Publisher's Synopsis
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
