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The Epic of Flight
The Explorers
A volume in The Epic of Flight series from Time-Life Books. This series chronicles the complete history of man in the air from mythological flight to space flight. Each volume focuses on a particular topic, using hundreds of color and b/w photos, paintings, maps and diagrams to illustrate a well-researched and finely-written narrative. About this * The Explorers tells the story of man's aerial conquest of the last earthly the North and South Poles, the Great Circle Route to Europe, the highest mountains, the deepest reaches of the South American and African jungles. The conquerors (and would-be...) of the Arctic and Antarctic will be Byrd, Peary, Amundsen, Nobile; less so the intrepid souls who opened the interior of darker Cobham, Hoyte... 176 pages, 1983.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 29, 2025
The curiosity of men, and women, has led to many discoveries over the centuries. Sometimes it is just to explore the unknown, but as long as some fool doesn't open Pandora's Box in some lab we can often benefit from it. THE EXPLORERS tells the story of aerial explorers in the early part of the 20th century who attempted to go where no man has gone before, due to climatic and geographical extremes.
A good deal of this book deals with the attempts to fly over both the north and south poles. Others attempted to fly over jungles or mountains. Although they may have pleaded modesty in their achievements, the common drive seemed to have been to win the title of 'The first to ...' It made them heroes, and not just at home. When Charles Lindbergh and his wife Anne landed in Hokkaido towards the end of their United States to Tokyo flight they were greeted by some 10,000 Japanese shouting "Banzai!" Some ten years later some of those same Japanese may have been shouting "Banzai!" as they charged US Marine machine guns in the steamy jungles of Guadalcanal. The Lindberghs weren't the only husband and wife team explorers. Martin and Osa Johnson flew around Africa making films for the folks back home. George R. Hutchinson flew with not only his wife but with his two young daughters aged six and eight.
What did the natives think of these men and their flying machines? It varied. Some curious tribesmen in the Sudan that showed up were asked to have a mock battle for the camera. When the 'actors' showed up naked they were asked to 'cover up,' so they put on hats, beads, and ribbons! Another group were taken up for a ride. The native asked what that was on the ground. The interrupter told him it was a cow. The native didn't believe him as a cow had legs. He also said that those weren't trees because one looked up at trees, and not down. I suppose I would be just as confused on the Starship Enterprise.
The President's Air Force One can stay aloft for days on end with aerial refueling. The planes the explorers used didn't have all the fancy bells and whistles, yet flying on one engine that was simple enough for a high school kid to work on without a computer, they could run nonstop for days on end. A Russian plane piloted by Mikhail Gromov with two others flew 6,262 miles in 62 hours and 20 minutes from Moscow to San Jacinto, California. One has to remember that some of these crews flew with open cockpits in extremes of weather at high altitude where lack of oxygen played havoc on man and machine. There were no satellites to give them meteorological data. Their instruments often failed them in flight. And when engine or structural problems forced them down they landed where they could, which sometimes ended up being a 'controlled' crash. These long distance flights were over the polar region. As such, some explorers were never heard from again.
Some of these flights benefited map making and some led to discoveries of ancient cities and lost tribes. I have to admire them after reading about them and how they persevered in the face of, sometimes literally, mountains of obstacles. Maps and photos are included.
A good deal of this book deals with the attempts to fly over both the north and south poles. Others attempted to fly over jungles or mountains. Although they may have pleaded modesty in their achievements, the common drive seemed to have been to win the title of 'The first to ...' It made them heroes, and not just at home. When Charles Lindbergh and his wife Anne landed in Hokkaido towards the end of their United States to Tokyo flight they were greeted by some 10,000 Japanese shouting "Banzai!" Some ten years later some of those same Japanese may have been shouting "Banzai!" as they charged US Marine machine guns in the steamy jungles of Guadalcanal. The Lindberghs weren't the only husband and wife team explorers. Martin and Osa Johnson flew around Africa making films for the folks back home. George R. Hutchinson flew with not only his wife but with his two young daughters aged six and eight.
What did the natives think of these men and their flying machines? It varied. Some curious tribesmen in the Sudan that showed up were asked to have a mock battle for the camera. When the 'actors' showed up naked they were asked to 'cover up,' so they put on hats, beads, and ribbons! Another group were taken up for a ride. The native asked what that was on the ground. The interrupter told him it was a cow. The native didn't believe him as a cow had legs. He also said that those weren't trees because one looked up at trees, and not down. I suppose I would be just as confused on the Starship Enterprise.
The President's Air Force One can stay aloft for days on end with aerial refueling. The planes the explorers used didn't have all the fancy bells and whistles, yet flying on one engine that was simple enough for a high school kid to work on without a computer, they could run nonstop for days on end. A Russian plane piloted by Mikhail Gromov with two others flew 6,262 miles in 62 hours and 20 minutes from Moscow to San Jacinto, California. One has to remember that some of these crews flew with open cockpits in extremes of weather at high altitude where lack of oxygen played havoc on man and machine. There were no satellites to give them meteorological data. Their instruments often failed them in flight. And when engine or structural problems forced them down they landed where they could, which sometimes ended up being a 'controlled' crash. These long distance flights were over the polar region. As such, some explorers were never heard from again.
Some of these flights benefited map making and some led to discoveries of ancient cities and lost tribes. I have to admire them after reading about them and how they persevered in the face of, sometimes literally, mountains of obstacles. Maps and photos are included.
November 30, 2020
Beginning with the daring explorers and the race to the top of the world in 1926, readers investigate the exploration of the Arctic by air and the pioneering of the great circle route. Then it’s off to the south and the forbidding Antarctic.
After conquering the poles, what remains for the intrepid explorers? The development of a north-south route over Africa and the high-altitude flights over the mountain barriers.
Lavishly illustrated with photographs, drawings, and maps, “The Explorers” takes a comprehensive look at the early aviators determined to conquer the seeming unconquerable as these early aviators sought to banish the unknown. Part of The Epic of Flight series, these are the aerial explorers expanding our knowledge of our home planet.
Recommended for readers interested in aerial exploration, early aviation, and polar exploration.
After conquering the poles, what remains for the intrepid explorers? The development of a north-south route over Africa and the high-altitude flights over the mountain barriers.
Lavishly illustrated with photographs, drawings, and maps, “The Explorers” takes a comprehensive look at the early aviators determined to conquer the seeming unconquerable as these early aviators sought to banish the unknown. Part of The Epic of Flight series, these are the aerial explorers expanding our knowledge of our home planet.
Recommended for readers interested in aerial exploration, early aviation, and polar exploration.
October 28, 2008
Another decent bathroom read from Time Life books, quick overview of a lot of the pioneering flights to the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as very brief coverage of African, South American and Asian flights.
June 5, 2019
I love the spirit of exploration in general! The optimism is wonderful to me, but this book shows that it also takes a whole lot of arrogance and a rich pedigree to achieve anything in this realm.
The stories are told captivatingly, and it makes for a fun read. I think I do want to reread this, especially because prior to this I had no knowledge of any of these happenings. But even if you look at an ordinary old globe, you see the names of some of these explorers!
The stories are told captivatingly, and it makes for a fun read. I think I do want to reread this, especially because prior to this I had no knowledge of any of these happenings. But even if you look at an ordinary old globe, you see the names of some of these explorers!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews