In this inspirational autobiography, Captain "Sully" Sullenberger, the airline pilot whose emergency landing on the Hudson River earned the world's admiration, tells his life story and talks about the essential qualities that he believes have been so vital to his success.

In January 2009, the world witnessed one of the most remarkable emergency landings in history when Captain Sullenberger brought a crippled US Airways flight onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all of the passengers and crew aboard. The successful outcome was the result of effective teamwork, Sully's dedication to airline safety, his belief that a pilot's judgment must go hand-in-hand with—and can never be replaced by—technology, and forty years of careful practice and training.

From his earliest memories of learning to fly as a teenager in a crop duster's single-engine plane in the skies above rural Texas to his years in the United States Air Force at the controls of a powerful F-4 Phantom, Sully describes the experiences that have helped make him a better leader, particularly the importance of taking responsibility for everyone in his care. And he talks about what he believes is at the heart of America's "can do" spirit: the very human drive to prepare for the unexpected and to meet it with optimism and courage.

His wife, Lorrie, has been a pillar of support through all the highs and lows that life has offered, from the challenges of commercial flying to the birth of their two daughters, from financial struggles to the event of January 15, 2009. Though the world may remember Sully as the hero of Flight 1549, the legacy he desires even more is that of a loving husband and father.

Highest Duty is the intimate story of a man who has grown up to embrace what we think of as quintessential American values—leadership, responsibility, commitment to hard work, and service to others. And it is a narrative that reminds us that cultivating seemingly ordinary virtues can prepare us to perform extraordinary acts.

Browse Inside: Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (October 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061924687
ISBN-13: 978-0061924682

Captain Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger became a nationally known figure on January 15, 2009, when he successfully landed a severely damaged US Airways Flight 1549 in New York’s Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew.

Highest Duty, written with Jeffrey Zaslow—co-author, with Randy Pausch of the New York Times bestseller The Last Lecture—is much more than the account of an extraordinary rescue, it’s the inspirational autobiography by one of the most captivating American heroes of the decade.

Highest Duty, Sullenberger’s fascinating account of his life, the landing, and his insights on leadership, responsibility, and service, ranks high among other bestselling autobiographies of national heroes, from Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf to Michael J. Fox.

Listen to Audio Excerp: Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters

Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III is an airline pilot and safety expert, and has served as an instructor and an Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) safety chairman and accident investigator.

He was named the Outstanding Cadet in Airmanship in his graduating class at the United States Air Force Academy, and he holds two master's degrees. A native of Denison, Texas, he lives in Danville, California, with his wife and family.

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