This volume is the first concise history of lighter-than-air (LTA) flight to be published for many years. Classic books like L.T.C. Rolt's The Aeronauts are now long out of print, and coffee table books abound. This book fills the gap to provide a highly entertaining illustrated history in a single volume. The author covers the entire story of LTA flight, from Archimedes to the latest in sport balloons and plans for future airships. Through it all, he focuses on the people-flamboyant and daring, heroes and scoundrels-who made history in the sky. The first half of the book is devoted to the invention of the balloon, its early use in reconnaissance and its key role in scientific research. The second half of the volume presents the colourful and compelling story of the airship, from 18th-century dreams to 20th-century reality. Tom D. Crouch concludes with the history of modern blimps, sport balloons, the great transoceanic and around-the-world balloon voyages from 1960 to 2000, and a look at the future of the oldest way to fly. The volume features two appendices: a chronology of LTA flight and a listing of key statistics from selected airships of the world. AUTHOR: Tom D. Crouch is senior curator, Division of Aeronautics at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.. He is the author of over a dozen books, including: Wings: A History of Aviation from Kites to the Space Age (2003), Aiming for the Stars: Dreamers and Doers of the Space Age (2000) and The Bishop's Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright (1989). SELLING POINTS: Provides a concise overview of the history of lighter-than-air flight from antiquity to the space age Communicates the colour and excitement of buoyant flight in a lively and accessible way Richly illustrated with a wealth of prints and photos from one of the world's finest collections, including objects that illustrate the history of buoyant flight 100 colour & 20 b/w illustrations
