AERIAL WARFARE
London; New York: John Lane, the Bodley Head; John Lane Company, 1909. First Edition. Octavo, [4], vii-xxxix, 3-237 pages plus 46 plates. In Very Good minus condition. Bound in navy cloth with black ruled boards, gilt titling to front board and spine, and illustration to front board. Spine has light scuffing throughout, light fraying to head/tail, and a few degrees’ skewing. Boards have bumping to fore corners with slight board exposure, creasing and light discoloration to joints, a line of discoloration to lower corner of front board, and light scuffing throughout. Text block has deckled page edges with gilding to top page edge; light dust soiling to top page edge, and light foxing and age-toning to all edges, front margin of pages xv-xvi partially torn away (text unaffected,) and foxing, age-toning, and light scuffing throughout. Ex-library with markings including book plate affixed to front pastedown and embossed stamps to corners of a few pages. Shelved in Room A octavo overflow.
1415002
Special Collections - Upstairs
Price: $600
NOTES
This text by Reginald P. Hearne provides a snapshot of early theorizing about the future of military aviation, coming only six years after the Wright brothers had demonstrated practical powered flight, and before its great test in the First World War less than a decade later. In fact, the field was advancing so quickly that Hearne published a substantially revised second edition of this book just a year later under the title Airships in Peace and War: Being the Second Edition of Aerial Warfare. The introduction is written by Hiram Maxim, of machinegun fame.