Synopses & Reviews
On January 21, 1976, the date of Concorde's first commercial flight, Air France and British Airways took air transport into the supersonic era. Suddenly, travelers could fly in luxury across the Atlantic in a matter of a few hours and faster than the speed of sound. This book provides an account of a prodigious aeronautical enterprise and of the technical and human exploits needed to ensure that this extraordinary aircraft, the outcome of exemplary European cooperation, saw the light of day. Photos of the iconic plane's exteriors, engineering, specs, interiors, details - even an oversized photo of the place setting served in first class - are reproduced on the highest quality paper to pay tribute to the plane synonymous with speed, luxury, and style. A must-have collectible edition for anyone who flew on the Concorde or for any serious civil aviation enthusiast's library.
Review
In Flight USA, January 2007
“This work might be the most impressive single aviation book of the year … The work has incredible shots of the luxurious interior, and the authors manage to squeeze a lot of drama out of the history of this craft that seemed more science fiction than science fact.”
Airliners, March/April 2007
“This new book by Frederic Beniada and Michel Fraile mixes an eye-pleasing collection of super Concorde imagery with a fascinating historical text. A work of art in its own right, the large format book is truly dazzling … In a word, this book, like its namesake, is magnifique!”
Synopsis
Concorde is the only successful supersonic airliner that there has ever been. The product of collaboration between British and French aviation industries, Concorde first flew in 1969, and entered service in 1976. By the time of it first commercial flight the high hopes for the aircraft's adoption by airlines across the world had evaporated. In the end only its home country's flag carriers, Air France and British Airways, operated the aircraft, on scheduled services between London, New York, Paris, Washington. The crash of one of Air France's machines, and the drop-off in passenger numbers following the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, signaled the end for Concorde. It was retired from service during 2003.
Synopsis
On January 14, 1947, Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier aboard his Bell X-1. Twenty-nine years later, on January 21, 1976, Concorde, the first commercial passenger aircraft in international service to routinely operate at supersonic speeds, made its first scheduled flight. This book tells the story of this remarkable period in aviation history, including the technical achievements and the skill and ingenuity of the designers and engineers that made it all possible. Frédéric Beniada and Michel Fraile open the door to the fascinating world of Concorde, an aircraft produced by a remarkable collaboration between Air France and British Airways and holder of records that remain unequalled to this day. Making full use of its wide landscape format to display superb photographs, Concorde is a celebration of that magnificent icon of an entire generation who dreamed of crossing the Atlantic in under four hours.
Synopsis
Front flap: Had we asked a dozen people to read and review this book ahead of publication, we would certainly have received a dozen different reactions, testament to the difficulty of approaching such a sensitive and emotional subject. Inevitably, we had to make some choices, and for enthusiasts and detractors of supersonic flight alike they may well appear subjective. However, our aim was neither to rewrite the history of the fastest passenger aircraft in the world nor to be drawn into the debate on the tragic accident of July 2000. Above all, this book pays tribute to the Concorde, the fruit of forty years of remarkable human endeavor and achievement. Back flap: Pilot and aeronautics enthusiast Frédéric Beniada is a journalist at France Info (a twenty-four hour news radio station) and contributor to several aviation magazines. Passionate about mountains and a keen marathon runner, he is also the author of Les Forgerons, le Feu de la Terre (Blacksmiths, Fire & Earth), published by Editions Libris.
Synopsis
Concorde is the only successful supersonic airliner that there has ever been. This book tells the complete story of the Concorde project and its operational history. Highly illustrated with drawings, and photographs, it also discusses the Russian 'Concordski'--the Tu 144, and the future of supersonic flight, including the latest American projects.
About the Author
Frederic Beniada works as a journalist for France Infor and contributes to several aeronautical magazines, such as Info Pilote. He has a passionate interest in aviation and is himself a pilot. Michel Fraile collected all of the incredible iconography in this work and is also passionate about aviation. He published Air France, objets du ciel with Editions Oest-France.