Product Description

The soaring chronicle of how man conquered the skies

Even in these days of frequent flying, the idea of flight still holds a special fascination in our minds. Now, acclaimed aviation writer T. A. Heppenheimer captures the essence of that eternal obsession with a thrilling narrative that carries readers from the dawn of flight to modern day travel. Along the way, readers will meet a host of colorful characters–brilliant innovators Howard Hughes and Bill Lear, "Red Baron" Manfred von Richthofen, and Jimmy Doolittle; plane builders Donald Douglas, William Allan, and Jack Northrup; entrepreneur Juan Trippe of Pan Am; and today′s inventors Paul MacCready and Burt and Richard Rutan. No one who has ever been moved by the sight of a rising balloon, or watched in awe as a jumbo jet gracefully lifts off the tarmac will be able to resist this wonderful history of mankind′s adventures in the air.

T.A. Heppenheimer (Fountain Valley, California), has written six books, including Countdown: A History of Space Flight and Turbulent Skies: The History of Commercial Aviation. He holds a PhD in aerospace engineering and is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Aerospace.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2728592 in Books
• Published on: 2000-12-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 464 pages

From the Inside Flap
". . . Take a cow. That will create an extraordinary effect, far more so than a panicky sheep that no one will be able to see . . ." So urged Joseph Montgolfier to his brother Étienne before their first "passenger–carrying" balloon mission that captured the hearts of Paris and the world. Ballooning’s advent prompted Ben Franklin to write, "The invention of the balloon appears to be a discovering of great importance and what may possibly give a new turn to human affairs." His prediction, of course, was an understatement: the success of balloon flight sparked centuries of aeronautical excitement that continues unabated today.Fascinating anecdotes and lively first–person accounts animate T. A. Heppenheimer’s spellbinding work, A Brief History of Flight. Through Heppenheimer’s magical storytelling, readers will encounter the colorful characters–the inventors, entrepreneurs, scientists, businessmen, pilots, and air warriors–who made flight the stuff of our dreams.You’ll read rare portraits of Charles Lindbergh, Chuck Yeager, and Howard Hughes, as well as such luminaries as:

• Sir George Cayley, the first inventor of the airplane
• William Bollay, the "quiet rocket research man"
• Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, the nation’s leading aircraft designer
• Planebuilders DonaldDouglas,William Allen, and Jack Northrop
• Inventors William Lear and Burt and Richard Rutan

A Brief History of Flight reenacts the events that led to our greatest developments in commercial and military aviation. Witness the race between Europe, Japan, and the United States for flight supremacy. You’ll learn how Wilbur and Orville Wright transferred their transportation savvy from bicycles to airplanes, and see the rise–and fall–of the zeppelin, one of the mostromantic inventions of the twentieth century. You’ll be there at the Battle of Midway and the Battle of Britain, and in the skies over Germany. You’ll watch the circumstances unfold that led to the tragic atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Heppenheimer masterfullyexplains the economic, military, and social forces that led to each invention’s creation or demise. You’ll understand the role the stock market played, and continues to play, in airline mergers . . . witness the birth of United Airlines, American Airlines, and TWA. . . and glimpse aviation’s future in the development of the visionary Joint Strike Fighter, the F–22, and the Airbus A–3XX. A Brief History of Flight reminds us of the people behind every flight venture, the power of money in fulfilling visions, and the immutable, decisive contribution of air power in war. And, most important, it helps us realize that, in our minds, the sky is only the beginning.

From the Back Cover
The amazing chronicle of our passion for the sky Flight–subject of poetry, art, scientific inquiry, and war–continues to fascinate us. From the days before ballooning to the development of the Boeing 777, flight has fired our imaginations and transformed our lives. Meticulously researched and filled with entertaining first–person anecdotes, little–known historical facts, and offbeat humor, A Brief History of Flight puts into context the social, political, and economic factors that have stoked our passion for flight. You’ll see how big business has helped the most daring–and expensive–inventions get off the ground, laugh at some of history’s most bizarre flight attempts, and even get a rare peek inside some of the earliest passenger "flight kits."

Whether you’re an aviation buff, a business reader, a technology watcher, or simply interested in flight, A Brief History of Flight will leave you wondering what the world of aviation can possibly do for an encore.Critical Praise for T. A. Heppenheimer

"Countdown is by far the best history of space flight I have ever read. It is detailed, lucidly written for the layman, and full of fascinating stories."–ADRIAN BERRY, Daily Telegraph, ON Countdown: A History of Space Flight"A lively account of the development of space activities in the U.S. and the Soviet Union . . . as good a one–volume overview of space as exists."–Scientific American ON Countdown: A History of Space Flight "With the precision of a scientist, a good reporter’s marshaling of disparate facts, and the vigor of a natural storyteller, Heppenheimer offers an absorbing narrative."–RICHARD SNOW, Editor, American Heritage, ON Turbulent Skies:

The History of Commercial Aviation

About the Author
T. A. HEPPENHEIMER is the author of ten books, including Countdown: A History of Space Flight (Wiley) and Turbulent Skies: The History of Commercial Aviation (Wiley), which is under development as a four–part series on PBS. He holds a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan and is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Aerospace. A freelance writer, Heppenheimer lives in Fountain Valley, California.