A Beautiful Hardcover Book
300 mm high by 215mm wide
Over 200 pages
printed in full colour
and more than 150
illustrations
Covering the most influential
early aviation pioneers
from 800 to 1899
The History of Flight
in Full Colour
For the first time since they were built you will see these machines in vivid colour and detail.
And for the inventions that never came to fruition, using patent records, drawing and sketches we have brought them to life for the first time ever. You will see them as only the original inventors could have imagined.
Each chapter is packed with design details of the aircraft
Bringing the Story to Life
To help the reader interpret the journey we provide context at the beginning of each chapter, giving a historical snapshot of the period of history that the early pioneers lived and work in.
Every chapter then goes on to tell the story of the inventor and illustrates their designs, focussing on the most important technical details.
Just as important as the details of their inventions, we aim to unpick the motivations of the inventors and try to follow their own journeys of discovery.
The stories of all the early inventors captured in every chapter
The Story
Dreams of Flying
Dreams of flying have teased and haunted man for ever.
To soar, free like the birds; to rise above the earth and gaze over the amazing worlds beyond. It is a dream that mankind has never let go of.
While throughout history most humans have stayed firmly rooted here on Mother Earth, there has always been a small number of intrepid inventors and dreamers. It was these early dreamers that led to mankind's mastery of the air.
Yet, today there exists no single encyclopaedic resource that chronicles the fascinating stories of the early aviation pioneers.
From Dreams to Reality
Flying Dreams: The Illustrated History of Flight will record and celebrate the stories of those early dreamers that made flight possible.
Carefully researched, using primary sources wherever possible, the book will bring back to life those early pioneers and their inventions; telling the story of man's efforts to conquer the sky.
Our working mind-map outlining the chronology and connections in the book.
The Author
The author... somewhere in Antarctica
When an aircraft flies overhead, I can't help but look up. Aviation is quite simply my one true passion. My earliest memories as a child are of picture books of aircraft. I would spend hours lying on the floor, with books spread about me, studiously consuming everything I could learn about aircraft. These formative years pre-destined me to follow my passion for aviation into adulthood.
I have spent my entire career in aviation. In more recent years my work in aeronautical engineering has opened up the fascinating world of aircraft restoration and aviation historical studies. It is now a fascination that I can't quite shake.
So I have embraced that fascination and pursued the dream of writing and illustrating the first comprehensive book that tells the amazing story of early aviation.
I hope you will come along with me on this journey...
Patrick Carter FRAeS