Inside the miraculous birth of British aviation

From string-and-canvas deathtraps to sleek metal machines – relive the dawn of British aviation

'Gripping, exuberant, racy and deeply researched, here is the amazing tale of the flying machines.' Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History

In the first few decades of the twentieth century British aviators went from gliding a handful of yards to crossing the Atlantic. Journeying from perilous ‘cotton-and-hope’ prototypes to the Spitfire, Flying Pianos surveys the transformation of flight from genteel gentleman’s hobby to terrifying military force.

Charles Spicer meets the cast of colourful characters who helped Britain take flight. There’s Hugh ‘Boom’ Trenchard, eccentric ‘father’ of the RAF; the glamorous Harriet Quimby – journalist, screenwriter and record-breaking pilot; and Grahame Christie, passionate aviator, spy and uneasy acquaintance of Hermann Göring. Charting the soaring highs and catastrophic lows of this technological revolution, Flying Pianos tells the remarkable tale of how Britain took to the skies.

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‘Vivid, meticulous yet expansive.’ Clare Mulley, author of Agent Zo

'Check in, get aboard, fasten your seatbelt, and prepare for a marvellous flight and a terrific read.' David Cannadine, author of Victorious Century

'Fun, anecdote-rich and full of compelling characters.' S.C. Gwynne, author of Empire of the Summer Moon