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The William E. Boeing Story: A Gift of Flight
The William E. Boeing A Gift of Flight is the first ever full-length biography of William E. Boeing, the father of commercial aviation. Boeing's story is an exciting one, complete with bootleggers, kidnappers and disastrous run-ins with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and future Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black. Boeing's story covers every aspect of early aviation, starting with his first ride in a balloon in 1896 to the christening of the revolutionary jet-powered Dash-80/707 in 1955. Along the way Boeing developed some of the world's most iconic airplanes including the P-26 Peashooter, the Boeing 247, the B-17 Flying Fortress and the mighty B-29 Superfortress. The Boeing family have given author David D. Williams unprecedented access to the Boeing family archives which contain thousands of never- before-seen photos, diaries and personal letters. This treasure trove of primary sources has allowed Williams to create an extraordinarily vivid and accurate portrait of this influential yet private man.
96 pages, Paperback
Published February 27, 2023
About the author
David Williams
853 books38 followersLibrarian note:
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There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 3, 2026
Read entirely while flying on 3 separate Boeing airplane trips.
This was fantastic. The author uses family archive material, inside a terrific narrative of Seattle, and life during the first part of the 20th Century. The details about life during and associated with Prohibition, World Wars I and II, US government, timber industry, and of course aerospace, were so well placed as as a relevant backdrop for Bill Boeing’s life. I could say more, but I highly recommend this book, and will be purchasing copies for history lovers and work colleagues in my life.
This was recommended to me by someone at work I respect highly, and this book lived up my expectations given the quality of his character.
This was fantastic. The author uses family archive material, inside a terrific narrative of Seattle, and life during the first part of the 20th Century. The details about life during and associated with Prohibition, World Wars I and II, US government, timber industry, and of course aerospace, were so well placed as as a relevant backdrop for Bill Boeing’s life. I could say more, but I highly recommend this book, and will be purchasing copies for history lovers and work colleagues in my life.
This was recommended to me by someone at work I respect highly, and this book lived up my expectations given the quality of his character.
March 28, 2024
Excellent. Wow!!!
July 31, 2024
An excellent and comprehensive biography of a fascinating man.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews