Aviation: From Our Earliest Attempts at Flight to Tomorrow's Advanced Designs (Smithsonian Guides Series)

From the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution comes this lavishly (and lovingly) illustrated history of aviation. With an authoritative text by museum advisor and World War II fighter ace Donald Lopez, this wondrously entertaining book takes the reader on a flight through time, from the first balloons of the Mongolfier brothers to the stealth technology of the F-117 fighter.

Among the more than 350 photographs are rare cockpit shots taken inside classic planes (including Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis and a B-17 Flying Fortress), numerous full-color photos of planes in the Smithsonian's permanent collection, and a fold-out timeline showing milestones in the development of aviation.