The Invention of the Airplane ushered in the modern age. Tom D. Crouch chronicles how conquest of the skies shifted the way people travel, wage war, and perceive the promise of life. From balloons and kites to passenger jets, from stealth fighters to interplanetary rockets, Crouch tells how the enthusiasm of amateurs spawned an industry that now determines the rise and fall of nations. Achievements have been breathtaking, and yet this is not a tale of unalloyed progress. Blind alleys ended in debt and failure; bitter disappointment and stark terror exacted a price for technical progress. In the end, there is no more fascinating cast of characters than those who wrote history in the sky and, in living a dream, forever changed the world. Book jacket.