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Dr. Eckener's Dream Machine: The Great Zeppelin and the Dawn of Air Travel
It wasn't the airplane that first romanced the public's imagination at the dawn of the twentieth century, but the great airships known as dirigibles, or zeppelins. Championing this great leap into the technological future was a visionary German entrepreneur, Dr. Hugo Eckener.
For Eckener, the development of the airship, especially coming in the aftermath of the First World War, represented an opportunity to shrink the world through safe and speedy international travel. Douglas Botting's engrossing story vividly recaptures the spirit of the times, when new technologies in communication, transportation, manufacturing, and other areas were revolutionizing society. The airship reached its apotheosis with the round-the-world flight of the Graf Zeppelin in 1929. They were a source of wonder wherever they flew, and Eckener was likened to Christopher Columbus, hailed around the world as the great explorer of his day.
For Eckener, the development of the airship, especially coming in the aftermath of the First World War, represented an opportunity to shrink the world through safe and speedy international travel. Douglas Botting's engrossing story vividly recaptures the spirit of the times, when new technologies in communication, transportation, manufacturing, and other areas were revolutionizing society. The airship reached its apotheosis with the round-the-world flight of the Graf Zeppelin in 1929. They were a source of wonder wherever they flew, and Eckener was likened to Christopher Columbus, hailed around the world as the great explorer of his day.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 13, 2013
I suppose we've all seen the Goodyear or Fuji blimp and wondered what it might be like to go for a ride. (By the way, a blimp is a malformed balloon with rudder and fins, whereas a dirigible or zeppelin has a rigid skeleton making them more suitable for long distance trips and less susceptible to the effects of inclement weather. The U.S. Navy never did much with airships, especially after the Shenandoah was torn apart during a storm over Ohio in 1925.)
Anyway, Dr. Hugo Eckener might be considered the founding father of the modern passenger airship. He's one of those extraordinary people who devote their lives to a particular technology and are singularly good at it. He shepherded the program and was the driving force behind the around-the-world trip in 1929. Eckener was "drafter" by Count Zeppelin to take over his building program after Eckener, then a journalist, wrote critically of zeppelin development in 1906.
Funded by the Hearst fortune, the Graf Zeppelin's voyage was a sensation. That it survived was due to Eckener's skill who had become a meteorological expert and who managed even to tag along on the tails of a typhoon to gain extra speed. Their trip across Siberia was the fastest ever, exceeding even train travel by several days. There were several close shaves. Crossing the final mountain range, they had no reliable charts to indicate the height of the mountains and the maximum altitude of the GZ was about 8,500 feet, but to gain that altitude would have required dumping huge amounts of hydrogen that would have seriously degraded the performance. They wound their way through ever-narrowing valleys between mountain peaks with the sides of the mountains at times only 250 feet away from the GZ. It was an extraordinary display of airshipmanship.
It must have been a terrific way to travel, gliding across the countryside at a height of usually around 1,500 feet, although storms might loosen the sphincter more than a little. Apparently the passenger accommodations were quite luxurious although every precaution was taken to avoid anything that might have contributed to open flame. (It's ironic how many of the passengers got angry because they were not allowed to smoke and immolate themselves.)
As anyone who remembers elementary physics knows, the volume and lifting power of gas is greatly influenced by temperature. In the atmosphere temperature inversions are relatively common and approaching Los Angeles they hit one that had a 10 degree difference. Since in an airship that large, lift increase by 660 lbs for every one degree decrease in temperature, the ten degree difference that day made the ship 4000 lbs lighter which required venting substantial amounts of gas in order to land. That made for an almost catastrophic departure because they had no hydrogen gas at the facility and in order to get off they had to make an aerodynamic liftoff, using the engines to push it into the air. Unfortunately there were power lines at the end of the field. The cleared the gondola by a matter of feet and then had to dive down in order to bring the tail up which had a fin which would have hit the power lines on the way up. Tribute to extraordinary airship piloting but a real horror for the passengers.
Following their return to Germany, Eckener set about creating a transatlantic line and settled on South America as the perfect destination. It was too far for airplanes, and steamships were relatively slower. He inaugurated a trip that was 18,000 miles in length, from Spain to Argentina to Cuba to Lakehurst and back to Europe. There were some bumps along the way. They had to detour around Cuba because of storms and that pissed off some passengers who had paid enormous sums of money for the trip and wanted to land in Cuba. In any case, a terrific storm, had to be crossed in order to reach Lakehurst, something he could not bypass since it was a refueling point. The dirigible was tossed around like a "galloping horse" bucking up and down, terrifying everyone, but the ship suffered almost no damage.
