The Airline Encyclopedia 1909-2000 (3 vol. set) [Hardcover]

Myron J. Smith Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2002

Finally, there is a reference that specifically provides detailed historical and in-depth, year-by-year operational and statistical profiles of all the commercial air transport concerns extant worldwide during the past 90 years. The 6,556 entries are arranged alphabetically to facilitate ease of use.

This encyclopedia profiles all airlines including charter passenger planes, cargo airlines (major, commuter, and taxi), as well as specialized operators such as forest fire-fighting concerns, offshore helicopter services, and even pioneering airship operators like DELAG. Each profile receives individual chronological coverage, and every effort has been made to provide currency and postscripts listing name changes, mergers, and failures from late 2000 into December 2001.

If the airline is still flying, full data is provided including addresses, telephone numbers, web URLs, two-letter IATA or three-letter ICAO codes, and year founded. For the most part, company portraits are provided under the most recent airline name, as well as predecessor identity. Name, nationality and dates of operation note companies that have dissolved.

In addition to the company reviews supplied by aviation press, commercial monographs, government sources, and the general news media, data is also provided on:
· Accidents and incidents
· Terrorism and in-flight crime (reports of hijackings entire story from start to finish)
· Government service in war and peace (including covert operation)
· Detailed company histories of all airlines
· Lists "code-sharing" partnerships and pacts with other carriers
· Includes financial information on major carriers (i.e. number of employees, numbers of annual passengers flown, profit, earnings, etc.)
· Literary or film production involvement
· Links to major sporting events like the Olympic Games
· Natural disasters
· Routes

Editorial Reviews

Review

This heavyweight and pricey set is virtually worth its weight in gold. (Air & Space )

This superior reference source provides operational and statistical profiles of more than 6000 commercial air transport companies that flourished in the 20th century. Fascinating facts combine with profiles that include aircraft, routes, services, personnel, alliances, accidents and incidents, terrorism and in-flight crime, government service in war and peace, natural disasters, literary or film references, and unusual anecdotes. A labor of love. (Library Journal )

...this is the first guide written to specifically provide detailed historical data and in-depth year-by-year operational and statistical profiles on all commercial and air transport concerns existing worldwide during the past nine decades. (Business Horizons )

A major reference work in numerous contexts, from the enthusiast to the general reader, and with obvious educational relevance along the way...All fascination and seriously invaluable source information. (Reference Reviews )

Provides a prodigious amount of information about world airlines…an excellent in-depth resource for anyone seeking airline information from aviation, business, or history perspectives…The many valuable details in these volumes make them exceptional resources in the scant published literature for aviation research…This set is highly recommended for large public libraries and academic or research libraries. It is a must for libraries supporting academic programs in aviation, business, or history. (Arba )

...a monumental achievement....It is hard to imagine anybody—let alone a team—doing a more comprehensive job. I found fascinating new information on almost every page, and still have lots more to learn from this encyclopedia. Myron 'Jack' Smith has created what will surely become the standard work—and a first stop for anyone seeking information on which airlines existed, where, what they accomplished and when...readers who want one of the most complete published airline historical reference works close at hand for their own research or interest should seriously consider buying a set. (Airways Magazine )

About the Author

Myron J. "Jack" Smith, Jr., is Library Director and Professor of Library Science/History, Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee. He is the author of 70 volumes of bibliography and history, including several earlier works from Scarecrow Press. In 1993, he received the Nelson Ross Award from the Professional Football Writers Association and remains the only American to have received the Richard Franck Preis for historical bibliography from the German government.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 3376 pages
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810837900
• ISBN-13: 978-0810837904
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 19 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,293,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All You Ever Wanted to know, February 15, 2003

By 

Chris Sterling "Castle maven" (Annandale, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Airline Encyclopedia 1909-2000 (3 vol. set) (Hardcover)

While expensive, this huge (3,300 page) reference includes just about any airline past or present you can think of. Entries provide a chronology---sometimes extending over many pages---of each airline's development including aircraft purchases, changes in the executive suite, policy issues, route structure changes, and the like. It takes a bit to get used to the author's convention of present tense even for things that happened decades ago. Smith, who has authored some 70 refered works (chiefly bibliographies) has done us a huge service by pulling all this information together in one place. Don't be put off by the few pages of poorly-reproduced photos at the beginning of each volume---they clearly must have been an afterthought, and should not deter you from the wealth of information to be found here. Coverage includes airlines from all parts of the world, even those with brief lives. Major and currently-flying companies often spread over 10 or more pages. While nits can be picked with any work this large (and done by one person!), overall, this is an impressive labor that should see widespread library purchase and thus use even by those unable to afford the price tag. On the other hand, if airlines are your business or passion, this is well worth having on a shelf nearby.

5.0 out of 5 stars Economic History, March 26, 2008

By 

Walt (Syracuse, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Airline Encyclopedia 1909-2000 (3 vol. set) (Hardcover)

I agree with the other reviewers: this is a superb reference on the airlines.
However, since it is so expensive, I'd like to add a caveat: This is an economic history with few, if any, anecdotes. Even the most swashbuckling, fly anything anywhere (and the hell with the flak) airlines are dealt with in a dry manner. The concentration is on capitalization, top management, relations with regulatory bodies, etc.
The illustrations are small black-and-white photos of well-known airliners in normal livery.

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive Airline Encyclopedia, July 23, 2006

By 

Robert A. Williams "libertarian" (Oberlin, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Airline Encyclopedia 1909-2000 (3 vol. set) (Hardcover)

Myron J. "Jack" Smith Jr, Professor of Library Science at Tusculum College in Tennessee, has taken advantage of his Masters in History and his ability to squirrel away information to compile this 3-volume airline encyclopedia set of 3,000 pages. This project took 15 years to complete.

Well known for his bibliographies on college football, professional football, cloak and dagger fiction, Civil War naval history, World War II, and aviation, Professor Smith's encyclopedia of airlines is the most complete, and a most impressive, contribution to the literature on the history of non-military aviation. There is simply nothing comparable to this - it remains the definitive source.

A must for every library's reference section.