Balloons and Airships: A Tale of Lighter Than Air Aviation
Anthony Burton
(Author)
Description
This book tells the often dramatic and always fascinating story of flight in lighter than air machines. For centuries man had dreamed of flying, but all attempts failed, until in 1782 the Montgolfier brothers constructed the world's first hot air balloon The following year saw the first ascent with aeronauts - not human beings but a sheep, a duck and a cockerel. But it was not long before men and women too took to the air and became ever more adventurous. The aeronauts became famous giving displays before crowds of thousands, often accompanied by special effects.In the early years, ballooning was a popular pastime, but in the 19th century it found a new use with the military. Balloons were used to send messages out during the Siege of Paris and later found a role as observation balloons for the artillery. But their use was always limited by the fact that they were at the mercy of the wind. There were numerous attempts at steering balloons, and various attempts were made to power them but it was the arrival of the internal combustion engine that saw the balloon transformed into the airship. The most famous developer of airships was Graf von Zeppelin and the book tells the story of the use of his airships in both peacetime and at war. There were epic adventures including flights over the poles and for a time, commercial airships flourished - then came the disaster of the Hindenburg. Airships still fly today and ballooning has become a hugely popular pastime.
Product Details
Price
$49.95
$46.45
Publisher
Pen and Sword Aviation
Publish Date
November 13, 2019
Pages
216
Dimensions
7.0 X 9.8 X 0.8 inches | 1.7 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781526719492
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Become an affiliateAbout the Author
Anthony Burton is a freelance author and broadcaster, who has specialized in industrial and transport history. He has been involved in around a hundred TV documentaries on these subjects, appearing on all the major networks. He has written biographies of some of the leading characters of the early industrial age: Thomas Telford, Richard Trevithick, Joseph Locke and Matthew Boulton, the latter with Jennifer Tann
Reviews
"Generously illustrated, this fluid-reading survey will entertain aviation enthusiasts."--Booklist
This is a very entertaining book, covering a key period in the development of manned flight--History of War
Absolutely enthralling.--Books Monthly
This is a very entertaining book, covering a key period in the development of manned flight--History of War
Absolutely enthralling.--Books Monthly