The Flying Book

Review from Booklist: "This is one book that lives up to the seemingly hyperbolic claims of its subtitle. Blatner... offers a compendium of fascinating facts. Chapters zero in on specific aspects of flight: what keeps planes in the air, for example, or how a jet engine functions, or the workings of air-traffic control, or airplane maintenance, or the often-bewildering universe of ticket prices. In addition to technological facts, he also covers the human side of air travel: fear of flying and how to control it, what the pilots are up to in the cockpit, even the horrors of airline food. There are little boxed nuggets on nearly every page: we learn that our bodies briefly become heavier at takeoff and that the blast from a jet engine can flip a car into the air and send it flying over three other vehicles. A wonderful treat for aviation aficionados." Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved.

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More reviews

"Full of fascinating facts, details, statistics, and sidebars." —Chicago Tribune

"This book is worth checking out."—San Francisco Chronicle

The Flying Book delivers, ranging from the deeply wonky... to the nitty gritty. A good gift for a long flight." —San Antonio Express-News

Click here for more information on the Penguin UK edition.

"Funny... fascinating... This is a book for anyone who has ever sat in an aeroplane and wondered 'How on earth is this thing going to get off the ground?'" —Observer