Publisher's Synopsis
Flight -- mankind's dream for centuries -- is now so universal that it reaches into every corner of our existence, from transportation and commerce to diplomacy and defence. Great Aviators and their Epic Flights captures and celebrates twenty of the most significant flights of this first century of man's ability to soar. Levin Associates and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum have assembled the greatest stories of the evolution of flight. Beginning with the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, this book traces the spectacular technological achievements and feats of human courage and conviction through true milestones of aviation. Louis Bleriot crossing the English Channel in 1911 to WWI fighter ace William Barker to Charles Lindberg and the Spirit of St. Louis to Valery Chkalov's transpolar flight to Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier in Glamorous Glennis. Great Aviators and their Epic Flights also provides insights into how aircraft -- planes, helicopters, balloons, and blimps -- have been used as tools of humanity, bringing both comfort and destruction and expanding our knowledge of Earth and its inhabitants. From the story of Bock's Car and her crew that dropped the second nuclear bomb on Japan to rescue missions at Chernobyl to United Airlines flight 232 and its pilot's heroic efforts to avoid disaster, these fascinating stories are brought to life. Explorations and the pushing of boundaries include the Brietling Orbiter balloon circumnavigation and the intriguing forays into the jungles of New Guinea by floatplane as part of the National Geographic Society's Arcbold Expedition of 1941. Von Hardesty's thoughtful text and 200 stunning illustrations from the best aviation collections in the world combine to put the reader in the cockpit for an exhilarating ride through the history of flight.
