The Great Air Race: Glory, Tragedy, and the Dawn of American Aviation [Hardcover]

Few Americans remember today that, between World War I and World War II, air-racing was the countrys most popular form of public entertainment . . . this is more than the tale of those magnificent men and their flying machines. For contemporary readers, it is also a fable of how new technologies are introduced and spread.Years before Charles Lindberghs flight from New York to Paris electrified the nation, a group of daredevil pilots, most of them veterans of the World War I, brought aviation to the masses by competing in the sensational transcontinental air race of 1919. The contest awakened Americans to the practical possibilities of flight, yet despite its significance, it has until now been all but forgotten.The untold, almost unbelievable, story of the daring pilots who risked their lives in an unprecedented air race in 1919and put American aviation on the map. Among the many virtues of John Lancasters delightful Although the race took place during peacetime, Lancaster is in solid military-history territory& The race itself was fraught with peril, and the author recounts in great detail the inherent struggles of trying to fly cross-country when there were no navigational aids, and the weather could prove deadly. In the end, there were numerous crashes, injuries, and fatalities, and Lancaster covers all of it, making for thrilling reading. The book also includes outstanding photographs. An excellent read for those interested in aviation, the military, and American history. A dramatic account of the massive 1919 cross-country air race, the likes of which the world had never seen.& In this well-researched text, Lancaster delivers an expert description of the planes (mostly ex-WWI fighters) and biographies of the volunteers& Entertaining fireworks during the early days of flight. [An] energetic and entertaining history of the greatest airplane race ever flown, a 1919 round-trip race between San Francisco and Long Island. . . . Lancaster brings to vivid ll#Q