Empires of the Sky: Zeppelins, Airplanes, and Two Men's Epic Duel to Rule the World

I’m writing this review in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic, when the future still seems uncertain and events have made a mockery of many past predictions. The times seem to resonate with the theme of this historical review, which captures a period when commercial aviation was just beginning. From our modern perspective, it’s hard to imagine there ever was any debate about whether the dominant flying modality would be floating airships or airplanes. But until the fate of the zeppelin literally went down in flames with the Hindenburg in 1937, there was a suspenseful duel between the two technologies, with airships actually enjoying an initial advantage. This is the saga of that contest as it unfolded. It turns out the airship was doomed long before that iconic newsreel event, and the reasons make for a timeless story of ingenuity, ambition and politics.Juan Trippe, the founder of Pan-Am Airlines, emerges as the true visionary, plotting a global empire based on the potential of airplane travel even before technology had caught up to his imagination. Charles Lindbergh appears in a supporting role here as a consulting statesman of aviation, shaping the future in ways beyond his famous solo flight. The author places these Yankee pragmatists in counterpoint to the hapless German dreamers who cling to a vision of transoceanic zeppelin travel. Through them, you will learn why floating under a potential bomb of hydrogen didn’t seem like such a crazy idea to its supporters at the time, and how it was ironically helium, not the Hindenburg, that turned the zeppelin to lead. All these factors are put in the context of the geopolitical turbulence between the world wars. It all starts with Count Zeppelin experiencing his first balloon flight on a trip to America, during the Civil War!As other reviewers have pointed out, there is some oddness in the writing. The obvious is often stated, cliches are overused, and motivations cartoonishly imagined rather than documented. This weakness is more than made up for by the richness and pacing of the unfolding events, however. The obviously extensive research is supported by copious references and notes at the end.There is a quaint charm in the descriptions of either type of aircraft of that era, reminding us of a time when passenger flight was a true luxury, restricted to a privileged few willing to pay dearly for the experience. In the post-covid twenty-first century, maybe those days are returning!

This work finally provides the detail lacking in other histories of the rigid airship. I'm less interested in Pan American which story has been amply documented elsewhere however this comment is not meant to diminish the premise of the book which is that aviation might have taken a radically different course or at least a parallel course equalizing lighter than air craft and airplanes. In any case airships are not artifacts as any nice day drinking a beer seated outdoors next to the lake in Friedrichshafen will prove to even the casual observer of objects overhead! The writing style? Well I will simply state that I put it down often because I don't want it to end. Excellent scholarship and writing style. Rose should be prized and I hope we see more of such esoteric subjects from him.

The average approval rating on Mr. Rose's first five books, that is. I just checked: the low is 4.4 (out of 5) for "Men of War"; the high is 4.7 for "American Rifle"; and 4.6 for "Kings in the North," "Washington's Spies," and now this book, "Empires of the Sky" which I finished reading recently.There is a reason for this, of course. Mr. Rose does his research homework, without a doubt. But Mr. Rose also writes history in an interesting style which never gets tiring. Never, from cover to cover. (Well, from cover to extensive footnotes and bibliography.)Here's a contrast: I just got done trashing (literally and figuratively by review) A.M. Sperber's "Murrow: His Life and Times." I cannot tell you how long this book was on my shelf — hardcover edition; I think it was published in 1987 — but I finally got around to reading it now that I am retired. That is, I tried to read it.Ms. Sperber obviously did a similar job of researching her topic as Mr. Rose has done his. The problem is, or was — Ms. Sperber has been gone for 27 years now — is that she never learned how to present all of this information in such a way as to keep the reader's interest. Plus, she probably overdid it in total: way too many minor characters, details, and events.Mr. Rose, on the other hand, also offers the results of his prodigious scholarship but it is NOT too much (in my opinion) AND he relays it as intertwining stories about two powerful men who achieved great things in an industry that could follow only one of their paths. One had to win, the other had to lose.Mr. Rose tells us why, and we care enough to find out why so that, as we arrive at the denouement, we feel like we've read a darned good story.And this is why Mr. Rose is maintaining his 4.6 average approval rating with "Empires of the Sky."

I am a US private pilot who reads a lot of historical aviation history. I have read several books about Juan Trippe and Pan Am, whose story is also recounted in this book, but I never realized there was actually a time when industry people thought the airship would be used for long distance travel and the airplane for shorter hops. The story of the German airships (Zeppelins) is a story of 2 men(Count Zeppelin and Ekener) who persevered against incredible odds--technology, money and manipulations of the German government. Easy to read, holds your attention and a fascinating story.

I very much enjoyed reading this rather lengthy book about the duelling efforts of Juan Tripp of Pan Am and the Zeppelin Company to dominate world aviation. If all you want is to read about the crash of the Hindenberg this isn't the book for you. It is long, highly detailed, and gets deeply into the background of the competing forms of aviation and the personalities that drove the first 50 years of flight.

Excellent read well researched and written in an engaging style

While I was aware of the early rivalry between lighter and heavier than air machines during the early years of powered flight, I was not aware of the personalities involved. This new work details the evolution of powered flight, not only in terms of technological progress but also the visionary entrepreneurs who struggled often against seemingly insurmountable odds to realise their respective dreams. While most of us are aware of the risks and disasters that befell the early pioneers of aeroplanes and airships, this work give much 'behind-the-scenes commentary to their endeavours. It also provides the social, historical and cultural context of these major pioneers: Juan Trippe and Hugo Eckener. There is much of interest in terms of these individual personalities and the history of aeronautics. Definitely, one for both the novice and the expert.

Muito bem documentado. Mas é um livro perigosamente tendencioso, pois omite o que aconteceu na França entre 1900 e 1910, excluindo a saga de Santos Dumont para enaltecer os Irmãos Wright.

Item received as promised in a reasonable amount of time