A celebration of aviation's first 100 years. In 1903, the Wright Brothers achieved powered flight for the first time in history. Today, the wingspan length of commercial aircraft surpasses the distance of Orville Wright's first flight. Wild About Flying is the story of flight as told through the people who changed the world forever. The book tells the true-life adventures of the pioneers, inventors, aviators, designers, engineers, navigators, test-pilots and visionaries who were responsible for developing one of mankind's most important inventions. Lively biographies of 54 famous, notorious, and lesser known aviation characters create a panoramic history of flight from its crude beginnings to the sophistication of space travel. The book also includes two illustrated timelines: The first features aviation's principal players and the second depicts the important technical advancements of specific aircraft. Illustrating the text are 200 superb color paintings by internationally recognized aviation artist, David Marshall. His dynamic, historically accurate, and inspiring images are technically correct and the perfect complement to these engaging stories. Read Less