Flying is an experience in itself – Book Review
Do you come from a flying family? Have you ever considered flying for a living or getting your flight license so you can experience something really great? Are you wishing to have a flying car in your life? Well, if so, or if you just love aviation, I have a great recommendation, a great book that I think you should read. No, it’s not a new book, and it’s not just one book, it’s actually many books in one: about 75 stories in all, easy reads each and just the right length. The name of the book is:
“Men in the Air: The Greatest Flight Stories of All Time, From Greek Mythology to the Space Age,” edited by Brandt Aymar and Walter J. Boyne, Wing Books, New York, New York, 1990, pp. 597, ISBN: 0-517-14656-8.
The book stays true to the title as the first chapter is the famous story of Daedalus and Icarus, the Greek mythology of a father and son who fly with their artificial wings and the son gets too close to the Sun that has the wax on it. to. he melts and falls to his death unable to maintain his altitude. Below we have several science fiction stories, including one by Isaac Asimov; “To Saturn And Back” and then the book starts with stories of human powered flight and very good ones I might add.
On the human-powered flight front, there are stories about airships, balloons, and airships, then the Wright brothers, Lindberg, and the designs and history of Sikorski, who made the first viable helicopters. I found the stories of flying the mail, storms, air races, and early air shows quite interesting.
The book is not without its conflicts, since it talks about the first flying aces of the First World War in Europe. World War II flight stories are numerous and involve accounts from pilots on all sides of the war; Japanese, Allied Forces, American Airmen, Luftwaffe and Russians. There are stories of pilots in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War.
The latest set of stories is about women pilots in aviation, a must read for inspirational insights from future women pilots. I highly recommend reading all the stories there. Interestingly, there are also interesting stories about flights and the weather, as well as about hurricane hunters.
The book has important sections on the age of props, the age of jets, and the age of space. Our most famous Apollo astronauts have stories told, intense and heartbreaking stories. I think you will love this book as much as I do. Be cool, don’t hesitate.