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"The author describes how the U.S. looks from an open cockpit of a Great Lakes biplane (of 1929 design) from 1,000 feet. She vividly describes her experiences while navigating, making crosswind landings, meeting operators and private plane owners along the way at private airports, many with grass runways. The author is very familiar with naval Aviation, being the daughter of aviator RADM Lewis A. Hopkins, USN (Ret.). An exceptionally well-written book." Wings of Gold, The Voice of Naval Aviation Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, www.anahq.org | |||
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"Armchair pilots who have enjoyed the works of Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingston seagull, Stranger to the Ground, Illusions: Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah) should prepare to sit back in the easy chair and fly the skies with Anne Hopkins and her 1929-design Twin [sic] Lakes bi-plane, Nanna. Experience the joys of solo flight, from early morning misty clouds draped on the scalloped edge of a wing to the thumping whoomph of landing in an isolated field to enjoy a good book and a late afternoon snooze. Hopkins takes the reader on an unforgettable journey across the wide open skies into the lives and hearts of the people she meets along the way. The reader is an unseen spectator turning the pages of her life, taking each step, thrilling to each flight, commiserating each setback, and coming to love the bundle of ‘sticks and wires and cloth’ that forms the unforgettable Nanna.” The Monett Times, www.monett-times.com, Monett, Missouri | |||
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"Sticks & Wires & Cloth by Anne Hopkins is the personal story of a woman who pursued her dream to fly in a 1929-design biplane. Replete with study, preparation, and firsthand memories of the wind in one's face and one braves the sky, Sticks & Wires & Cloth is an invigorating and involving testimony recommended for aviation buffs and armchair travelers, offering the most vivid impressions of biplane flying experience to be had without actually climbing into one and taking off. Sticks & Wires & Cloth is a unique and welcome addition to any personal or community library Aviation Studies collection." Midwest Book Review, www.midwestbookreview.com, Oregon, Wisconsin | ||
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" ...But Hopkins can describe it and she does in her book, which is a testament to her love of flying. The book is a collection of stories of a woman who took up flying on a whim one sunny morning in Arizona. After she learned to fly, she bought her own biplane and began traveling by air. "Happiness is a horizon between two wings, and the wind, the wind," she writes after her first solo flight. Since that first flight, her family has found it hard to keep her at home and on the ground. Hopkins shares the details of those trips in smooth beautifully crafted language in her book.” Daily Sun, www.beatricedailysun.com, Beatrice, Nebraska | ||
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"With remarkable detail and a poetic voice, author and pilot Anne Hopkins retells the tale of learning to fly and her experiences with flight in her first book, Sticks & Wires & Cloth. A fiction writer as well, Sticks & Wires & Cloth is Hopkins' first non-fiction work and her first published book. Hopkins' forays into fiction are evident in her book; though Sticks & Wires & Cloth is quite factual, Hopkins takes the facts and infuses them with personal memories and individual perspective. From technical explanations of flight to character portraits of those she meets along the way, Hopkins is never at a loss of description. She recounts flights with family, friends and fellow pilots; landings both planned and impromptu; and events everyone can follow along with but only pilots can truly relate to." The Spirit, www.punxsutawneyspirit.com, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania | ||
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“Sticks & Wires & Cloth by Anne Hopkins is an autobiography of a woman who 'took up flying on a whim one sunny morning in Arizona' and never left it. In this book, Hopkins shares with readers and wannabe pilots the freedom she experiences in flying her 1929 biplane across this beautiful country we call home. Along the way, Hopkins shares the thrills of discovering the wonders of nature, her triumphs as she masters aerobatics and difficult landings and, most of all, she creatively weaves lessons she’s learned in dealing with this land, this people, this biplane and overcoming her own fears and limitations. I totally enjoyed this book. I found myself eager to return to my time spent with Hopkins like a friend sharing stories of her adventures over coffee. She writes in an honest, open manner in which she shares her love for flying and her zest for life. 