THE AIR RACERS — AVIATION'S GOLDEN ERA 1909-1936 —
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Characteristics
| ISBN |
|
| Book cover finish(es) | Hardcover ( square back binding ) • Dust jacket |
| Special Features |
Printed in Singapore by Tien Mah Litho Printing Co (Pte) Ltd 2 Jalan Jentera, Jurong, Singapore 22 |
| Condition | Excellent |
| Author(s) | Terry Gwynn-Jones |
| Publisher | Pelham Books Ltd |
| Number of pages | 224 |
| Published date |
First published in Australia by Lansdowne Press First published in Great Britain by Pelham Books Ltd 44 Bedford Square London WC1B 3DU 1984 © 1984 by Terry Gwynn-Jones |
| Language(s) | English |
| Size | 22 x 31 cm |
Description
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The illustrations in The Air Racers, many of them previously unpublished, bring to life the glamour and excitement and indeed the courage of these aviation heroes.
The Author
Terry Gwynn-Jones began work as a trainee journalist before joining the RAF.
He later served with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force as a fighter pilot and flying instructor of jet aircraft.
He has taken part in numerous air races and was a winner of the inaugural Hinkler Air Race. In 1975, he teamed up with another ex-RAF pilot to set a new around-the-world speed record for piston-engined aircraft.
Terry Gwynn-Jones writes regularly for a number of magazines and has written four previous books on early aviation.