Michael Alan Mayer

Michael Alan Mayer (1951 -

Born in New York, I spent my early childhood in Westchester County in the idyllic village of Ardsley, NY until 1958. My Dad was a NY City fireman since 1938 and a carpenter on the side. I loved the clamor of the city and the subways, Els and commuter trains as well as the skyscrapers. Torn from this, to me, a paradise we moved to Florida, West Hollywood, ending up on the beach in 1965.

In 1963 I went to the innovative (and more importantly air conditioned) Nova Jr & Sr High School, in Ft. Lauderdale, FL qualifying for early graduation in March, 1969. Finally got back to NY for two years starting in 1969 at Concordia College, Bronxville, another idyllic Westchester community where I spent two very happy years. Got my BA from University of Wisconsin, Madison by 1973 and after two years of struggling to work and save money, went to India for my MA-History in 1975 at University of Delhi, St. Stephen's College where I edited the International Students House (a dormitory) yearbook, 'The Globe' for 1977/78 and made friends with fellow students from all over the world.

With my degree in History, (it proved very useful in business since corporations behave remarkably like nations), I enjoyed a 32 year career in different and very colorful airlines, finally settling with Northwest Airlines for 20 years in aircraft scheduling and planning.

Started writing conceptual drafts of my book in 2007 and after I retired from Delta Air Lines in 2009, really concentrated on writing and finishing the project. With the help of an excellent illustrator Rachelle Meyer, was finally able to finish the book in 2011.

While something of an expert on the early 20th Century, I still had to do extensive research to carefully model the time, the last week of September, 1927. Not only the facts and events, but most importantly the ambiance, all the little things that make it real like fashions, train and ship schedules, radio times and programs, show and movie times, and above all attitudes. Things and people that any traveler could plausibly encounter so that the reader can take a walk back in time as if you are really there.