Wings – A History of Aviation from Kites to the Wright Brothers to the Space Age - Hardcover

Crouch, Tom D.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0393057674 ISBN 13: 9780393057676

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003

Synopsis

The history of the birth and development of human flightthe technology that defined the twentieth century. The invention of the airplane ushered in the modern agea new era of global commerce, revolutionary technologies, and total war. Whatever the practical consequences, the sheer exhilaration of flight captured the imagination. No longer bound to the surface of the earth, humans took the first steps on a journey that would eventually carry them to other worlds. Tom Crouch weaves the people, machines, and ideas of the air age into a compelling narrative. He tells how the enthusiasm of amateurs spawned an industry that determined the rise and fall of nations. Yet this is not a tale of unalloyed progress. Moments of exaltation were tempered by bitter disappointment and stark terror. Blind alleys were the price of technical progress. In the end, there is no more fascinating cast of characters than those who wrote history in the sky. Theirs is a fascinating story of realizing an extraordinary dream and riding it. 125 illustrations.

About this title

Review:

"Capturing the romance of flight along with successes, failures and many memorable figures from Lindbergh to Yeager, this is a book that soars."

Synopsis:

This book tells the history of the birth and development of human flight - the technology that defined the 20th century. Tom Crouch weaves the people, machines and ideas of the air age into a compelling narrative and shows how this extraordinary dream was realized. He tells how the enthusiasm of amateurs spawned an industry that determined the rise and fall of nations. Whatever the pracical consequences, the sheer exhilaration of flight captured the imagination.

About this edition

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0393057674
• ISBN 13: 9780393057676
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 736