Skipp PorteousInto the Blast: The True Story of D.B. Cooper, Revised Edition

One of America's most complex cold cases,the flight of D.B. Cooper.Most of Ken Christiansen's life and persona fits with that of the infamous 'Dan Cooper'.Former FBI agent,Ralph Himmelsbach,felt that D.B. was an old con,pulling another robbery job.I think Ken Christiansen put on the show of a would-be modern James Bond/Robin Hood character to fool everybody.He drank Bourbon and Seven-Up and smoked Raleighs.Ken Christiansen served the jet-set in first class,over his many years of service,as an airline steward.He went from being a military aeroplane mechanic to being a low-paid air-steward.Did 'KC' have shady operations going on the side,and simply played the part of a mild-mannered steward? When the Cooper flight refueled,the pilot informed the stewardess that the plane could not reach Mexico City,Cooper's first choice.Reno was suggested,and Cooper accepted.There were plenty of hijackings occurring around 1971,most destinations south of the border or Cuba.Ken Christiansen serviced planes during his stint in the army.He knew fueling and how much a plane could hold.He wanted the pilots and FBI to think this was not well planned,and by someone unfamiliar with airplanes.The authors make a good arguement for Ken Christiansen being D.B. Cooper.Yet there are a lot ofquestions unresolved.How could D.B. land in the pre-determined spot ,at night,perfectly? How could DB toss the three bundles of twenties into the river and have them float several miles downstream and settle within inches of one another along the riverside?The three bundles,two thousand dollars each,were discovered February 6,1980.DB's accomplice,'Mike',worked as a tug-boat worker.Was 'Mike' the man known as Duane Weber?Duane Weber confessed to his wife,Jo Weber,that he was the hijacker,D.B.Cooper.Weber had no paratrooper experience and Ken Christiansen did.Why would Ken bury only one bundle of twenties,in the backyard of his Bonney Lake house? The authors hit upon the topic of 'money-laundring'.How could Ken Christiansen live on the dwindling ransom money for twenty-three years?How could none of the bills ever have been detected,after years of circulation? It may sound far-fetched,yet D.B. Cooper may also have been involved in the Zodiac case.The Zodiac was aquainted with bomb-making,and DB Cooper had a bomb.Dan Cooper and the Zodiac were based on 'cartoon characters',from comic books.Zodiac wrote,'I hope you enjoy my BLAST'.Parachutists jump into the 'Blast',from the open-door of an airplane.Zodiac used airplane model glue to cover his finger tips.Ken Christiansen traveled widely,including many lay-over stops to Manilla and Japan.The authors point out Ken Christiansen knew plenty of shadowy characters,who were involved in illegal activities.On the West coast,Vallejo was the hub of counterfitting and money-laundring,during the Cold War era. The book is way too short,to make a complete guilty verdict against Ken Christiansen.The final result is more questions evoked than questions resolved and answered.

I must admit, after reading this book, that the theory that Kenneth Christiansen was D.B. Cooper is the most plausible theory that I have ever heard. Of all of the Cooper suspects, only in the case of Christiansen: Was a suspect known to have LOADS more money after the hijacking, than he did before it. Did a Flight Attendant on that (in)famous flight, after viewing a photo of Christiansen, say that he looks more like D.B. Cooper than anyone else she has ever seen. Was there found, right above his bedroom, a secret compartment, hidden where nobody else could find it. Was the suspect a known paratrooper AND (disgruntled?) employee of THE AIRLINES THAT WAS HIJACKED (Northwest). The case hasnt been conclusively solved, but Christiansen, based on the circumstantial evidence, is the most likely suspect. And he looked like D.B. Cooper...only balder. However a woman who knew Christiansen said that he wore a toupee. This book is a must read for anyone who loves a good true-life mystery, especially the mystery of D.B. Cooper.....one of the most fascinating mysteries ...ever. P.S. The FBI says that Christiansen wasnt Cooper. However, the FBI had this man, Cooper, thumb his nose at them and get away with it...so they arent about to admit that the skyjacker got away with the crime and lived for decades, without the FBI being able to find him. They want the world to think that Cooper died on impact. Atleast in MY opinion, they do. And never say never...maybe he DID. The FBI enjoys relying exclusively on a DNA sample that may be irrelevant due to contamination (numerous people have touched the item where the DNA was extracted from)and as we have learned, even DNA evidence isnt always what it appears to be (definitive), although it is the most accurate evidence available today. But it should never be the sole evidence in a case, but merely one piece of the puzzle. Regardless...after reading this book you just may have no choice but to say.."S.O.B.,......he made it! He got away with it! He beat the system!" While it is not definitive, it sure looks that way, thanks to the authors of this book, and the History Channel, who recently did an episode of the show "Brad Meltzer's Decoded" on Cooper and discovered new evidence, which seems to reinforce the theory that Christiansen and Cooper were one and the same.But read the book and decide for yourself.

