The Airmen Who Would Not Die

The Airmen Who Would Not Die begins with a note to the reader from a former professor from the Smithsonian Institution which says that the book "will become a prime source of evidence of human survival after death". Arguably in the 29 years since being published, it has not achieved this, but it remains an interesting and thought-provoking book as it relates to life after death.

The book is split into two tales; the first is about a pilot, Captain W. G. R. Hinchcliffe, who dies on an attempt to cross the Atlantic. He then begins to make contact with a lady using a ouija board to get a message to his wife, to reassure her that all is well and give her some important information. The story tells of the sessions that Captain Hinchcliffe had with his wife and how information he predicted came true; but then twists a little as the Captain has a warning for some friends working on a new method of travel - the R-101 Airship. The second story of the book relates to the R-101, its construction and subsequent crash, and the messages received from several of the people who died in the crash.

The Airmen Who Would Not Die is a compelling read. As the author himself says in a conversation with his wife:

Who can buy all that all of a sudden?
I don't think anybody, including me, can buy that all of a sudden.
How can they buy it, then?
By going through all the evidence, and then looking at the alternatives.

In essence, this book does not set out to convince everyone that life after death is a reality. It merely raises the possibility, and with the evidence included in the book it does a good job of showing that there is a chance of it being correct and not just a fallacy. But as the author himself says, it is up to the reader to sift through the evidence and consider the alternatives and then decide for him or herself what seems most probable.