Review Detail

“Up, Up, and Away: The History of Aviation” by Tomas Smot Svoboda not only tells about the pioneers of flight and the various kinds of plane-like transportation, but also about hot air balloons, airships, and more. The Wright Brothers, who made the first successful airplane flight, are talked about, as are other inventors such as Otto Lilienthal who built 18 different types of hang gliders and made countless flights with them.

Pilots such as Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh and discussion of various types of engines, including silent ones, fill the pages of this book. The differences between types of airplanes, such as Boeing versus Airbus are detailed, while there is also talk of supersonic planes that are able to travel faster than the speed of sound—about 767 miles per hour!

The final pages of the book delve into a timeline of the styles of aircraft that have graced the sky over the last 3,000 plus years. There are also some books referenced that will provide additional pertinent info about aircraft and other means of transport that readers will find quite intriguing. The book is written in short, easy to read sections that make learning easy and worthwhile.