Flight: 100 Years of Aviation - Hardcover

R.G. Grant

4.34

219 ratings by Goodreads

9780751337327: Flight: 100 Years of Aviation

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0751337323 ISBN 13: 9780751337327

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd, 2002

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This work presents a journey through a century of flight, capturing the spirit and excitement of aviation past and present, from the Wright brothers' first airborne attempts to the story behind the space race. Bone-jarring moments of flight with pioneers such as Orville Wright, Harriet Quimby and Roland Garros are presented, along with absorbing profiles of the key personalities and the planes they flew. Readers can follow the swift advances in aviation technology that took place with the onset of war, as supremacy in the skies became a crucial factor. Eyewitness accounts and images bring air reconnaissance, aerial bombing and spectacular "dogfights" to life. Adventurous fliers like Lindbergh and Earhart pushed the boundaries even further during the "golden age" of flight in the 1920s and 1930s. R.G. Grant describes how these trailblazers conquered transatlantic routes and paved the way for new luxury passenger jets. The book concludes with a glimpse into the future of flight: from anti-terrorist strategies to light aircraft, pilotless planes and space vacations.

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About the Author:

Published in association with Duxford Imperial War Museum and Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

From Library Journal:

This sweeping compendium of milestones in 20th-century aviation history is published in association with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, which may account for its rigorous attention to detail. Grant (The Berlin Wall) offers a wealth of supportive information to complement his engagingly written text. Succinct offset biographies sketch the lives and contributions of aviation's pioneers (both men and women), scientists, promoters, businessmen, barnstormers, racers, designers and manufacturers, aces (from World War I to Vietnam), and astronauts and cosmonauts. Fascinating sidebars also treat early flight, assorted inventions, famous air races (1910-39), the gradual transformation of the role of the fighter pilot, the evolution of aerial weaponry, training programs, navigational technology, aerial exploration, landmark altitude and long-distance flights, Zeppelin travel, power plants, Hitler's jet and rocket programs, the breaking of the sound barrier, the Cold War space race, and America's current shuttle program. The impressive illustrations include over 300 gorgeous, full-color profiles of the world's major military and civilian aircraft and space vehicles. The result is a work of greater overall scope and depth than Bill Gunston's Aviation: The First 100 Years. Highly recommended for all military, aviation, and transportation collections and public libraries.
John Carver Edwards, Univ. of Georgia Libs., Cleveland
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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