Book cover of Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!

Book description

Surely You Can't Be Serious is an in-depth and hysterical look at the making of 1980's comedy classic Airplane! by the legendary writers and directors of the hit film.

Airplane! premiered on July 2nd, 1980. With a budget of $3.5 million it went on to make nearly $200 million in…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked Surely You Can't Be Serious as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I'm a comedy nerd and I've read every oral retelling and book on the history of comedy I can get my hands on. Not only did this one make me laugh harder than any I've read, but their their path to success was as loopy as the airplane on the movie poster. You can feel the friendship of the creators and it's hard to not feel like you're friends with them as well by the end.

I love biographies and also 'behind the scenes' glimpses of my favorite shows and movies.

Airplane! is one of my top ten all-time favorite movies, and I didn't know much about the making of the movie or the trio that created it, so this was right up my alley.

I liked that the book was written as a collection of small memory snippets, as the creators and actors recalled their days of filming the movie. I also enjoyed learning about the creator's very early days in showbiz.

It all felt very honest and real, refreshingly rough around the edges…

If you love Surely You Can't Be Serious...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like Surely You Can't Be Serious?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Surely You Can't Be Serious.

Browse books like Surely You Can't Be Serious

Book cover of Narration in the Fiction Film
Book cover of Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood
Book cover of The Visual Story: Creating the Visual Structure of Film, Tv, and Digital Media

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,340

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Surely You Can't Be Serious, you might also like...

Book cover of Foxfire in the Snow

Foxfire in the Snow by J.S. Fields,

It's a time of change, between magic and alchemy.

Born the heir of a master woodcutter in a queendom defined by guilds and matrilineal inheritance, nonbinary Sorin can’t quite seem to find their place. At seventeen, an opportunity to attend an alchemical guild fair and secure an apprenticeship with the…

Book cover of The Main Gate

The Main Gate by Yvonne Kjorlien,

Dr. Elise Marquette has spent years burying the past—until the past refuses to stay buried.

Hired to join Earth’s first interstellar contact team, she hopes the vastness of space will finally offer distance from the ghosts of war and the wounds left by a mother who never let her be…

5 book lists we think you will like!