Even in the days of frequent flying, the idea of flight still holds a special fascination in our minds. Now, acclaimed aviation writer Heppenheimer captures the essence of that eternal obsession with a thrilling narrative that carries you from the dawn of flight to modern day travel. Along the way, you will meet a host of colourful 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 air adventures.
