Barnaby Conrad III

There was a time when commercial aviation was as much about excitement and glamor as about travel. A celebration of the adventurous, romantic spirit of 20th century flight, this illustrated history describes the emergence of the world's first commercial airline, Pan American World Airways, the airline that gave us crew uniforms, stewardesses and in-flight food. In those days, that blue, shoulder-strap flight bag was a status symbol. To own one was to feel the romance and exhilaration of travel. The illustrations alone here are worth the price of a first-class ticket: color reproductions of Pan Am print ads (many featuring celebrities such as Charles Lindbergh, Ernest Hemingway and Lauren Bacall); cutaway drawings of luxurious airships; and photos of maps, artifacts and the airline's early visionaries. Long before Pan Am's first flight, from Key West to Havana, airline visionary and company founder Juan Trippe knew he was on to something. Pan Am follows his fascinating ascent, and makes you long for a seat on the "China Clipper." TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction Bold Dreams and Acts of Genius 2. Getting Off The Ground Linking the Americas 3. Crossing the Pacific Nothing Was Impossible 4. Across the Atlantic In War and Peace 5. The Jet Age Inventing the Future 6. Turbulence Great Airlines Don't Die Epilogue Bibliography Index