His wife Lynn and two young children were among the survivors. The buildup of tension is relentless - Lufthansa's Boeing 747 Hessen lifting into the night sky over Germany, crossing the Mediterranean and the African deserts in the dark; some passengers watching a Clint Eastwood movie, others sipping cocktails in the upstairs lounge. As morning breaks, the 747 lands smoothly in Nairobi for a brief refuelling stop and a change of crew on the way to Johannesburg. And then, with 157 aboard, a take-off run. The wheels lift, the aircraft rises 100 feet and plunges back to earth, breaking in two against an embanked road. It ploughs on, bursting into flames. It comes to a halt in the muddy bush, and the survivors begin a desperate fight to escape the inferno. Some seemingly "ordinary" people become heroes. And ninety-eight make it out.  This is their story.

    Her correspondence, spanning more than 40 years, provides a fascinating record of and insights into the life-style of an unconventional white settler in early British days in Kenya.