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S.C. Gwynne - His Majesty's Airship (New Paperback)
SKU B004061
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£11.99
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Original price
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Original price
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Synopsis
When the R101 first took to the skies, she was the largest aircraft ever to fly. What followed was a tragic finale to a tale of human folly on a grand scale.
In 1929, the R101 was the largest object ever to take to the air. It was meant to dazzle the world with cutting-edge technology and awesome size. Better than a plane, more luxurious than an ocean liner, the R101 would connect the furthest reaches of the British Empire, tying together far-flung dominions at a time when imperial bonds were fraying. It was, however, not to be.
The spectacular crash of the British airship R101 in 1930 changed the world of aviation forever. Most have heard of the fiery crash of the Hindenburg, a German ship that went down in New Jersey seven years later. But the story of R101 and its forty-eight victims has largely been forgotten.
His Majesty’s Airship recounts the epic narrative of the ill-fated airship and her eccentric champion, Christopher Thomson. S. C. Gwynne brings to life a lost world of aviators driven by ambition, and killed by hubris.
Details
- Format : New Paperback
- Condition : New
- Category : Non-Fiction - Transportation
- Published : 2023 (Oneworld)
- ISBN : 9780861548866
- SKU : B004061
- PPC : SP300gm
- RRP : £11.99
- Quantity Available : 1 only.
External Reviews
'I loved every page of this book. Even though we’re aware of R101’s tragic fate from the beginning, Gwynne still delivers an intensely dramatic story.' - The Times, Best History Books of 2003.
'Utterly thrilling . . . Reads more like a page-turning thriller than a well-researched history but is equally satisfying on both counts.' - Daily Express.
'The airship race of the 1920's and 1930's carried that familiar mixture of visionary idealism, populist politics and wishful thinking. As S.C. Gwynne points out in this excellent account of perhaps Britain’s greatest imperial folly.’ - Spectator.
'Captivating. Gwynne spins a rich tale of technology, daring and folly that transcends its putative subject. Like any good popular history, it’s also a portrait of an age.' - New York Times.
'A Promethean tale of unlimited ambitions and technical limitations, airy dreams and explosive endings.' - Wall Street Journal.
'Dramatic and laden with hubris . . . The story of the R101 is an astounding and perhaps not unique cocktail of personal ambition, government mismanagement and bad engineering practice. Gwynne paints a fascinating picture. A full and compelling account of this abandoned dream.' - TLS.
AI Summary
S.C. Gwynne's gripping narrative explores the extraordinary true story of the R101, Britain's ambitious airship programme during the interwar years. Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, Gwynne captures the engineering ambitions, political pressures, and human drama that surrounded this technological marvel. The book delves into the visionary minds behind the project, the fierce competition with German airship development, and the tragic events that unfolded. A compelling account of innovation, ambition, and the costs of progress, this work brings a pivotal moment in aviation history to life with remarkable detail and insight.
The Author
S.C. Gwynne is the best-selling author of Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches and Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson. Originally an award-winning investigative journalist, he has written extensively for the New York Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, Boston Globe and many more. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife.
