Hard Landing: The Epic Contest for Power and Profits That Plunged the Airlines into Chaos

Thomas Petzinger Jr.

Business History

Petzinger reconstructs the decade after airline deregulation in 1978, following the CEOs, union leaders, and regulators who fought over the wreckage of a government-protected industry suddenly exposed to competition. The book is a case study in how deregulation actually plays out—incumbents' desperate tactics, new entrants' advantages, and the human cost of creative destruction. Collison flagged it as particularly great.