Historical Dictionary of Aviation: From Earliest Times to Present Day

9780750945271

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David Wragg

Genre Engineering

Format Hardcover

Dimensions 6.40 (w) x 9.30 (h) x 1.50 (d)

Pages 344

Publisher The History Press

Publication Date March 2009

ISBN 9780750945271

Book ISBN 10 0750945273

About Book

Aviation is one of today's main industries and a key component of modern warfare. Compiled by an aviation specialist of several decades' standing, Historical Dictionary of Aviation is an authoritative, wide-ranging reference work covering both the development of civil and military aviation from earliest times and the aviation scene today. Historical Dictionary of Aviation provides a quick and easy reference for the aviation enthusiast and professional, but also those, such as journalists, politicians and civil servants, who need to understand key aviation concepts quickly. International in scope, the dictionary covers all aspects of aviation terminology, past and present. It defines terms specific to both military and civil aviation and includes proper names of civil and military aircraft, airlines, air forces, manufacturers and periodicals, as well as clarifying a profusion of abbreviations. Diagrams throughout are used to illustrate key concepts such as "twin boom" and "biplane". The dictionary also interprets in a clear and concise manner many foreign words and phrases, and the slang used by professionals and amateurs alike.

Reviews

Library Journal

Focusing on aeronautics technology and its profound significance for military strategy, Wragg (Plan Z) steers his guide away from aviation's role in facilitating space exploration, a fact underscored by NASA's single-paragraph entry. Organized alphabetically, 4000 term definitions and figure profiles run multiple paragraphs in length and define the key discoveries, organizations, and people in aviation history. Occasionally, the entries (e.g., Enola Gay) omit reference to contemporary discourse, such as the controversial 1994 Smithsonian exhibition. Still, a vital reference and a practical accompaniment to Walter J. Boyne and Mae E. Jemison's Chronicle of Flight: A Year-by-Year History of Aviation.

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