The World of AVIATION

The development of practical aviation has been short in time, but far-reaching in terms of its effect on life in the twentieth century. 

This book describes the whole fascinating story of aviation, from the realization of man’s age-old dream of flight to the international mass-transport industry of the 1970s and modern combat aircraft, the most sophisticated and formidable of all military arms.

The opening chapter traces the pioneering efforts of visionaries and brave men who built and flew balloons, airships and the first primitive stick and string aircraft. 

The evolution of practical aircraft for military and civil use is reviewed in depth, and later chapters cover the growth of the light aircraft movement, military aviation during the Second World War and in the jet age, air transport from the first intercontinental services to supersonic passenger flights, and the development of the versatile helicopter. 

Throughout the authoritative text, the pattern of international aviation development is reviewed in perspective, key aircraft are described and some of the failures and idiosyncratic designs are recalled.

The World of Aviation is superbly illustrated with carefully selected contemporary photographs and colour studies of both preserved aircraft and the machines of the jet age. It is a book which will be enjoyed by enthusiasts in the world over.

Author:

Chris Ellis is the author of numerous books and magazine articles on military subjects, covering warfare on land, sea, and in the air. His knowledge and enthusiasm are coupled with a reputation for detail accuracy and an ability to assess machines and overall trends in perspective – attributes which mean that The World of Aviation presents a balanced picture of man’s supreme twentieth-century achievement.