Wings: A History of Aviation from Kites to the Space Age

by Tom D. Crouch

A narrative history of the development of human flight discusses how the enthusiasm of various amateurs gave way to the aviation industry, citing the periods of setback and danger that marked the achievements of numerous flight pioneers. 20,000 first printing.

Genres: Aviation, History, Nonfiction, Engineering, Aviation History, Science, Technology

512 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

Tom Day Crouch is curator emeritus of the Smithsonian, where he served both the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of American History in a variety of curatorial and administrative posts. Prior to coming to the Smithsonian he was employed by the Ohio Historical Society as director of education (1969-1973) and as director, Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Commission (1973-1974).

Crouch earned a BA in history from Ohio University in 1962, an MA in history from Miami University in 1968, and a PhD in history from the Ohio State University in 1976.

Reviews

[Javier Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following his successful biography on the Wright Brothers, writer Tom Crouch follows the incredible evolution of mankind's most remarkable invention, the airplane. From the theoretical and observational insights of ancient times, to the awesome tactics of modern Air Forces around the world, the amazing breadth of innovation, technology, personalities, and conflicts unfolds before you. With a cast of characters including the enigmatic Wrights, the perceptive George Cayley, the idealistic first flyers Santos-Dumont and Louis Bleriot, from the legendary fighter ace von Richthofen, to innovators Glenn Curtis, Frank Whittle, and more, all are here to place their stamp on one of the most significant industries that made the modern world what it is today.

[Mauro Kleber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um início muito bom, bem esclarecedor sobre a história da aviação. Muita coisa que eu não sabia. A segunda parte é muito mais técnica, com detalhes sobre centenas de modelos ao longo do desenvolvimento da aviação. Um pouco cansativo, mas sem dúvida uma grande obra

[Jake Powers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the topics and information in the book, but the latter half of the 20th Century was sparsely covered compared to the beginning which was a little bit disappointing.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you ever had a question about the history of flight, this book has the answer. Spanning the entire twentieth century and then some, Wings also crosses the globe, covering major advancements made by all nations without being too US-centric. Black and white pictures and quotes by early observers capture the awe inspiring first years of flight. When I finished, I had an excessive list of fun facts I wanted to share with you. I picked the one I did because I simply can't imagine being launched into the air in the flimsy, uncontrollable, open-cock pits of the first planes!

As you might imagine, this is a pretty hefty tome covering massive amounts of material - a fact that wasn't always handled well. The organization of the book drove me a little nutty, jumping from topic to topic with little continuity and much back-tracking in the chronological order of events. Some chapters included information grouped by date and others included information grouped by topic. A lot of these sections were simply packed with facts and figures, with very little of the narration promised by narrative non-fiction. I felt jipped. Occasionally we'd stay with a topic long enough for the subject to become engaging, but this book mostly made me want to go read other books to learn more about specific people and events.

Later in the book, characters and companies begin to make repeat appearances, which helps with the continuity problem. But at the end of the day, this was not the book I was looking for. I intentionally chose the book for its' broad perspectives on aviation (something it does quite well!) but it turned out that I'm not especially interested in the broader view. It's possible more narration and less fact-listing would have helped, but I think I'll be a little wary of choosing broad over-views in the future. I'd much rather read a book the tells a limited but engaging personal story.

Who should read this? cover to cover? only someone who is very interested in a broad history of aviation, not someone looking for engaging personal narratives

This review first published on Doing Dewey.

[Todd Stockslager · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing isn't bad in this book (nor is it that good), but the real problem with this book is that the scope is too large for the effort. The 100-year history of aviation cannot be compressed into 639 pages. Crouch should have focused on military aviation, commercial aviation, or aviation technology to be able to drill to enough depth in this space to make this a worthwhile expenditure of time. Or he should have expanded the format and writing to a multi-volume set to give each topic the care it deserves.

Unless this is your very first foray into aviation history, skip it.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done, very readable.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the most enthralling and inspiring account of the aviation history I have read to date.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good survey of the history of flight from balloons to the SST.