{"product_id":"birdmen-the-wright-brothers-glenn-curtiss-and-the-battle-to-control-the-skies-paperback","title":"Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eLawrence Goldstone\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom acclaimed historian Lawrence Goldstone comes a thrilling narrative of courage, determination, and competition: the story of the intense rivalry that fueled the rise of American aviation. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The feud between this nation's great air pioneers, the Wright brothers and Glenn Curtiss, was a collision of unyielding and profoundly American personalities. On one side, a pair of tenacious siblings who together had solved the centuries-old riddle of powered, heavier-than-air flight. On the other, an audacious motorcycle racer whose innovative aircraft became synonymous in the public mind with death-defying stunts. For more than a decade, they battled each other in court, at air shows, and in the newspapers. The outcome of this contest of wills would shape the course of aviation history--and take a fearsome toll on the men involved.\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eBirdmen\u003c\/i\u003e sets the engrossing story of the Wrights' war with Curtiss against the thrilling backdrop of the early years of manned flight, and is rich with period detail and larger-than-life personalities: Thomas Scott Baldwin, or \"Cap't Tom\" as he styled himself, who invented the parachute and almost convinced the world that balloons were the future of aviation; John Moisant, the dapper daredevil who took to the skies after three failed attempts to overthrow the government of El Salvador, then quickly emerged as a celebrity flyer; and Harriet Quimby, the statuesque silent-film beauty who became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. And then there is Lincoln Beachey, perhaps the greatest aviator who ever lived, who dazzled crowds with an array of trademark twists and dives--and best embodied the romance with death that fueled so many of aviation's earliest heroes. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e A dramatic story of unimaginable bravery in the air and brutal competition on the ground, \u003ci\u003eBirdmen\u003c\/i\u003e is at once a thrill ride through flight's wild early years and a surprising look at the personal clash that fueled America's race to the skies. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eBirdmen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"A meticulously researched account of the first few hectic, tangled years of aviation and the curious characters who pursued it . . . a worthy companion to Richard Holmes's marvelous history of ballooning, \u003ci\u003eFalling Upwards\u003c\/i\u003e.\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"The daredevil scientists and engineers who forged the field of aeronautics spring vividly to life in Lawrence Goldstone's history.\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eNature\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"The history of the development of an integral part of the modern world and a fascinating portrayal of how a group of men and women achieved a dream that had captivated humanity for centuries.\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Christian Science Monitor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Captivating and wonderfully presented . . . a fine book about these rival pioneers.\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \" A] vivid story of invention, vendettas, derring-do, media hype and patent fights  with] modern resonance.\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"A powerful story that contrasts soaring hopes with the anchors of ego and courtroom.\"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Kirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"A riveting narrative about the pioneering era of aeronautics in America and beyond . . . Goldstone raises questions of enduring importance regarding innovation and the indefinite exertion of control over ideas that go public.\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLawrence Goldstone \u003c\/b\u003eis the author or co-author of fourteen books of fiction and nonfiction, most recently \u003ci\u003eLefty: An American Odyssey\u003c\/i\u003e. One of his novels won a New American Writing Award, another was a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e notable mystery. His work has been profiled in \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times, \u003c\/i\u003ethe\u003ci\u003e Toronto Star, Salon, \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Slate, \u003c\/i\u003eamong others. He lives on Long Island with his wife and daughter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 448\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 x 7.9 x 5.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 21, 2015\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51978184982829,"sku":"9780345538055","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/3185\/6429\/files\/twZ9RrEe6S9780345538055.webp?v=1775800898","url":"https:\/\/ishookbooks.com\/products\/birdmen-the-wright-brothers-glenn-curtiss-and-the-battle-to-control-the-skies-paperback","provider":"iShook Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}