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Very good. ix, [3], 305, [3] pages. Author's Note. Illustrations. Footnotes. Notes. Glossary of Aviation Terms. Selected Bibliography and Sources. Index. Gavin Mortimer, 38, is an award-winning author, whose narrative non-fiction books have received rapturous reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. His first book, Ernest Shackleton, was published in 1999 and six more have followed, including The Great Swim, which was adjudged the 2009 Book of the Year by the Women's Sport Foundation of America. In addition, the Sunday Times named the Great Swim one of its best reads of 2008. His latest book, Chasing Icarus, was published in the US by Walker Bloomsbury in May, and has already received excellent reviews with the Dallas Morning News describing it as 'a wonderful, absorbing story'. Away from his non-fiction titles, Gavin has written a dozen books for children and contributed articles to publications such as BBC History Magazine, Esquire and the Observer. By 1910, America and the world were transfixed by the danger and challenge of mastering the air. Yet which form of flight would predominate was far from clear--dirigibles, balloons, and airplanes all had their passionate advocates. During the seventeen days in October 1910 that Gavin Mortimer vividly recounts, the question of primacy in the air was on full display, after which the future of aviation was never in doubt. The great dirigible "America, " captained by Walter Wellman, lifted off from New Jersey and for several turbulent days attempted to be the first flying machine to cross the Atlantic. From St. Louis, ballooning teams from around the world took off in pursuit of the Gordon Bennett International Balloon Cup, featuring Americans Alan Hawley and Augustus Post. And at the famed racetrack at Belmont Park, New York, huge crowds gathered to watch airplane pilots race above the oval and attempt to set speed, altitude, and distance records.
