Because I Fly: A Collection of Aviation Poetry (Hardcover)

by Helmut H. Reda (Author) "Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth..." (more)
Key Phrases: aviation poetry, aviation poems, glider pilot, Robb Wilson, World War

Editorial Reviews

Review
especially timely now...reignites the joy of flight, something the terrorists tried to destroy...poetry written from 1869 to 2001 -- Star-Telegram, Dec. 13, 2001

Review
Dec. 2002 review from Canadian Soaring Magazine
Review by Barron Hilton

In the field of aviation poetry, Because I Fly consolidates the very "best of the best." To my knowledge, it is the most complete collection of aviation poetry ever published! It is an anthology containing 176 poems, written by 75 poets, covering the time frame commencing in 1869 and ending in 2001. The book is very well organized so that readers can quickly find poems that interest them. There are sections on soaring, the beauty of flight, war and the military, astronauts, classics and even a special section for children. It covers life and death, as well as the personalities of many pilots. The section related to soaring contains 16 poems, including some of the best ever published by Soaring Magazine.

Col.Reda and McGraw-Hill have created a beautiful book which will interest anyone who loves aviation. More concerning this book can be found at www.geocities.com/becauseifly/

As Col. Reda has so eloquently stated, "Most pilots already know, flying is both beautiful and eloquent. The sights we see and the exhilaration we experience are unmatched by those who limit themselves to the ground! I believe pilots are a special breed of people who uniquely experience more than most people do."

I concur wholeheartedly with Col. Reda' s opinion, and enjoyed Because I Fly immensely! (Soaring 20020105)

by Robin Olds, Brigadier General, USAF (Ret)

This book is the most complete, up-to-date collection of aviation poetry ever published. Its sole purpose is to consolidate the "best of the best" in aviation poetry and inspirational verse.

Helmut Reda examined over 115 books and magazines from the United States, England, Canada, France, and Australia. He also investigated over 42,500 hits on the Internet. From his exhaustive research, 170 poems were selected, covering the period between 1969 and 2001.

This collection of poetry serves as an exciting introduction to the experience of flight. These poems will facinate those who know pilots, exposing them to an expanded world, with new dimensions, freedoms, and even a sense of the beauty and dangers of flight.

For pilots themselves, the poems will take your spirits aloft to rekindle your bond with others who fly.

The book is available online at Amazon.com;www.bookstore.mcgraw-hill.com: or www.crsmithmuseum.org; or by calling The McGraw-Hill Bookstore at 1-800-352-3566.

"These thoughts and expressions will open a door for those of you who care but have not been there. For those of you who have watched a distant line of thunderstorms at night and know the splashes of light on the velvet earth below were there just for you; for the even luckier ones who have rushed up the brilliant white cliffs of a huge cumulus, arced over the top, and hurtled down through caverns of cloud, these lines will express your limitless joy in flight and will give voice to the songs of your heart." (Daedalus Flyer 20011213)

Poetry by Kathleen (Kathy) Rodgers, APS Colleyville member, has been included in a new book of avi