I just read Captain and Captain II within the last month or two. I picked 'em up based on the recommendations on this site (yep...search function, natch!) and some others.
I'm split about how I feel about them. On one hand, they were a somewhat interesting story and easy to consume (although not much different than dozens of other pilots' stories you could read about right here on this very site...). Most importantly (for my purposes) it gave a little better look into the life and workings of the commercial airline pilot (albeit at ATA, which was a slightly different experience than many major airlines). Certainly seeing Rogers' ups and downs through the industry was interesting, and to be able to see that his stories were pretty much real (a little Googling about his involvement in the union push at ATA verifies most of that story) added credence to his message about the life and times of the modern professional pilot.
What I didn't like, though, was Capt Rogers' writing style. The whole 'letter to my grandson' just seemed so affected, and the little life lessons he is constantly presenting at the end of chapters interrupted the flow of the story, IMHO. I'd have preferred to just read more 'there I was' stories, rather than getting bashed over the head by his world view at the end of every chapter.
I thought that North Star Over My Shoulder, Skygods, and Fate Is The Hunter (although all dealing with a slightly different subject matter and a different time frame) were much more interesting reads for me personally.
For a professional flying neophyte, though, I think seeing Rogers' journey up, down, and sideways through the flying profession is an important model to learn and understand for navigating their own careers. In that aspect, I highly recommend reading them.
irate:
