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Turbulent Skies : The History of Commercial Aviation (Visit this link)

Science writer Heppenheimer (The Coming Quake, Times Bks., 1988) details the history and development of the $200 billion-a-year commercial aviation industry from the aviation pioneers to the Boeing 777. Offering interesting vignettes of the aviation pioneers and company founders, he tracks the advances in aircraft design, aerodynamics, power plants, radar, and air traffic control that paralleled the growth of the airline industry. Of particular interest is coverage of the U.S. Air Force's influence on aircraft development and the federal government's regulation of the industry. The author's account of the advent of the jet in Nazi Germany and Britain is absorbing and notable. Considering the interwoven technological, economic, and political complexity of aviation, Heppenheimer's book is comprehensive enough for specialists yet readable enough for general readers, who might nevertheless have welcomed even more photos.

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Added: Fri Jul 16 2004