TOW #4 - Sully (Chesley B. Sullenberger III)

In his autobiography Sully, Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III writes about his life leading up to the emergency landing of Flight 1549 into the Hudson River in 2009. The book continues after these events for Sully to discuss the ways that these events have affected his life. In the beginning pages of his book, Sully introduces that he has always had a lifelong interest in aviation and even began to take flying lessons as early as 16 years of age. Since then, he pursued his passion and served as a member of the US Air-Force and a professional commercial pilot with over 19,000 hours logged. As per the dedication page, he wrote this autobiography for those that were affected by Flight 1549 as a means of remaining connected. On this same page, he writes that this book serves as a method of finding what really matters. To convey this message, Sully uses repetition and moving images. Within the first chapter, Sully sees the wreckage of a plane after a crash and notes to himself, “Flying a plane meant not making mistakes. You had to maintain control of everything. You had to look out for the wires, the birds, the trees, the fog. You had to be vigilant and alert.” (Sullenberger 11). The repetition of the words ‘you had’ reveals how truly important Sully finds these ideas to be. This idea of importance is a huge part of Sully’s purpose. He wants the reader to understand what truly matters and in this case, it is personal safety. Later on, Sully includes a wealth of personal pictures. These include him at lessons, his parents’ wedding, and even his own wedding. (Sullenberger 130). The inclusion of such personal images reveals to the reader what Sullenberger values as a human being. By sharing these pictures, he is opening himself up to his audience in hopes that it will usher in feelings of what a reader values within their own life. Overall, I believe Sully has effectively achieved his purpose through the personal touches mentioned above. I cannot wait to complete the book!