For its brief time, the dirigible filled a need for long distance, nonstop travel. The cost was horribly high for passengers (about $70,000 in today's dollars) for the South America trip) and most of the money was made in first-trip-by-dirigible stamp cancellations and mail. Unfortunately, the dirigible was doomed, for even as the GZ was making its triumphant voyage, a British fighter pilot exceeded 350 mph in his plane. Of course, the Hindenburg was the final nail in the coffin.
Highly recommended.
Additional reading:
The Golden Age of the Great Passenger Airships Graf Zeppelin and Hindenburg
The Great Dirigibles
Ohio's Airship Disaster The Story of the Crash of the USS Shenandoah
N.B. 9/12/13 Just discovered this fascinating documentary of the Round-the-World trip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4jq7o...
Anyway, Dr. Hugo Eckener might be considered the founding father of the modern passenger airship. He's one of those extraordinary people who devote their lives to a particular technology and are singularly good at it. He shepherded the program and was the driving force behind the around-the-world trip in 1929. Eckener was "drafter" by Count Zeppelin to take over his building program after Eckener, then a journalist, wrote critically of zeppelin development in 1906.
Funded by the Hearst fortune, the Graf Zeppelin's voyage was a sensation. That it survived was due to Eckener's skill who had become a meteorological expert and who managed even to tag along on the tails of a typhoon to gain extra speed. Their trip across Siberia was the fastest ever, exceeding even train travel by several days. There were several close shaves. Crossing the final mountain range, they had no reliable charts to indicate the height of the mountains and the maximum altitude of the GZ was about 8,500 feet, but to gain that altitude would have required dumping huge amounts of hydrogen that would have seriously degraded the performance. They wound their way through ever-narrowing valleys between mountain peaks with the sides of the mountains at times only 250 feet away from the GZ. It was an extraordinary display of airshipmanship.
It must have been a terrific way to travel, gliding across the countryside at a height of usually around 1,500 feet, although storms might loosen the sphincter more than a little. Apparently the passenger accommodations were quite luxurious although every precaution was taken to avoid anything that might have contributed to open flame. (It's ironic how many of the passengers got angry because they were not allowed to smoke and immolate themselves.)
As anyone who remembers elementary physics knows, the volume and lifting power of gas is greatly influenced by temperature. In the atmosphere temperature inversions are relatively common and approaching Los Angeles they hit one that had a 10 degree difference. Since in an airship that large, lift increase by 660 lbs for every one degree decrease in temperature, the ten degree difference that day made the ship 4000 lbs lighter which required venting substantial amounts of gas in order to land. That made for an almost catastrophic departure because they had no hydrogen gas at the facility and in order to get off they had to make an aerodynamic liftoff, using the engines to push it into the air. Unfortunately there were power lines at the end of the field. The cleared the gondola by a matter of feet and then had to dive down in order to bring the tail up which had a fin which would have hit the power lines on the way up. Tribute to extraordinary airship piloting but a real horror for the passengers.
Following their return to Germany, Eckener set about creating a transatlantic line and settled on South America as the perfect destination. It was too far for airplanes, and steamships were relatively slower. He inaugurated a trip that was 18,000 miles in length, from Spain to Argentina to Cuba to Lakehurst and back to Europe. There were some bumps along the way. They had to detour around Cuba because of storms and that pissed off some passengers who had paid enormous sums of money for the trip and wanted to land in Cuba. In any case, a terrific storm, had to be crossed in order to reach Lakehurst, something he could not bypass since it was a refueling point. The dirigible was tossed around like a "galloping horse" bucking up and down, terrifying everyone, but the ship suffered almost no damage.
For its brief time, the dirigible filled a need for long distance, nonstop travel. The cost was horribly high for passengers (about $70,000 in today's dollars) for the South America trip) and most of the money was made in first-trip-by-dirigible stamp cancellations and mail. Unfortunately, the dirigible was doomed, for even as the GZ was making its triumphant voyage, a British fighter pilot exceeded 350 mph in his plane. Of course, the Hindenburg was the final nail in the coffin.
Highly recommended.
Additional reading:
The Golden Age of the Great Passenger Airships Graf Zeppelin and Hindenburg
The Great Dirigibles
Ohio's Airship Disaster The Story of the Crash of the USS Shenandoah
N.B. 9/12/13 Just discovered this fascinating documentary of the Round-the-World trip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4jq7o...
December 22, 2014
"Oh, the humanity and all the passengers... a mass of flaming wreckage." These are the famous words uttered by radio reporter Herbert Morrison who witnessed the destruction of the 'Hindenberg' in 1937. Who wasn't heard these words or seen the film footage of the 'Hindenburg' sinking in flames to the ground at the landing field at Lakehurst?
