Higher, Steeper, Faster: The Daredevils Who Conquered the Skies

by Lawrence Goldstone Narrated by Robertson Dean

Overview

Discover the daring aviation pioneers who made the dream of powered flight a reality, forever changing the course of history.

Aviator Lincoln Beachey broke countless records: he looped-the-loop, flew upside down and in corkscrews, and was the first to pull his aircraft out of what was a typically fatal tailspin. As Beachey and other aviators took to the skies in death-defying acts in the early twentieth century, these innovative daredevils not only wowed crowds, but also redefined the frontiers of powered flight.

Higher, Steeper, Faster takes readers inside the world of the brave men and women who popularized flying through their deadly stunts and paved the way for modern aviation. With heart-stopping accounts of the action-packed race to conquer the skies, plus photographs and fascinating archival documents, this book will exhilarate readers as they fly through the pages.

Editorial Reviews

starred review School Library Connection

*"Readers will breathlessly follow the race to conquer the sky.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

In prose as riveting as the developments it investigates, Goldstone covers the history of early aviation…This book enthralls.”

Booklist

This look at the early days of the industry highlights the thrill and awe of a watching public as well as the fact that the sky was no longer any sort of boundary.”

starred review Kirkus Reviews

*"For those who love history, aviation, or stories of great daring, this is pure pleasure.

School Library Connection (starred review)

Readers will breathlessly follow the race to conquer the sky.”

starred review Publishers Weekly

*"Goldstone deftly combines captivating descriptions of the personalities—male and female—with discussion of the many improvements and ever-present hazards of early flying.

BCCB

Armchair thrillseekers will settle in and read this one straight through.

School Library Journal

An overview of early aviation history…By expanding the scope beyond familiar figures such as the Wright brothers, Goldstone brings the legends behind death-defying acts to life, exploring how competition can lead to innovation….Engaging historical nonfiction.”

Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

For those who love history, aviation, or stories of great daring, this is pure pleasure.”

AudioFile

Written as a series of profiles…makes it eminently suited to audio. Robertson Dean offers an engaging narration, altering his voice slightly to match the tone of the text. He’s excited when appropriate and even gravely serious when needed…This is a title for young listeners, but adults will find it engaging and informative

From the Publisher

*"For those who love history, aviation, or stories of great daring, this is pure pleasure."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

*"Readers will breathlessly follow the race to conquer the sky."—School Library Connection, starred review

*"Goldstone deftly combines captivating descriptions of the personalities—male and female—with discussion of the many improvements and ever-present hazards of early flying."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This look at the early days of the industry highlights the thrill and awe of a watching public as well as the fact that the sky was no longer any sort of boundary."—Booklist

"Armchair thrillseekers will settle in and read this one straight through."
—BCCB

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2017-01-17
The author's passion for his subject infuses this richly detailed history of the daredevil years in flying. The introduction opens in 1915 with 50,000 spectators at San Francisco's Panama-Pacific International Exposition, watching Lincoln Beachey, "the greatest, most celebrated aviator in the world," attempt his famous Dip of Death maneuver. The narrative then goes back to fill in history about gliders and balloons before moving to its focus, the years from Kitty Hawk in 1903 to the end of this era of exhibition flying in 1915. Set mainly in the United States, the graceful account highlights a steady stream of breathtaking flights, mostly by white men but also a few white women. Fliers continuously broke altitude, speed, and distance records in exhibition contests that took the place of test flights. To make performances more exciting, they eventually added dangerous stunts like spins and corkscrews. Many pilots became celebrities, attracting huge crowds, inspiring newspaper headlines, and competing for cash prizes. Hundreds died while performing, which only made exhibitions more popular. Numerous black-and-white photographs show fliers, feats, and progress in airplane design, while diagrams help explain the physics of flying. Short sidebars add pertinent facts and anecdotes. For those who love history, aviation, or stories of great daring, this is pure pleasure. (timeline, glossary, notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 11-15)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170409044
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	03/28/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged

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