All the evidence appears to be circumstantial but I think these guys put it all together correctly. Great read in one half a day

Overall, I would say that the case against Christiansen is very compelling for several different reasons. The main ones being that he did work for the airlines, so he would have felt comfortable on planes, and that he had paratrooping experience.The one thing that I found odd is that when he died he had more money than the total amount of the ransom. This speaks to a level of frugality that seems to be counterintuitive to the notion of stealing a lot of money and then buying yourself nice things with it. Unless as time went on he became a better businessman and was able to accumulate his own money through whatever mean he later undertook. By hooker by crook when he died he had more money than the $200,000 ransom that would have come from the hijacking.

I'm just beginning my study of Dan Cooper but it will be hard to top the theory of Kenny Christiansen being Dan Cooper. This book presents a great circumstantial evidence case. I purchased the book to read on my Kindle app but I also purchased two physical copies (one for myself and one for my father).

I watched the D.B. Cooper program on the History Channel and liked it.This is basically the program in book format with some updates.It provides a lot of food thought on a possible identity. Of all the books and programs that offer a wide array of possible suspects in the unsolved skyjacking, this book seems more sensible. It does not prove anything but it goes a long way toward that point. There are a lot of unexplained circumstances with money and physical similarities. It's a good read.

Good read and a very interesting perspective. They present a good argument for who they think DB was! Highly recommended!

This is a relatively short book and when a book becomes more about the story of how the book was written than about the actual story itself, then the writers have lost the plot and have very little to go on.The evidence is curious but circumstantial at best and suffers from confirmation bias. Great weight is placed on evidence the writers uncover, which is often half remembered gossip from peoples' unreliable memories of over 30 years ago. And the authors then interpret this via their own acknowledge assumptions rather than thinking there may be other reasons for what is being said. At the same time actual physical evidence, investigated by FBI and other law enforcement agencies is dismissed, for example the parachute that was found many years after the hijacking. This was found to be from WWII and made from silk, where as the DB Cooper parachute was made from ripstop nylon, and yet the authors decided the FBI was wrong and it may well have been DB Coopers parachute.The Subject of the book may well be a credible suspect, but as a former skydiver myself, I know there is a huge difference between jumping out a military plane arms across ones chest, legs together from low altitude via static line and high altitude skydiving, especially out of a jet travelling at approx 200mph into a rainy night, with no ground visibility, in -9degC temps, incalculable Windchill from speed of the aircraft, in light office clothing, with unstable bags loosely tied to you, with no gloves, helmet and googles. Knowing the skill needed to stay stable in freefall in order to open one's parachute safely, let alone for anyone in turbulent air when slowly down from a forward moving speed of 200mph whilst increasing vertical descent speed up to 200mph, in diabolical weather conditions, at night, without knowing where you are and unable to see the ground, I image DB Cooper did not survive the jump. And if he did, then managing to survive the landing, when the ground could have be up to 90% forest. Or if not fully forested then at least the ground would have been half covered in trees, and where "clear" covered with scrub, rivers, lakes, roads, power lines, bushes, fences, rocks, uneven ground and other numerous hazards. With a non-steerable parachute in windy conditions and without knowing the direction of the wind, but having been drifting uncontrollably for may 30 mins in wet freezing weather, would be extremely lucky to walk away from any such landing. And at the beginning of the book, the authors describe a fictional account of how DB cooper exited the aircraft and quickly opened his parachute, in just a line or two, as though it was a simple as stepping out of one's house and opening one's gate!Then there's the deathbed confession, that never actually happened. It could have been anything !Oh and by the way. DB Cooper had a unsteerble military round canopy not a square ramair canopy as seen on the books cover. Says it all !The book is interesting because of the subject matter and provides background one of the more credible suspects, but unlike the authors please keep an open mind and weigh up the evidence critically.

I watched a documentary on the D.B.Cooper case and became intrigued so looked for a book on the subject. This one is very interesting and makes a compelling case that an underpaid air steward was the hijacker. He seems a more likely suspect that many of the other names which have been put forward by people who wanted a public profile and desired to share in the reflected infamy.

A very plausible theory - one of many - regarding the identity of 1971 plane hijacker D.B. Cooper. Given the unquestionable fact that hijacking a plane for any reason is a heinous crime, one must retain a certain amount of admiration for 'Cooper'. To jump from the lowered staircase of a passenger jet at night time, from an altitude of approximately 10,000 ft. in November, over Washington state with minimal protective clothing, takes some balls.

Pages in book were wet and book was dented

As a DB Cooper 'fan', I have read many theories but this is by far the most convincing. Sterling work by the authors. No sensationalism, just facts and the objective presentation of well researched theories. Perhaps the truth will never be known but this book puts forward a compelling case for unmasking Kenneth Christiansen as 'Dan Cooper'.