The Great Air Race: Glory, Tragedy, and the Dawn of American Aviation

The Great Air Race: Glory, Tragedy, and the Dawn of American Aviation by John Lancaster. This is the story of the 1919 air race across the US, this was a race that was simultaneously from San Francisco to New York, and from New York to San Francisco. So two sets of planes took off simultaneouly from each coach, and passed each other on the way to their destintations. That in itself is a whacky enough idea, but the organizer of the event, Billy Mitchell, at practically the last minute decided to make it a round trip race. He did this in order to not have pay for the pilots and their planes to get back home.

Mitchell was a WW1 flying veteran and a member of the military administration for a long period, very forward thinking but also a risk taker with other people's lives. Most of the planes in the race were WW1 surplus and many of the pilots were veterans of WW1. Many people died participating in the race, many planes crashed and many people's reputations were established by participating in the race.

This book along with Into the Silence and the Moth and the Mountain have an intersection that is interesting. While early flight and 1920s Himalyan mountain climbing might not appear to have a lot in common, the people involved in them do. So many of these men were WW1 vets at a time long before PTSD was diagnosed. For many it seems that the manic pace and high risk of their lives may have been their own reaction to the horrors of participating in 'the Great War'. That would be an interesting research project.

Into the Silence

Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis. As the subtitle describes this is the story of attempted conquest of Everest in the early 1920s by three british expreditions, lead by Mallory and of course not successfull. The story that so many involved in these expeditions were veterans of WW1 is interesting and a major part of the story. The attempt to apply Alpine mountairing techniques to the climbing of the Himalayas is a natural progression for climbers who honed their skills in the Alps. But ultimately was not adequate for the very different conditions of the Himalayas and especially Everest. Technology was tried and started to be perfected, but was not trusted or utilized to its full capabilities. Added to this was the issue of going into countries where it was tough to get permissions, and to areas where Europeans had never been. This is a very thorough narrative and covers everything from travel issues to the class system in the UK at the time that really dictated who was going to be allowed to go on these expeditions.

Cuba: An American History

Cuba: An American History, by Ada Ferrer. A comprehensive history of Cuba, from Columbus to the present time. This very thorough history provides great information on how Cuba became the Cuba of today. Very long trials as a Spanish colony, long history of slavery that was very contentious. The main point the author is making is about the history of Cuba in relation to the US. The US wanted to take possession of Cuba right from the beginning, and this relationshiop shaped Cuba.

The Moth and the Mountain

The Moth and the Mountain by Ed Caesar. We were in a book store a few weeks ago and i saw a book titled 'The Moth and the Mountain'. My first thought was I wonder if the moth is a Dehavalland moth. I picked up the book and it was about the plane! The plane of the title was a Gypsy Moth, and the mountain is Everest.

I 1933 this crazy englishman decided he would fly from England to Everest and climb the mountain solo. He did not know how to fly and was not a mountaineer.

But, he bought a used Gyspy Moth, took flying lessons for two months and the flew all the way to the border of Nepal. There he could not get permits to go further so he disguised himself as an Indian priest and walked the rest of the way to Everest. He actually got pretty far up the mountain, but on his second try he died of exposure. But it is a great story and so funny that Dehavalland biplane was a big part of it.

Mercury Rising: John Glenn, John Kennedy, and the New Battleground of the Cold War

Mercury Rising: John Glenn, John Kennedy, and the New Battleground of the Cold War by Jeff Shesol. This is the story of the US space program, basically from Sputnik to John Glenn's orbiting the earth. Lots of info on the 'space race' with the Soviets and the battle for funding for the US program. A lot of this book focuses on John Glen, his background and his family life. Covers much of the same period as the book and movie 'The Right Stuff' but without the dramatics, more of the nuts and bolts of the space program. For people already familiar with the history of the space program, the author does not spend time explaining things he knows his audience is already familiar with.

Travels With George

Travels With George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy by Nathaniel Philbrick. The author retraces the route that Washingto took at the beginning of his presidency to traverse the original 13 states, test the attitude of the country and promote his federalists ideas. Interesting travelogue and comparisons of Washington's time and now, seeing what is still the same, which is more than you would think, but of course what has changed.

The Car

The Car by Bryan Appleyard. This comprehensive book is a history of, well the car. The author takes us from the early 1800s when the horse was dominant, through the present day and the advent of the electric car. In many ways this is a rehash of stories that we have heard before if you followed the story of autos, Benz, Ford, Chevy, all the names we know. But the writing style is friendly and engaging. Every age has its issues, from the tons of horse manure that inundated cities before the car, to the environmental issues that are coming to light with the rise of the electric car. This book is best read while sitting in front of a computer so you can google the names of cars that the author brings up for different eras. Cars in culture, as status symbols, as liberating machines, in war, as style setters, cars in film, as changing the makeup of how we live and work. While there may be nothing new in this volume, it is comprehensive and weaves together a story that is ever changing and that we are in the middle of living.