But, in terms of its aura, Pan Am had this glamour to it because it had an internationalism that other American airlines arguably did not have.

Then, in the ’50s, they were the first to run a transatlantic jet, and they really ushered in the move to the jet age from propeller planes.

They were the first to fly across the Pacific in the ’30s, and after World War II they were the first airline to have a commercial route that circled the globe, meaning you could take just one airline to go to any continent. JC: From a purely factual standpoint, the airline itself was an airline of firsts. GS: For those who might not be familiar with the early days of air travel and Pan Am, apart from perhaps seeing depictions in Catch Me If You Can or Mad Men, how would you explain the role that Pan Am played in the history and culture of travel? It was really a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants spontaneity and an excitement to see any place that’s not your own. My mom, more than anybody else, was determined to travel, so she would pack us for hot or cold, and we would just go to the airport and see where we could get seats on a Pan Am flight. But it had such a huge influence on me, and I only came to really understand the degree that in my 20s. It didn’t really matter what department you were in you cared about internationalism. He has this anecdote that, of the 13 offices he would have to walk past in the legal department to get to his own, 10 of them had maps papering the walls, and I think that’s a great example of just how international people who worked for Pan Am were. JULIA COOKE: My father was an attorney for Pan Am and worked in the Pan Am building. GABBY SHACKNAI: Where did your interest in the golden age of travel, and specifically the women of Pan Am, stem from? Shondaland spoke to Cooke about her new book, the history of air travel and the place that Pan Am’s stewardesses fit into it, and why she felt it was so important to write about these women’s experiences.

Come Fly the World tells the captivating tales of five women at Pan Am, but, beyond that, it tells the raw, unfiltered history of women in the 1960s and ’70s. A new book from writer Julia Cooke weaves together the real-life stories of these women, from the strict requirements they had to meet - a college education, fluency in two languages, the political savvy of a Foreign Service officer, a height between 5’ 3” and 5’ 9,” a weight between 105 and 140 pounds, and an age of under 26 at the time of hire - to the roles they played in the women’s, civil rights, and anti-Vietnam War movements.

Come fly the world julia cooke