Santos-Dumont; A Study in Obsession
- London: Putnam, 1962
London: Putnam, 1962. First U.K. Edition. Octavo. 22cm. Publisher's black and white speckled cloth titled in gilt to spine. Dustjacket. 278pp. Some minor bumping to spine ends and corners, clean and tight; internally clean and fresh, red endpapers, red topstain, some spotting and soiling to page edges; in a strong, lightly sunned dustjacket with some light scuffing and soiling to the white rear panel, some fading to the spine panel and a couple of cosmetic nicks to the extremities. A very good copy.
A biography, written by Air Vice Marshall Wykeham of the RAF (no stranger to risky aeronautical adventure himself), of the eccentric, intrepid, and influential Alberto Santos-Dumont. A Brazilian aeronut, first inspired by the ill-fated Andree balloon adventure to the pole, but then branching out into the design and flight of a number of prototype fixed wing aircraft. Santos-Dumont is considered by many to be arguably the first man to fly a powered aeroplane, but his work was beaten to the punch by the Wright Brothers (who were considerably less erratic), a circumstance which bedevilled Santos-Dumont for the remainder of his life. A much neglected personality in the field of aeronautical design, exploration and development.
A biography, written by Air Vice Marshall Wykeham of the RAF (no stranger to risky aeronautical adventure himself), of the eccentric, intrepid, and influential Alberto Santos-Dumont. A Brazilian aeronut, first inspired by the ill-fated Andree balloon adventure to the pole, but then branching out into the design and flight of a number of prototype fixed wing aircraft. Santos-Dumont is considered by many to be arguably the first man to fly a powered aeroplane, but his work was beaten to the punch by the Wright Brothers (who were considerably less erratic), a circumstance which bedevilled Santos-Dumont for the remainder of his life. A much neglected personality in the field of aeronautical design, exploration and development.