Now this new book can give you the amazing story behind these massive German airships that traveled the world's skies in the early part of the last century. This book provides the reader with an interesting story of not only the development and use of the Zeppelin but also a story about the one man who was intimately involved with their history, from their beginning until their end with the flaming destruction of the 'Hindenburg'.
The first dirigible was invented by Ferdinand von Zeppelin and was launched in 1900 on the Bodensee in Germany. However it was Dr. Hugo Eckener who saw the future potential of the airship as a viable commercial craft. By the late 1930s airships nearly the size of the Titanic had circumnavigated the globe and were regularly transporting passengers and mail from Europe to South America and the United States.
This book not only tells you the story behind these amazing trips, full of danger and excitement but he also tells the story of the Zeppelin as a weapon of destruction. During World War One the German Army and Navy utilized Zeppelin's to carry out raids against England in the first night time 'Blitz'. We read about the great Zeppelin Commanders, Strasser and Mathy and many others, most who did not survive the campaign against England. We then follow the Zeppelin into the turbulent years of peace and its historic role in global flights, setting new records in distance, endurance and comfort.
This is an amazing story, full of facts and interesting pieces of history. The story is told so well and the narrative flows so smoothly its like reading an exciting novel. I found it hard to put the book down and as I read page after page I realized that I knew very little about the 'Graf Zeppelin' and next to nothing about its amazing Captain, Dr. Hugo Eckener. I am sure that anyone who enjoys aviation history or just a good book will love this story.
Now this new book can give you the amazing story behind these massive German airships that traveled the world's skies in the early part of the last century. This book provides the reader with an interesting story of not only the development and use of the Zeppelin but also a story about the one man who was intimately involved with their history, from their beginning until their end with the flaming destruction of the 'Hindenburg'.
The first dirigible was invented by Ferdinand von Zeppelin and was launched in 1900 on the Bodensee in Germany. However it was Dr. Hugo Eckener who saw the future potential of the airship as a viable commercial craft. By the late 1930s airships nearly the size of the Titanic had circumnavigated the globe and were regularly transporting passengers and mail from Europe to South America and the United States.
This book not only tells you the story behind these amazing trips, full of danger and excitement but he also tells the story of the Zeppelin as a weapon of destruction. During World War One the German Army and Navy utilized Zeppelin's to carry out raids against England in the first night time 'Blitz'. We read about the great Zeppelin Commanders, Strasser and Mathy and many others, most who did not survive the campaign against England. We then follow the Zeppelin into the turbulent years of peace and its historic role in global flights, setting new records in distance, endurance and comfort.
This is an amazing story, full of facts and interesting pieces of history. The story is told so well and the narrative flows so smoothly its like reading an exciting novel. I found it hard to put the book down and as I read page after page I realized that I knew very little about the 'Graf Zeppelin' and next to nothing about its amazing Captain, Dr. Hugo Eckener. I am sure that anyone who enjoys aviation history or just a good book will love this story.
June 20, 2021
"The miserable earth dwellers, how I abominate them, and their stupid laws. The police and the courts sought to outlaw me, and to frustrate my plans to free the earth dwellers from their miserable existence, crawling like worms in the mud over the surface of the world, when the skies lie open above. But I will show them all."
saith the Skymaster
December 1, 2009
An almost terrifyingly good piece of cultural history, built around the figure of Dr. Hugo Eckener, captain of the Graf Zeppelin and a champion of lighter-than-air travel. It's too easy to forget how vibrant, exciting and optimistic Europe was during the teens, '20s and early '30s, and how strong the sentiment was for international cooperation. In the early '20s it was not yet at all clear that heavier-than-air travel was going to be the dominant mode of air travel in the future, and this book has some wonderfully evocative accounts of lighter-than-air journeys during the period when traveling in a Zeppelin was a magical experience that carried with it all the promise of a rich future of peace.
Some of the most interesting material in this book comes from late in Eckener's life, after Hitler took power; Eckener was very much a humanist and an internationalist, and was not beloved of the Nazis. His opposition to Hitler put him at extreme risk and probably would have cost him his career even had there not been a Hindenburg disaster.
Wonderful details about the operation of a rigid lighter-than-air ship and air navigation in general. A truly inspiring work of popular history and a hell of a read.
Some of the most interesting material in this book comes from late in Eckener's life, after Hitler took power; Eckener was very much a humanist and an internationalist, and was not beloved of the Nazis. His opposition to Hitler put him at extreme risk and probably would have cost him his career even had there not been a Hindenburg disaster.
