The Aeronauts (Sovereign)

SOFTBACK SHIPPED FROM THE UK.* Edition: 1st. Thus. * Impression: 1st * Date of Publication: 1985 (1966) * Publisher: Sovereign.* Binding and cover condition: Colour illustrated stiff card covers showing a military balloon ascent. Light bumps, no rubs. Some slight edge wear to edges & corners, some minor creases to boards & corners but none to spine or hinge. VG.* Contents condition: PRIVATE COPY NOT EX-LIBRARY. Clean, crisp tight & bright. No annotations, or inscriptions, owners name erased from ffep. No tanning or other visible faults. Very slight distortion to top edges. VG * Illustrations: Numerous b/w photos and prints within text throughout.* Pages: 243pp. text. xxix pp. Appenices, Index & blank pages at rear. * Product Description:- This book is a complete history of balloons and the intrepid men (and women) who flew in them. Its starting point is 1783, the birthday of the balloon and it terminates logically at 1903, the year of the Lebaudy airship and of the Wright Brothers' historic first heavier-than-air flight at Kittyhawk. Here is the serio-comic story of man's first aerial conquests; of the first flights across the English Channels; the first high-altitude ascents; ambitious voyages planned in giant balloons culminating in Andree's ill-fated Polar expedition; the use of balloons, steam, electric and petrol-engined. Like all stories of high endeavour it is heroic, sometimes tragic, and often hilariously funny. The Aeronauts is profusely illustrated, authoritative and immensely readable and takes its place among the classics of aeronautical literature.* This is a VG copy of the 1st./1st. thus with some minor age and wear.