Description
Book SynopsisVictoria Vantoch takes us on a fascinating journey into the golden era of air travel. The Jet Sex explores the much-mythologized stewardess within the context of the Cold War, globalization, and the emerging culture of glamour to reveal how beauty and sexuality were critical to national identity and international politics.
Trade Review"
The Jet Sex is an impressive study of the stewardess as an American icon and a real human being. Those of us who came of age in the 1950s and 1960s can't help but remember her appeal as a model of beauty and of service in the magical realm of flying. Written in sprightly and compelling prose, the book should appeal both to scholars and to the general public." * Lois Banner, author of
Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox *
"An original, evocative, and informative work that explores provocative questions about the place of the stewardess in American culture. With a flair for storytelling and for capturing the experiences of individual stewardesses, Victoria Vantoch also gives us a rich description of the development of a profession, the development of an industry, and the curious ways in which gender factored in at every turn." * Jennifer Scanlon, author of
Bad Girls Go Everywhere: The Life of Helen Gurley Brown *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Chapter 1. Flying Nurses, Lady Pilots, and the Rise of Commercial Aviation
Chapter 2. The Rise of the Stewardess
Chapter 3. Breaking the Race Barrier
Chapter 4. A New Jet-Winged World
Chapter 5. Vodka, Tea, or Me?
Chapter 6. From Warm-Hearted Hostesses to In-Flight Strippers
Chapter 7. Beautiful Beehives and Feminist Consciousness
Notes
Index
Note on Sources
Acknowledgments