Wonderful details about the operation of a rigid lighter-than-air ship and air navigation in general. A truly inspiring work of popular history and a hell of a read.
November 5, 2012
An enthralling tale of the creation of the dirigible, by von Zeppelin and perfected by Dr. Eckener. The trips by the Graf Zeppelin, around the world and many others, the bombing of London in WWI by Zeppelins and book ending with the burning of the Hindenburg. How Hitler's rise to power figured in.
December 22, 2014
I loved this book, and am sorry that I waited so long to read it. The author imparts the wonder that was travelling on the Graf Zeppelin.
May 26, 2017
Great dramatization of the Graf Zeppelin's world flight. The dialogue is engaging and convincing, which is not always easy with airship books. However, for more serious knowledge on airship history, the book does have some flaws. For example, during the chapter on the Hindenburg it makes the unsubstantiated claim crew members in the lower tail fin saw gas cell 3 leak, and it misidentifies Helmsman Helmut Lau as a rigger.
March 12, 2025
This was a solid historical account of the birth, life, and death of zeppelins in the first half of the twentieth century. Sometimes, it was too detailed in the engineering specifications for my taste, but I agree such details needed to be included. The writing was clear and educational while being pleasant and moving at a steady pace. A solid non-fiction work that accomplishes what it set out to do.
September 14, 2019
I came for the zeppelin industry as a whole, but stayed for the particular story of the Graf Zeppelin (admittedly there weren't many zeppelins overall, so this makes sense). Full review at link: https://tylerwolanin.com/blog/2019/4/...
January 25, 2013
Romance, vision and single-minded determination - three overwhelming impressions that remain after reading this book. Using the first round-the-world voyage by air as a framework for his writing, Botting weaves a quite entrancing tale of early travel by airship, from the initial concepts of Count Zeppelin, to the almost accidental involvement of Dr Eckener and the subsequent tragedy of Hindenberg.
While occasionally the detail on the technical specifications of the various airships can slow down reading, this is more than made up for by the descriptions of the flights themselves. It takes very little imagination to feel yourself floating above the earth, borne by the featherlight touch of a cloud, seeing the planet unfold before you. Seeing, in fact, parts of the world that no one had ever seen before.
In today's world of fast-faster-fastest, the idea of being able to gently - for the most part - cruise through the skies at relatively low altitude is very appealing, and the depiction of the on-board luxury is part of the attraction of the book.
Contrasting sharply with this is the accession to power of Hitler, and the impact that had on the Zeppelin company and on Dr Eckener himself.
Well illustrated with black-and-white photos. Overall, a book that is well worth reading, especially if you are interested in travel, history, or just want to read a story where one man's indomitable spirit can make a near-impossible dream come true.
While occasionally the detail on the technical specifications of the various airships can slow down reading, this is more than made up for by the descriptions of the flights themselves. It takes very little imagination to feel yourself floating above the earth, borne by the featherlight touch of a cloud, seeing the planet unfold before you. Seeing, in fact, parts of the world that no one had ever seen before.
In today's world of fast-faster-fastest, the idea of being able to gently - for the most part - cruise through the skies at relatively low altitude is very appealing, and the depiction of the on-board luxury is part of the attraction of the book.
Contrasting sharply with this is the accession to power of Hitler, and the impact that had on the Zeppelin company and on Dr Eckener himself.
Well illustrated with black-and-white photos. Overall, a book that is well worth reading, especially if you are interested in travel, history, or just want to read a story where one man's indomitable spirit can make a near-impossible dream come true.
April 5, 2007
Dr. Hugo Eckener was the visionary behind the development of modern rigid frame airships in Germany up to the start of WW2. Eckener's fight to fund the construction of these behemoths included national donation campaigns and verbal battles with Nazi administrators. It describes an around the world trip made by airship long before GPS navigation or even national road systems provided a safety net in case of failure.
The author's style is a bit dry at times but you get a good sense of how a German population recovering from WW1 rallied around the idea, how long and hard the development was, and how WW2 finally delayed implementation long enough for aircraft to far surpass airship capabilities.
Looked at one way, airships and flying boats were a solution to the problem of not having airports. After WW2, when aircraft performance was way up and runways had been built in many places, these technologies were no longer generally needed. They become a small niche in the greater aviation market.
The author's style is a bit dry at times but you get a good sense of how a German population recovering from WW1 rallied around the idea, how long and hard the development was, and how WW2 finally delayed implementation long enough for aircraft to far surpass airship capabilities.
Looked at one way, airships and flying boats were a solution to the problem of not having airports. After WW2, when aircraft performance was way up and runways had been built in many places, these technologies were no longer generally needed. They become a small niche in the greater aviation market.
