Means of Transport That Almost Changed the World

Ever wonder why we don’t commute in flying cars, ride single-rail trains, or steer life-size remote-control vehicles?

Means of Transport That Almost Changed the World takes you on a fascinating journey through history’s boldest and strangest transportation ideas that never quite made it. Packed with detailed illustrations and captivating stories, this book reveals the prototypes, dreams, and daring experiments that shaped innovation even when they failed.

Aimed at readers ages 12 and up, this beautifully illustrated book blends technology, history, and design to explore the inventions that almost revolutionized how we move. Each spread dives into the origins of these curious machines, why they were created, and what ultimately stopped them from changing the world.

From flying jeeps and vertical take-off planes to futuristic cars that stayed on the drawing board, this book celebrates human ingenuity and reminds us that progress often begins with failure.

• Unusual Vehicles & Forgotten Ideas: Discover incredible machines like the Hafner Rotabuggy (a WWII flying jeep) and the Conair XFY Pogo (a Cold War vertical take-off plane).
• Stunning Technical Illustrations: Realistic, detail-rich artwork by former design engineer Martin Sodomka brings each concept to life.
• Behind-the-Scenes Stories: Explore the surprising reasons these inventions failed, from political decisions and economic hurdles to engineering challenges and public skepticism.
• Engaging & Educational: Learn how social conditions, wars, and technological limits shaped these inventions and why they didn’t succeed.
• Perfect Giftfor Young History Readers: A gorgeous hardcover book for curious minds, classrooms, libraries, and design enthusiasts.

For over 75 years, Albatros Media has been crafting original and innovative children's books that are both playful and educational, fostering curiosity and a thirst for knowledge in young minds. We deliver the highest quality children’s books from novelty, picture, pop-up, and how-to books, to non-fiction, and fairy tale books.

Tom Velcovsky is an author and creator of children's nonfiction books. He studied Audiovisual Production at the Silesian University in Opava, where he specialized in screenwriting and storyboards. After working in advertising, he devoted himself fully to creating children's books and comic strips. He is best known for books that introduce young readers to history, science, technology, architecture, and the natural world in an accessible and visually engaging way, and he belongs to a new generation of Czech children's nonfiction authors whose works combine carefully crafted content with distinctive illustration. Velcovsky is the author or co-author of a number of titles, including Famous Finds and Finders, How the New Seven Wonders of the World Were Built, Means of Transport That Almost Changed the World, and The Origins of Sports. He currently resides in the Czech Republic.

Stepanka Sekaninova is a graduate in Czech and History from the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University. She used to work as a TV reporter and in the production of children's programs but has always longed to write. Now she is realizing her childhood dream as a writer and editor-in-chief at Albatros Media. Stepanka lives in the Czech Republic.

Martin Sodomka was born in 1968 and he studied at the Department of Industrial Design Management. His first job was as a design engineer. In 1993 he founded a graphics studio. In 2012 he published, at his own expense, How to Build a Car, the first book in the Technical Tales series; this book was inspired by his restoration of a classic car (1963 Škoda Octavia). This book became an immediate bestseller and was translated into ten languages. Martin Sodomka is married with two children.