Who were aviation’s dreamers and from where did they
draw their inspiration? What lessons did inventors learn
from birds, insects, marine mammals, and fish that helped us
to fly? How did the bicycle lead to the airplane, and hot water
heaters to metal fuselages? And who figured out how to
fly without seeing the ground, setting the stage for scheduled
airline services in all weather conditions?
The
Airplane: How Ideas Gave Us Wings answers these
questions and more as it traces the grand quest to realize
humankind’s most ancient dream. Following the flow
of simple yet powerful ideas, I introduce readers to pioneers
across continents and centuries, shed new light on their
contributions, and evoke those key moments in history as,
piece by piece, human beings like you and me solved aviation’s
puzzles.
Fast paced and infused with the thrill of the hunt, The
Airplane places us at the elbow of flight’s pioneers
to share in their “aha” moments as they laid
the keel of a transformative invention, sent it into the blue,
and ultimately created ultra-safe jetliners that today can
take hundreds of people almost halfway around the world in
a single day.
Sure to please the lay reader and buff alike, The Airplane includes
a chapter on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner -- the latest expression
of human thinking in the airplane’s most significant
role -- and concludes with speculations about the future of
flight including alternative airliner designs and biofuels.
Here at last is a book that makes flying fun again!
More reviews:
“Jay Spenser has
brilliantly demonstrated his mastery of aviation history.”
—Dr. F. Robert van der Linden, Chairman, Aeronautics Division, National
Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
“A satisfying journey
guided by an able pilot.”
—Kirkus Reviews (09/15/08)
“Spenser’s
book stands as a smart, and occasionally wonkish, history
of a thrilling machine all too often taken for granted.”
—Publishers Weekly (9/22/08)
“Anyone interested in airplanes … will
find this book a valuable addition to his or her library.”
—Dr. John Anderson, Professor Emeritus, Aerospace Engineering, University
of Maryland
“A knowledgeable,
accessible history of heavier-than-air flight.”
—Kirkus Reviews (09/15/08)
“Brings aviation
history alive for new generations of readers.”
—Dan Hagedorn, Senior Curator, Museum of Flight
“An insightful
and innovative approach to some of the most intriguing questions
in aviation.”
—Dr. F. Robert van der Linden, Chairman, Aeronautics Division, National
Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
“The Airplane well
conveys Spenser’s
knowledge of and enthusiasm for his subject.”
—Booklist (11/21/08)
“A new character
and a new engineering problem on every other page, each served
with delight in [the] ideas that sent humanity aloft.”
—Seattle Times (11/13/08)
“Offers us a fascinating way to think about … the
modern airplane.”
—Dr. Deborah Douglas, Curator, Science and Technology, MIT Museum
“Coherent and highly readable….”
—Dr. F. Robert van der Linden, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian
Institution
“A detailed but
clear account of how humans solved the puzzle of air travel.”
—Kirkus Reviews (09/15/08)
“Spenser’s
book is worthy of addition to public, academic, and possibly
high school libraries.”
—Library Journal (10/15/08)
“Provides a clear
explanation of complex aeronautical technology.”
—Dr. F. Robert van der Linden, Chairman, Aeronautics Division, National
Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
“Jay Spenser tells
the fascinating story of the development of heavier-than-air
flight in an easy-to-read conversational style.”
—Dr. John Anderson, Professor Emeritus, Aerospace Engineering, University
of Maryland
“Reading Jay Spenser’s wonderful contribution
to aviation history is akin to having a pleasant conversation
over coffee….”
—Dan Hagedorn, Senior Curator, Museum of Flight
“This is written
like an episode of the old TV show Connections, and is just
as entertaining.”
—Sacramento Book Review