March 26, 2009
A fairly comprehensive account of the heyday of the dirigible, this book brings to readers the thrill and danger of flight, the unique feeling of floating lighter than air, and the financial and technical limitations that would doom the great zeppelins. Though far easier to propel than the passenger airplanes that made them obsolete, dirigibles' leisurely speeds, costly lighter-than-air gases, and susceptibility to high winds made them ultimately impractical. However, the story of their origins and of dangerous record-breaking flights is a very engaging one. Above all, Dr. Eckener himself, a man of honor and decency (if a demanding chief) was pushed into obscurity by the Nazis. Fittingly,when his grandest ship, the "Hindenburg" flew without him for the first time, the trip ended in a fiery catastrophe.
December 21, 2011
Oh how marvelous it would have been to have traveled the world in a Zeppelin! I picked up this book for a number of reasons, but mainly because I love to travel (and dream about it) and I was fascinated by the thought of travel by Zeppelin. This was a wonderful history of how the Zeppelins came to be, their use in war and commercial flight, and the ultimate demise of the program. Although it is a history, it's also an account of travel in a time gone by. It gives you a sense of what it must have been like to soar above the earth in one of those great machines. I must state it would be fantastic if travel by Zeppelin once again became viable. I know I'd love to do it! Anyway, this was a very interesting and informative book overall that provided a glimpse into life during the late 19th and early to mid 20th centuries.
December 22, 2016
"Dr. Eckener's Dream Machine", by Douglas R. Botting, is the story of the Graf Zeppelin, including its 1929 round-the-world flight. Some of the images Botting evokes are spellbinding: Dr. Eckener setting the Graf Zeppelin's gondola down on an ice-encrusted North Sea to transfer mail bags to a Russian icebreaker, cruising 800 feet *below* sea level over the Dead Sea (farther below sea level than a U-boat could dive), and passing under an overcast sky barely 500 feet above the ground through a canyon in Siberia between ridges closer together than her own length (so it was impossible to turn around until they reached the end of the canyon).
I recorded this book in 50-minute episodes for Golden Hours, my local radio service for blind and reading-impaired listeners.
I recorded this book in 50-minute episodes for Golden Hours, my local radio service for blind and reading-impaired listeners.
March 30, 2010
After watching the BBC Four documentary (Around the World by Zeppelin) I felt compelled to learn more.
Douglas Botting paints a vivid and fascinating picture of this great era or air travel. Descriptive and hugely interesting, the story is utterly captivating and so very enthralling.
As someone who isn't hugely interested in aviation, it was the story of that drew me in. The intrepid determination of Dr. Hugo Eckener and the willingness of such passengers like Lady Hay Drummond Hay sum up the whole of the Zeppelin legacy.
A brilliant read; a definite must for anyone interested in true life fantasy.
Douglas Botting paints a vivid and fascinating picture of this great era or air travel. Descriptive and hugely interesting, the story is utterly captivating and so very enthralling.
As someone who isn't hugely interested in aviation, it was the story of that drew me in. The intrepid determination of Dr. Hugo Eckener and the willingness of such passengers like Lady Hay Drummond Hay sum up the whole of the Zeppelin legacy.
A brilliant read; a definite must for anyone interested in true life fantasy.
November 24, 2014
A wonderful history of Zeppelins from Count Zeppelin to the Hindenberg. Botting does a great job of describing the amazing flights these marvelous machines undertook as well as analyzing the political struggle that led to their downfall. Of course, if things had gone a little differently Eckener might have challenged Hitler but his dream was world peace through air travel not world domination. A great book for steam-punk enthusiasts or anyone curious to learn the difference between a blimp and a zeppelin or the real reasons behind the Hinderberg disaster.
November 10, 2010
Fabulous book, covering the whole history of the zeppelin, from the first flights in 1890 to 1937, with lots of details about flight testing, development, setbacks, the challenges in financing, and their eventual takeover by the nazi government.
February 22, 2014
Interesting read. For someone who didn't know much about Zeppelins, it was a good background. I wish it was a bit more engaging style wise. I would have enjoyed it a bit better if it had been an A&E biography. While it did contain may pictures, video would serve the story better.
Want to read
March 28, 2008629.13325 Botting 2001 -- KHCPL Collection Highlights NL 21 Mar 2008
July 23, 2011
i would like to give this 3.5 stars. now i would like to have an airship of my own. i have no technical knowledge or resources, so, investors: get at me!
March 7, 2016
Semi-fictional or enhanced history, either way a decent description of the dawn of air travel. Good visualization of what it may have been like on the first round-the-world airship cruise.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews