To Ashes

The Airshipmen Trilogy #3

by David Dennington

For a full range of reviews see The Airshipmen book page where it was previously published as one volume without the photographs and maps which are now available in this trilogy version.

VOLUME 3 – TO ASHES. The thrilling conclusion: adapted from The Airshipmen. (The Airshipmen Trilogy is also available as one volume, without photographs and maps. For details and reviews go to The Airshipmen page.)

This is a big story, layered and cinematic—one that I did not want to end. I could not imagine myself reading a book about airships, but it's much more than that—it’s about blinding love, vaulting ambition, loyalty, greed, deception and the whole gamut of human frailty. It’s about a wonderful group of people that I came to love—full of secrets and surprises. I could not put this book down. Edith Schorah, editor.

Hats off! A gripping story masterfully told, the book reverberates in the reader’s mind long after it is over. The characters are believable and involving, complicated, rich and conflicted. The chronicle renders these historical characters in flesh and blood, their saga replete with concrete and exquisite details. This is a wonderful book—humane and filled with the love of the men for their wives and families, while at the same time, highly attuned to the highest levels of power and the effect that the decisions made at those echelons influence, not only the course of human events on the grand scale, but the very humble small-scale lives of the men caught in the crossfire. It illuminates a fascinating period of recent history almost lost from view and it does justice to the complexities of the personalities of the people involved. Steven Bauer, Hollow Tree Press.

Lou Remington has returned safely from Canada aboard the private enterprise-built airship, Howden R100. Whilst in North America, he made a personal trip down to Washington, D.C. and Virginia to see his family. It is the height of the Depression and Lou was shocked to see the state of affairs in America. He was also saddened to see what has become of his family during his ten-year absence. His visit was further enlivened by a brush with the Ku Klux Klan and a reunion with his old flame, Julia, who revealed she is still in love with him and whom the family believe he has jilted. The stakes were high with Howden R100’s trip to North America. The Vickers team had been approached before leaving in a bid to postpone the voyage, as the government airship was not fit to make its own transcontinental flight to India. An extra bay must be inserted in order to provide more lift – she is perilously overweight. The private team has triumphantly achieved its goal—a round trip to Canada—although, not without some terrifying moments. Now, with the gauntlet thrown down, can the government-built Cardington R101 match Howden R100’s splendid accomplishment? With the world watching, the country’s prestige is on the line, while the backs of the brave men of the Royal Airship Works are against the wall.

377 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2021

About the author

As a teenager, Dennington read all Nevil Shute’s books, including Slide Rule, which tells of Shute’s days as an aeronautical engineer on the great behemoth R100 at Howden in Yorkshire and of his nights as an aspiring novelist. Dennington was fascinated by both these aspects of Shute’s life. Nevil Shute inspired Dennington to write and to fly. The writing was put on hold while he went off around the world helping to manage various construction projects and raising a family. He picked up flying in the Bahamas, scaring himself silly, and sailing in Bermuda. This was all good experience for writing about battling the elements, navigation and building large structures.
Some years later, his interest in airships was rekindled. It was now time to pursue his dream—writing.
Dennington had done extensive research on the Imperial British Airship Program and attended screenplay writing workshops at Bethesda Writer’s Center. He wound up writing two screenplays which had a modicum of success. The experts in the business told him the stories were good and that he just had to write them as novels. So, it was back to the Writer’s Center to learn the craft of novel writing. Five years later, with his daughter working as his editor and muse, two books were completed.