TOW #8 - Sully (Chesley B. Sullenberger III) 2

In Chesley B. Sullenberger III’s autobiography Sully, he writes about the events of life that would eventually lead up to his emergency landing of Flight 1549 in the Hudson River and the effects of the event on his life afterwards. In the first half of the book, Sullenberger explains his lifelong interest in aviation and how he wanted more than anything else to become a pilot. Throughout the first half, it also became abundantly clear that Sully wrote his book, primarily to those that experienced the events of Flight 1549 with him, in order to help people find what really matters to themselves. This idea continues on through the remainder of Sullenberger’s account of his life. He is able to accomplish this by providing personal images and by discussing his values. After what could be considered the climax of the book when the plane is landed, Sullenberger provides a wealth of images. These images include pictures of the plane in the Hudson River, the crew at awards ceremonies, and even pictures of Sully with his wife and his kids. (Sullenberger 228). The inclusion of these pictures helps the reader to connect with Sullenberger on an emotional level as they feature those that he believes to be very important to himself. By displaying what the author finds important, a reader is more likely to begin to think of those that they love and value as well. Sullenberger continues this emotional appeal in the final pages of his book when discussing flying. He writes, “Just as I completely love Lorrie, Kate, and Kelly, I will never shake my love of flying. Never.” (Sullenberger 315). Despite having nearly faced death, Sullenberger’s passion has not faded. This is an attempt to inspire and motivate his readers that no matter what happens, you should never give up on the people and the aspects of your life that you truly value. Never. In the end, I believe that the message the Sully conveys is a very important one and he does so effectively by making his story personal. I would certainly recommend this book to others.