Island in the Sky

''Island in the Sky'' is the classic 1944 aviation adventure novel written by commercial pilot and author Ernest K. Gann. The plot centers on a World War II transport pilot named Dooley who is forced to make an emergency crash landing in the uncharted, frozen wilderness near the Quebec–Labrador border. Facing sub-zero temperatures and limited rations, the downed crew must rely on Dooley's leadership to stay alive while their fellow aviators mount a desperate aerial rescue mission. Gann based the book on a true wartime search-and-rescue mission that occurred during his own time flying for the Air Transport Command. The novel was adapted into a well-known 1953 movie starring John Wayne as Captain Dooley, with Gann writing the screenplay.