Flight: From a Balloon to the Moon – and Beyond

I was immediately hooked into this beautiful hardback from the attractive endpapers and the statement by Faber that, ‘We still believe in the power of reading to transform children’s lives’ p. [4]. As a reader who loves biography and non-fiction, this volume was a pure treat for me with 29 chapters describing significant people in the long history of flight. Characters examined include the famous e.g. Leonardo da Vinci, and the not so famous, such as Katherine Stinson.

Interesting themes pepper the pages: the effects of war on the development of flying are stressed. When referring to World War I, ‘Increased government funding and the demands of the military also had a very positive impact on aviation’ p. 45. In addition, the courageous parts played by women throughout history are particularly absorbing. I learned about the daring Attagirls who flew Spitfires in the 1940’s.

As time moves on the book considers rockets and space travel: ‘An incredible mission needs incredible rockets’ p. 170, before looking at how current aircraft are detrimental to our environmental concerns. Talented writer David Long succeeds in making this title an exciting journey for the reader, imparting a great deal of knowledge in an accessible way. Together with brilliant illustrator Terri Po they have created a handsome hardback with lots of attention to detail. The double-spaced text plus the colourful headers and footers go a long way in making this book suitable for ages 8 upwards.

I have no hesitation in awarding this volume five stars and highly recommend it for home, school and libraries. It is one of my favourite non-fiction books and has spurred me on to seek out more fascinating works by David Long. If you are over 8 years of age and curious about the world around you, then find a copy of this history for an exciting and enlightening read.