Synopses & Reviews
The incomparable drama and excitement of
The National Air and Space Museum the thrill of standing under the Wright flyer, the world's first successful airplane, of walking through a Skylab Orbital Workshop, of standing on the bridge of an aircraft carrier to watch launching operations, of touching a real piece of the moon are recreated in this unique book. Prepared with the cooperation of the Museum, it enables the reader to take part in humanity's greatest adventure, the conquest of the skies and our inevitable journey to the stars.
Using the most sophisticated techniques ever employed to exhibit a collection, The National Air and Space Museum makes it possible for its visitors to participate in aeronautical and space flight history. Here under one roof are the Wright Flyer, Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, Billy Mitchell's APAD, the DC-3, and the Apollo Command Module Columbia, among innumerable other treasures.
This book goes far beyond describing the Museum's headline-making collections and brilliantly conceived exhibits. C.D.B. Bryan's text clearly conveys the spirit and content of the exhibits in each of the Museum's galleries, incorporating personal reminiscences, contemporary reports, and actual logs. Superb illustrations which include over 250 specially created full-color photographs and many unusual documentary pictures tell the entire story of flight from the past to the present moment.
About the Author
C.D.B. Bryan, a novelist of distinction, whose works include P.S. Wilkinson and The Great Dethriffe, is also the autor of Friendly Fire, which was adapted for television. He has contributed short stories, articles, and criticism to The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and other periodicals.