The Flight of the Century

Download or Read eBook The Flight of the Century PDF written by Thomas Kessner and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-07-20 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle.
The Flight of the Century
Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Total Pages : 337
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780199752645
ISBN-13 : 0199752648
Rating : 4/5 (45 Downloads)

Book Synopsis The Flight of the Century by : Thomas Kessner

Book excerpt: In late May 1927 an inexperienced and unassuming 25-year-old Air Mail pilot from rural Minnesota stunned the world by making the first non-stop transatlantic flight. A spectacular feat of individual daring and collective technological accomplishment, Charles Lindbergh's flight from New York to Paris ushered in the modern age of commercial aviation. In The Flight of the Century, Thomas Kessner takes a fresh look at one of America's greatest moments, explaining how what was essentially a publicity stunt became a turning point in history. Kessner vividly recreates the flight itself and the euphoric reaction to it on both sides of the Atlantic, and argues that Lindbergh's amazing feat occurred just when the world--still struggling with the disillusionment of WWI--desperately needed a hero to restore a sense of optimism and innocence. Kessner also shows how new forms of mass media made Lindbergh into the most famous international celebrity of his time, casting him in the role of a humble yet dashing American hero of rural origins and traditional values. Much has been made of Lindbergh's personal integrity and his refusal to cash in on his fame, but Kessner reveals that Lindbergh was closely allied with, and managed by, a group of powerful businessmen--Harry Guggenheim, Dwight Morrow, and Henry Breckenridge chief among them--who sought to exploit aviation for mass transport and massive profits. Their efforts paid off as commercial air traffic soared from 6,000 passengers in 1926 to 173,000 passengers in 1929. Kessner's book is the first to fully explore Lindbergh's central role in promoting the airline industry--the rise of which has influenced everything from where we live to how we wage war and do business.


The Flight of the Century Related Books

The Flight of the Century
Language: en
Pages: 337
Authors: Thomas Kessner
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2010-07-20 - Publisher: Oxford University Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In late May 1927 an inexperienced and unassuming 25-year-old Air Mail pilot from rural Minnesota stunned the world by making the first non-stop transatlantic fl
Flight Patterns
Language: en
Pages: 0
Authors: James Salter
Categories: Transportation
Type: BOOK - Published: 2009 - Publisher: Grove Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Collection of fiction, nonfiction and poetry on the topic of air travel.
Reconsidering a Century of Flight
Language: en
Pages: 314
Authors: Roger D. Launius
Categories: Transportation
Type: BOOK - Published: 2015-12-01 - Publisher: UNC Press Books

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright soared into history during a twelve-second flight on a secluded North Carolina beach. Commemorating the 100th an
Atmospheric Flight in the Twentieth Century
Language: en
Pages: 389
Authors: P. Galison
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2013-03-07 - Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

All technologies differ from one another. They are as varied as humanity's interaction with the physical world. Even people attempting to do the same thing prod
Texas Takes Wing
Language: en
Pages: 313
Authors: Barbara Ganson
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2014-01-06 - Publisher: University of Texas Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Tracing the hundred-year history of aviation in Texas, aviator and historian Barbara Ganson brings to life the colorful personalities that shaped the phenomenal