Author Norman Currey displays an immensely engaging writing style in AIRPLANE STORIES AND HISTORIES, which comes across as both knowledgeable and unconfined. As ” a collection of interesting and sometimes unusual accounts/ events in aviation”, the work delivers a sweeping overview of both a rich historical narrative and the ingenuity that spun it. The author’s focus on aircraft design, in particular, proves highly informative. However, while this thoroughness is sure to delight aviation enthusiasts, it might also inhibit less ardent readers.

From Sir George Cayley, known as the “Father of Aviation”, to a delineated progression from biplanes to monoplanes, every historical aspect is treated with the utmost care and respect. And while some widely remembered events crop up, like the city bombings during the Second World War, they’re approached from the perspective of engineering, shedding light on the planes’ role in the unfolding narrative. The Spitfire, the Mustang, the Mosquito, and many more are therefore given the space to exhibit their build, usage, and lethality. As such, the focus of Currey’s work never strays far from the machine, demonstrating various achievements in engine development and other “leaps in aviation.” Though arguably quite dry at times, these passages are never overwhelming, as the author intersperses them with accounts of real people who went on to accomplish unreal things for the benefit of all.

To add to the reader’s enjoyment, and increased grasp of different mechanical nuances, the text comes with an assortment of illustrations and photographs at the end of most chapters. This helps carry a tone of reverence and wistfulness that proves surprisingly poignant, especially when the reader is treated to new findings about the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Most noticeable is the author’s passion for the subject matter, which fuels the reveal of increasingly rousing details along the way. These include the origins of the term Skunk Works, used by some companies to refer to covert work that is in progress. Forever startling, meticulous, and elegantly crafted, the text is sure to lure in countless readers.

In AIRPLANE STORIES AND HISTORIES, Norman Currey pays homage to the evolution of the aircraft that has influenced both history and its current stretch into the future. Authoritative and profound, the work is nevertheless infused with human sensibilities, giving the wavering form of ingenuity a haunting air.

~Neil Czeszejko for IndieReader