'What rewards make me return to the struggle (of flying)? Maybe it is dipping a silent wing into a steep turn to pivot about a stand of trees, then turning my head to gaze up a white wing at a blue sky toward a cloud,' she writes. 'Maybe it is the soothing sound of the wind rushing along my cockpit. Perhaps it is the delight of moving freely through the air with just a touch of my fingers, a tap of my toes. More likely, though, it is watching a fellow pilot in a sleek ship break ground... escalating up and up and up as I stand sweating, dehydrated, sunburned and smiling, and say aloud, "Isn’t that pretty," and to myself, "I can do that."' As a reader, I 'listen' to Hopkins’ story and think of all the obstacles and challenges that have come my way and like Hopkins, I say to myself, 'I can do that.'” The Times Record, www.timesrecord.com, Brunswick, Maine | |||
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“A 1929 design biplane and a passion for wandering with no particular plan if either of these thoughts sound appealing, you’ll want to pick up a copy of Sticks & Wires & Cloth. Anne Hopkins takes readers on several sweeping journeys in her biplane formally named Trailing Edge but affectionately called Nanna and along the way we get glimpses of the American land and the people living here. Her frank descriptions of her self-perceived shortcomings as a pilot and the sheer joy she experiences in flight are captivating. Hopkins started flying on a whim and found herself so hooked she decided to buy her own plane instead of renting. Her rational [sic] for choosing the Great Lakes Biplane she witnessed one crash into another plane on a runway and reasoned the odds of ever witnessing another such crash were now much less since there are only about 200 models in flight gave me an instant connection with Hopkins. She’s “real people” with a great story of self-discovery. Hopkins begins the book with a description of a trip cut short after a “bad” landing. A pilot once told me any landing you walk away from is a good landing Hopkins walked away, but Nanna didn’t fare as well. She goes on to take you along for a ride over the vast expanses of Texas, around the Eastern Seaboard, along the West Coast and even into the Great Lakes Region and Big Sky Country. Bear in mind, she’s making these trips in a plane with very limited space, in an open cockpit and the plane isn’t exactly a speed demon. Learning how Anne packs enough gear for the searing heat of Texas to an Idaho blizzard in a rigid 5” x 18” x 22” compartment will have you laughing. It took about six pages to describe the ordeal of loading a first time passenger and herself into the seats with all the safety gear in place. She had to develop a special wardrobe and even changed her hairstyle to make traveling less of an ordeal. Although misspellings and incorrect grammar are usually enough to make me put a book down the occasional lapse of editing didn’t deter me this time. The wanderlust and adventure relayed through Hopkins words were captivating enough to keep me turning pages. The book may never be considered a literary classic, but it will appeal to a wide range of folks who love to hear how others are finding their peace and joy in this world. It will remind you that we should all have a place in our lives where we feel completely free and at ease, a place to forget about our worries and the everyday hassles than can wear us down over time. When I finished the last page, I was ready to hop in a biplane just to see if I find the same type of satisfaction Hopkins seems to find every time she climbs aboard Nanna. Best part is, I’ll have a chance to do just that. Anne Hopkins is on a “Barnstorming Book Tour” and will be at the Orr Airport in the near future. She’s promoting her book and drawing attention to small regional airports. Her trip will begin in Arizona and wind thought the Rockies, across the plains, to the Orr airport and her travels will take her all the way to Bangor, Maine and eventually back to Arizona. A trip of this length will probably be another book in the making for Hopkins. Even if you have no interest in planes or any particular urge to fly you may be surprised to find you enjoy this book. Have you ever found yourself driving to work and thinking about continuing to drive on for the day, week or month? Have you ever turned down a road only because it has an interesting name? Have you ever gone on a trip with no particular plan, no reservations and no expectations? If so, you will enjoy Anne’s tales.” The Voyageur Sentinel, Orr, Minnesota | |||
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