals and Runways is a relatively new colour book title by Kevan James, Fay Johnson and Tyler McDowell.
It is a sister publication to their other book, Airport Days and Nights; Evolution, with a third in the trilogy also due.
It’s hard to define this book on first glance. Skimming the pages, colour photographs of aircraft, airports and terminals catch your eye. Yet this is no spotting guide or reference book to teach you about what you’ll see at different airports. In fact, in the Preface the authors explain of the book: “It is a personal story – ours.”
Organised into thirteen chapters, it is clear from reading them that they are right – the book is compiled from the authors’ own experiences and recollections from passing through airports, travelling by air, and their understandings of the history and process that is involved and how it has evolved over time.
These are the kinds of things that fascinate so many people, be they enthusiasts or not, about airports and travelling by aircraft. This book attempts to harness that interest and explain how it works and how it came to be. It does it pretty well.
Whilst beginning with an overview of how air travel, airlines and airports developed, this is not really a history book showing off old photographs of how things used to look, except in a few cases. The collection of images, mostly taken by the authors, largely reflect the many different aspects of airports and aircraft as we all experience them today, from departure lounges to boarding gates, aircraft cabins and views from the window.
Some of the chapters deal with aspects such as how travellers get to and from the airport, with the development of train services, and even the humble Cabbie.
For those of use who are enthusiasts, there is plenty to please you in this book. It includes a wistful look at the observation deck and the good old days of spotting when the aircraft on view were more interesting. You’ll also find a really nice array of trip-report style chapters looking at airports across the UK, Europe and further afield from journeys the authors have taken. Each reflects on some of the unique aspects of that airport, from Guernsey in the Channel Islands, to Cologne/Bonn, Sydney, Helsinki, Los Angeles and Zurich.
There are also some nice chapters which are told from personal perspective, of trips taken in the 1980s on airlines and aircraft long gone, including a trip from Heathrow to JFK in 1988, Gatwick to Dallas Ft Worth (on BCal) and views from various US airports at the time.
Later in the book chapters deal with the thoughts of an enthusiast in South America and his personal experiences, plus London Heathrow’s terminals and the possibility of a new runway.
At 137 pages this book is a good length and offers a real mix of content. Pitched equally at those with a mild interest in airports and air travel, and enthusiasts who lap up anything to do with the subject, it has enough to keep anyone interested and includes some really nice personal accounts and photographs to illustrate the stories.
You can purchase Airport Days and Nights, Terminals and Runways from Amazon at this link:
Airport Days and Nights Terminals and Runways
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