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Skyward: Man's Mastery of the Air
 
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Skyward: Man's Mastery of the Air [Paperback]

Richard E. Byrd (Author), Donald D. Engen (Foreword)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)


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Book Description

January 3, 2000
In the tradition of The Endurance and Lindbergh, a dramatic memoir and chronicle of polar aviation exploration, transatlantic flight, and the early years of military aviation.

Skyward is the story of the pilot and explorer who gave rise to American aviation.

In this memoir, originally published in 1928, Admiral Richard E. Byrd dramatically re-creates the youthful and dangerous years of American flight. The volume recounts Byrd's early life and his arrival at Pensacola Air Station, the first U.S. military air base, and reconstructs the courage mustered by his comrades--the first military pilots in the history of America, who literally flew in the face of death. Skyward vividly details the hazards of reaching the North Pole by air, the adventures of the first transatlantic flights, as well as Byrd's fight to persuade Congress and the U.S. Navy to continue their involvement in the new venture called aviation. Absorbingly chronicled also is the planning of Byrd's initial exploration and flight into Antarctica and over the South Pole.

Like the accounts of Lindbergh and Shackleton, Byrd's portrait is one of courage, science, and human achievement. Fascinating and revealing, Skyward will bring to a new generation the adventures of a man, whose exploits are among the most compelling in American history. Appendix.

with a new foreword by Vice Admiral Donald D. Engen, USN (Ret.)
illustrated with black-and-white photographs

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Byrd's historic polar explorations have overshadowed his other remarkable achievements as a pioneering naval aviator. In this 1928 title, however, the admiral offers his firsthand remembrances of the early days of flying and the evolution of the airplane from flimsy constructions of cloth and wood to metal monsters of the skies. Byrd was there every step of the way, and no aviation collection is complete without his insights.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Admiral Richard E. Byrd graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1912 and won his wings in 1918 as Naval Aviator 608. Chief of Naval Operations in World War II, Byrd was also a primary leader in polar exploration and scientific research.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 330 pages
  • Publisher: Tarcher; 1 Reprint edition (January 3, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1585420107
  • ISBN-13: 978-1585420100
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,265,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars underrated true adventure story, April 18, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Skyward: Man's Mastery of the Air (Paperback)
SKYWARD is a terrific book about the early days of aviation in this country! Written by one of our country's greatest explorers, the most highly decorated american ever, Byrd takes us from his early trainning days at pensacola to his north pole flight, transatlantic crossing, and south polar flight, and includes some other pretty exciting adventures along the way. It is a vibrant story written by a young man who is probably best known in literary circles for ALONE , a much more introspective book which he wrote later in life.
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4.0 out of 5 stars A great story about Amarican aviation history, May 15, 2008
By 
This review is from: Skyward: Man's Mastery of the Air (Paperback)
When I received this book as a birthday gift, I was unsure if I even wanted to read it. However, I gave it a try one boring afternoon. To my astonishment it was very entertaining and as equally enlightening. Admiral Richard E. Byrd came from a very patriotic family (His brother Tom was a captain on the Hindenburg and his other brother Harry was governor of Virginia) and humbly recounts many of his pioneering adventures in aviation.

In the earlier chapters Adm. Byrd shares his aviation training and many of the small contributions he made to aviation in the areas of politics, administration, and navigation that helped shift public option of aircraft towards "safe and feasible" and away from "dangerous and unreliable".

The later chapters become more interesting when Byrd begins his exploration flights. I was astonished at how seemingly easy Byrd's flight to the North Pole seemed. Byrd's next flight was to prove the feasibility of commercial flights across the Atlantic by flying with 3 other men and a small cargo of airmail only a month after Lindbergh's famous flight. Byrd's last adventure involves his treacherous adventure in Antarctica.

If you are looking for a surprisingly addicting biography of one of America's greatest explorers and airman, this book is a must. Even if you have a casual interest in history, aviation, or great Americans, I highly recommend this book.
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