The Greatest Air Race: England - Australia 1919
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Very good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
In the aftermath of the First World War, a daring contest captured the imagination of the entire British Empire — a gruelling 11,000-mile air race from England to Australia, offering a £10,000 prize from the Australian government to the first aviators to complete the journey in under 30 days. The Greatest Air Race chronicles this extraordinary 1919 competition in vivid detail, recounting the triumphs, tragedies, and mechanical ordeals faced by the crews of fragile biplanes as they battled monsoons, engine failures, and uncharted terrain across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia en route to Australian soil. Nelson Eustis brings meticulous research and a passionate storytelling instinct to this landmark chapter in aviation history, presenting the full cast of competitors — from the ultimate winners, Ross and Keith Smith, to the ill-fated crews who never completed the course. Rich in period detail and human drama, this work stands as a definitive account of an era when aviation was raw, heroic, and utterly unforgiving. A compelling portrait of courage and ambition at the dawn of the age of flight, it leaves the reader wondering how these pioneers dared to dream so far beyond the limits of their machines.
Author: Nelson Eustis
Format: Hardback
Published: 1969, Rigby
Genre: Australian history
Condition remarks:
Book: Very good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
In the aftermath of the First World War, a daring contest captured the imagination of the entire British Empire — a gruelling 11,000-mile air race from England to Australia, offering a £10,000 prize from the Australian government to the first aviators to complete the journey in under 30 days. The Greatest Air Race chronicles this extraordinary 1919 competition in vivid detail, recounting the triumphs, tragedies, and mechanical ordeals faced by the crews of fragile biplanes as they battled monsoons, engine failures, and uncharted terrain across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia en route to Australian soil. Nelson Eustis brings meticulous research and a passionate storytelling instinct to this landmark chapter in aviation history, presenting the full cast of competitors — from the ultimate winners, Ross and Keith Smith, to the ill-fated crews who never completed the course. Rich in period detail and human drama, this work stands as a definitive account of an era when aviation was raw, heroic, and utterly unforgiving. A compelling portrait of courage and ambition at the dawn of the age of flight, it leaves the reader wondering how these pioneers dared to dream so far beyond the limits of their machines.