When years ago we read in Tennyson’s “Locksley Hall” the following lines:—Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rained a ghastly dew From the nations’ airy navies grappling in the central blue—we little dreamt that not very far from the beginning of the twentieth century the fancy of the poet would become the fact of reality; that in the great European war in which the nation is so strenuously engaged, “the wonder that would be” would come to pass. Though happily, at present, in ...

A veteran music journalist explores how four legendary rock bands—KISS, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and Starz—laid the foundation for two diametrically opposed subgenres: hair metal in the '80s and grunge in the '90s.It was the age when heavy-footed, humorless dinosaurs roamed the hard-rock landscape. But that all changed when into these dazed and confused mid-'70s strut-ted four flamboyant bands that reveled in revved-up anthems and flaunted a novel theatricality. In ...

Black Crowes drummer and cofounder Steve Gorman shares the band's inside story in this behind-the-scenes biography, from their supernova stardom in the '90s to exhilarating encounters with industry legends."This book is literally the Angela's Ashes of rock memoirs. .. I absolutely loved this book."-BILL BURR, comedian"I couldn't put the book down-absolutely unbelievable read!"-JOHN MCENROE, New York Time...

A biography of one of Germany's pioneers in aerial combat: "a great read" ( Internet Modeler).Max Immelmann was born in Dresden, the son of a container factory owner. When World War I started, Immelmann was recalled to active service, transferred to the Luftstreitkäfte, and sent for pilot training in November 1914. He was on his way to becoming a legendary flying ace.Initially stationed in northern France as a reconnaissance aviator, he was shot do...

Do you know which way round a country’s flag is placed on an airplane’s tail? What Qantas stands for? What are the twenty most iconic planes of all time? And what happened to the man who successfully glided from a tower in China in the year 559 AD? This fantastic quick-read eBook features 101 amazing facts about planes, split into categories such as the history of flight, world records, the most amazing facts and many more. So if you want to know who owns the most expensive private jet in ...

A compelling and fascinating account of aerial combat in World War I, revealing the terrible risks run by the men who fought and died in the world's first air war.Little more than ten years after the first powered flight, aircraft were pressed into service in World War I. Yet the romantic image of gallant 'aces' belies the horrible reality of air warfare: of flimsy aircraft, of unprotected pilots with no parachutes; of burning 19-year-olds falling screaming to thei...

Aces High is the vivid chronicle of aerial warfare over the Western Front in World War One and the personalities that characterised the era.These were the airmen who became legends in their own lifetimes: Albert Ball, Manfred von Richthofen (also known as the Red Baron), Mick Mannock, René Fonck and Georges Guynemer. The key to maintaining military superiority was by perfecting the aeroplane, which meant many of these pilots were flying dangerous, untested machines.

A pilot's behind-the-scenes account of test flying with British aircraft organizations and manufacturers in the early years of the Cold War.Written from the pilot's viewpoint, with refreshing candor and honesty, this account details what really went on behind the scenes in the defense world of the 1950s. After serving in World War II, the author continued his flying career, but to his dismay, found that quality was sometimes neglected when developing aircraft—leadi...

Booby traps laid by troops in war zones in World War II are largely neglected in histories and memoirs, and rarely examined in detail. Yet for a soldier, the threat of booby traps had to be at the forefront of his mind, and an ability to find and disarm them was essential. This is the first comprehensive study of World War II's battlefield booby traps, using information from rare wartime intelligence publications to identify, illustrate and describe the tactics of both Allied and Axis sabo...

An illustrated account of the DH 2, the most successful 'pusher' fighter of World War I, against the Albatros D II, part of a long family of fighters that in many ways symbolized German aerial might in the conflict.Flown by Victoria Cross recipient Lanoe Hawker and the members of No 24 Sqn, the ungainly yet nimble DH 2 helped the Allies attain air superiority over the Somme in early 1916 and hold it through the summer. With its rotary engine 'pusher' configuration ...

A firearms expert "traces the history of the 'one hand gun' from its 14th century origins . . . surveying changing technology, techniques, and design" ( Midwest Book Review).Ideally suited for both attack and self-defense, handguns have gotten smaller and deadlier. But the earliest pistols had a tendency to misfire. This was cured by the cap-lock, which proved a massive success in the American Civil War, with hundreds of thousands of cap-lock revolvers use...

A concise technical history of the German Albatros D.I and D.II type scouts.In 1916 German aerial domination had been lost to the French and British fighters. German fighter pilots requested an aircraft that was more powerful and more heavily armed, and the Albatros design bureau set to work on what was to become an iconic aircraft design. By April 1916, they had developed the Albatros D.I, that featured the usual Albatros semi-monocoque wooden construction with a ...