Customer Reviews

Wings: A History of Aviation from Kites to the Space Age

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Quick disclaimer: While reading Wings, I sensed that its release was timed to generally coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' flight (for many, the real origin of aviation as we know it). There are about a dozen or so typos and/or other generally minor mistakes which, to me, indicate a less than thorough proof-reading or editing job--perhaps in a rush to get the book to the printers. While the errors are not show-stoppers in and of themselves, they do take the polish off a bit of an otherwise fine book. I hope a second edition will catch them. Even with these, however, I feel I can state that this is the book I've always wanted but didn't realize it, put out by one of my favorite publishing houses to boot (W.W. Norton; I'm an O'Brian fan as well).

Aviation buffs have always had their favorite aircraft, be they air superiority fighters or superior air freighters, but this book deals with them all, in a style readable for the generalist as well as the enthusiast. The editorial reviews will give you a flavor of what Mr Crouch covers in this history, which is more of a biography of flight in many ways. The book does not generally dwell on any one particular aircraft or type (the author took a balanced approach toward both the military and commercial aspects of flight, as well as how they typically complement each other). Landmark aircraft or events in aviation history do get decent face time--and though purists may quibble over whether "their" aircraft got sufficient treatment here, I believe Mr Crouch has done more than a creditable job in bringing this century of aviation into focus for most folks. Perhaps Wings' most enjoyable and interesting aspects are covered in the chapters and/or sections which detail the lesser known facets of early aviation--both the pioneers and their birds--as well as the business side of aviation, an equally if not more important part of the story in many cases.

There are numerous aviation books which examine narrow niches, from specific aircraft to sub-epochs in aviation history to notable individuals, and these are fine choices for those who crave such levels of detail. I have my share of each of these, and make no bones about it.

But I sense that Wings, interspersed with some great photos and written by the curator of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, is just right in terms of having sufficient heft and credibility for those who want a serious treatment of a century defined by flight, without putting off those who merely find the subject interesting or who want to give a well-thought-out gift for the aviation buff in their lives. This book will not disappoint either way.

Tom Crouch's _Wings_ is, by far, the best one volume account of the history of aviation currently available. Not surprisingly (given his position as senior curator of aeronautics at the Air&Space Museum), Crouch is exceptionally well-versed in the subject. Moreover, he is a fine writer. The text is engaging, well-organized, and strikes a good balance between technical, cultural, and "nuts and bolts" aspects of the subject. Overall, the book is quite an accomplishment.

Even so, as another reviewer has noted, there are far too many mistakes in the book. Some of them are clearly the results of sloppy editing by the publisher. In what has to be the most outrageous example of poor editing I've seen, the name of Russian aviation pioneer Nikolai Zhukovsky appears transliterated in three different ways: the more familiar "Zhukovsky" plus "Zhukovskii" AND "Joukowski." Amazingly two different transliterations appear on the same page within three sentences of each other ... TWICE! (pp. 137 & 376)

While transliteration and typographical mistakes might be explained by the publisher's rush to release the book in time to coincide with official celebrations of the Centennial of Flight, the factual mistakes are far less understandable.

Among the more egregious examples:

Regarding initial German airstrikes on the USSR in June 1941 Crouch writes: "[the Luftwaffe] struck sixty-six Soviet forward airfields in southern Rumania..." (p. 396) [Huh?]

"The Soviets lost two hundred planes that day [21 June 1941]" (p. 396) [In fact, they lost more than 900.]

On page 417 Crouch writes that the "roughly half a million US dollars" spent by the Germans on their rocket programs (V-1 & V-2) cost "one-fourth the price of the Manhattan Project." (p. 417) [The Manhattan Project cost almost $2 Billion, not the $2 million that Crouch implies.]

Again, this *is* the best sinlge volume available on the subject.
It should have been better.

Its a pretty major undertaking to cover 100 years of diverse aviation history and to make that history flow and be readable. Tom Crouch succeeds at this - the book is hard to put down and easy to read. Some books like this read more like text books and do not flow well with some sections obviously being written independently from others. This is not the case with "Wings" - the text flows well. Its also very comprehensive.

As some people pointed out, there are some typographical / editorial errors in the book - the wrong aircraft model or make referenced, a photo captioned incorrectly, etc. However, I'd argue that the errors are minor and do not detract from the book in any significant way.

I'd also argue that the book is largely unbiased. There are definitely some areas where Crouch raises questions which may prompt thought on the part of the reader, but I've seen far more heavy handed statements of "facts" in other books.

In short, I think this book is a great addition to one's aviation library and an enjoyable book to read.

This should have been a "blockbuster," considering the author's credentials: senior curator of aeronautic at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. But the effort falls far short because of glaring inaccuracies and an apparent political bias that simply has no place in a purported history of flight.
Crouch tells of an airship "seven football fields" long. No airshp, literally a Zeppelin, was 2,100 feet long. In another place, Crouch says a B-24 bomber comprised more than 1,500,000 parts held together by 4,000 rivets. Huh? Mr. Crouch is definitely more than a few rivets short in this case.
Many may remember the controversy that surrounded the National Air and Space Museum exhbit a few years back that was withdrawn because of its implied criticism of the U.S. decision to use nuclear weapons against Japan. I do not know what role, if any, Mr. Crouch played in that exhibit, but his political bias against the U.S. action is in full bloom in this book, a very unfortunate display. This is purportedly a history of flight, not a platform for the author's political views.
The factual errors noted above are jarring. If Crouch didn't read his manuscript carefully enough to eliminate a reference to a 2,100 foot airship, what other errors crept in?
Overall, Wings is a treasure of anecdotal history. It is rich in detail, with many citations. But because of the errors noted here and numerous others, I would not want to rely on this book as the last word on the subject.

Jerry