The Air Racers
Aviation's Golden Era 1909-1936
Gwynn-Jones, Jerry
First UK Edition
The era of the great air races lasted little more than a quarter of a Century but in that period aircraft developed from the primitive machines made of wood, wire and fabric to the efficient all-metal airliner.
The earliest races excited an awestruck world with the sheer miracle of flight but by 1914 the evolution had begun. The Schneider Trophy of 1914 spawned the legendary Sopwith fighters which were to achieve such fame on the Western Front.
In The Air Racers all the great races are covered from 1909 when Lord Northcliffe's Daily Mail challenged the 'flying fools' to cross the English Channel. There is America's first race around the Statue of Liberty, the Gordon Bennett races, and the two long distance races of 1919. These races showed the public that aircraft could cross oceans; worldwide air travel was becoming a real possibility.
During the 1920s air racing attracted unprecedented attention as flying strove to gain public respectability. This great enthusiasm is vividly portrayed here by the author.
The illustrations in The Air Racers, many of them previously unpublished, bring to life the glamour and excitement and indeed the courage of these aviation heroes.
hardcover with dust jacket, large format
224 Seiten / pages
with many rare photographs, many of the colourised
very good condition
London - 1984 - Pelham Books
Art.Nr. 22713
