{"product_id":"contact-the-story-of-the-early-birds-mans-first-decade-of-flight-drom-kitty-hawk-to-world-war-i","title":"CONTACT! — The Story of the Early Birds — Man's first decade of flight drom Kitty Hawk to World War I","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left; background-color: #f7f8f9; padding: 20px; border-left: 4px solid #647382;\"\u003eA richly illustrated account of aviation's first decade, from the Wright Brothers' 1903 flight to WWI. Henry Serrano Villard chronicles the daring pioneers, races, and innovations that launched the age of flight, featuring 125 rare photographs.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"\u003eCharacteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"table table-striped\" style=\"width: 99.915%; height: 254.83px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eISBN-10\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 59.0018%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e0213178001\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBook cover finish(es)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 59.0018%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHardcover ( round back binding ) Dust jacket \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 59.0018%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"NL-BE\" style=\"mso-ansi-language: NL-BE;\"\u003eNear-fine condition; dust jacket slightly worn, but the interior is faultless.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAuthor(s)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 59.0018%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHenry Serrano Villard\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 59.0018%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArthur Barker Ltd\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of pages\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 59.0018%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e264\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublished date\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 59.0018%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1968\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLanguage(s)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 59.0018%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEnglish\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSize\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 59.0018%; height: 19.6023px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e19 x 25.5 x 2 cm \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn today’s age of space flight, it is hard to believe that the aeroplane is scarcely sixty years old. In \u003cem\u003eThe Early Birds of Aviation\u003c\/em\u003e, Henry Serrano Villard, who knew many of the pioneer pilots and flew in their “bits of stick and string,” re-creates the romantic era when man first dared the miracle of flight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis anecdotal account, illustrated with 125 photographs—many from his personal album—covers the decade and a half of aeronautical history from the Wright brothers’ exploits at \u003cem\u003eKitty Hawk\u003c\/em\u003e to the outbreak of World War I.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story of the aeroplane begins with \u003cem\u003eWilbur and Orville Wright\u003c\/em\u003e and their now-famous flight of 1903. Inspired by the Wrights, other inventive Americans, including \u003cem\u003eGlenn Hammond Curtiss\u003c\/em\u003e, began achieving success. Curtiss, a builder of monster motorbikes, developed engines suitable for planes and attracted the attention of \u003cem\u003eAlexander Graham Bell\u003c\/em\u003e, who formed the \u003cem\u003eAerial Experiment Association\u003c\/em\u003e to “build a practical aeroplane which will carry a man and be driven through the air on its own power.” Among the successes of this group was the history-making \u003cem\u003eJune Bug\u003c\/em\u003e, designed by Curtiss, which won a prize by flying one kilometre in a straight line.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was not until 1906 that the first powered flights were made in Europe, spurred by prizes and sponsorship from visionaries such as \u003cem\u003eErnest Archdeacon\u003c\/em\u003e. European pioneers included the brothers \u003cem\u003eGabriel and Charles Voisin\u003c\/em\u003e and Captain \u003cem\u003eLouis Ferdinand Ferber\u003c\/em\u003e. The Brazilian aviator \u003cem\u003eAlberto Santos-Dumont\u003c\/em\u003e achieved fame with the first official European flight of a heavier-than-air machine in 1906. In 1908, \u003cem\u003eHenry Farman\u003c\/em\u003e proved that planes could be navigated by flying around a closed circuit, and in 1909, \u003cem\u003eLouis Blériot\u003c\/em\u003e crossed the English Channel, thrilling the continent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVillard also recounts the first international aerial meets, the Gordon Bennett Trophy races, and daring contests that tested altitude, endurance, precision landing, and cross-country flight, accelerating aeroplane design. The book explores sensational exhibitions and flying circuses organized by \u003cem\u003eJohn B. Moisant\u003c\/em\u003e, long-distance rallies making pilots like \u003cem\u003eJules Védrines\u003c\/em\u003e famous, and record-breaking speed feats that placed France at the forefront of aviation by 1912.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInnovative machines of the era are also described: the ornithopter, the helicopter, the gyroplane, the aviette (a winged bicycle), and the first large passenger plane built by \u003cem\u003eIgor Ivanovich Sikorsky\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“At the close of Europe’s ‘Belle Époque,’ rung down by the guns of August 1914,” Villard explains, “flying for sport or for record-taking was eclipsed by combat use, the commercial airliner became part of everyday life, and bombers rained terror from the skies. Yet an imperishable record remains: the story of the early birdmen and their flying machines.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis richly illustrated and vividly recounted volume preserves the daring, innovation, and human spirit of aviation’s formative years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Henry Serrano Villard","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53962287087962,"sku":null,"price":40.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0270\/3015\/9446\/files\/image1_aa7ca2ff-b88f-430e-9f21-3830545d06b7.jpeg?v=1775732173","url":"https:\/\/aviation.brussels\/products\/contact-the-story-of-the-early-birds-mans-first-decade-of-flight-drom-kitty-hawk-to-world-war-i","provider":"aviation.brussels","version":"1.0","type":"link"}