Leslie Dawson – författare

From Henri Fabre's first successful take off from water and landing near Marseilles, to the introduction of a hull rather than floats by American Glenn Curtiss, to the world-wide development of huge, ocean-crossing flying boats on both sides of the Atlantic - the passenger flying boat era continues to fascinate aviation enthusiasts and historians alike. Wartime necessity for paved runways to support long-range, high flying land-planes and the faster movement of airmail, overcame in peacetime the unique ability enjoyed by such craft to economically utilise the natural waterways of the world, thus depriving passengers of the ability to enjoy the panorama unfolding below in luxurious accommodation and ease. A sadly missed epoch of flight: though related in clear and vivid detail by Leslie Dawson in his account of a pre-war Imperial Airways flight from Southampton to South Africa.This extended pictorial edition of the author's previous book Fabulous Flying Boats, A History Of The World's Passenger Flying Boats provides a fast-moving journey from the first pioneers to the very last use of such craft in regions still reliant on waterborne communication with the outside world. From the Americas and the United Kingdom, to France, Germany and Italy, and on to Australia and New Zealand. Supported by world-wide private, public and corporate images, the work boasts a comprehensive and well-researched Appendix.

The history of the development and operations of flying boats in the early twentieth century is a vibrant one, full of colourful characters and experimentation. In 'Fabulous Flying Boats', Leslie Dawson captures this spirit of dynamism, reminding us of the most successful early pioneers of the seaplanes development, including a little known and oft-overlooked rival to the Wright Brothers, working to put their mutual successes in context. He goes on to describe, in clear and vivid detail, and using first hand-accounts, what it was like to be aboard one of the resulting huge passenger flying boats, as air crew and as a passenger. He also recounts the part played by the military boats inevitably seconded to such use. Incredibly well researched, the narrative embraces the globe-trotting air routes, from Europe to the Far East and to the Americas, and is well supported with evocative images from private and corporate collections, and the worlds aviation museums. The in-depth Appendix is virtually a book in itself. This book is sure to be a welcome addition to any Aviation enthusiasts library as it covers a particularly important period of Aviation development which formed a fertile environment for a host of young experimenters. The process of development continues to this day.

From Henri Fabre's first successful take off from water and landing near Marseilles, to the introduction of a hull rather than floats by American Glenn Curtiss, to the world-wide development of huge, ocean-crossing flying boats on both sides of the Atlantic - the passenger flying boat era continues to fascinate aviation enthusiasts and historians alike. Wartime necessity for paved runways to support long-range, high flying land-planes and the faster movement of airmail, overcame in peacetime the unique ability enjoyed by such craft to economically utilise the natural waterways of the world, thus depriving passengers of the ability to enjoy the panorama unfolding below in luxurious accommodation and ease. A sadly missed epoch of flight: though related in clear and vivid detail by Leslie Dawson in his account of a pre-war Imperial Airways flight from Southampton to South Africa.This extended pictorial edition of the author's previous book Fabulous Flying Boats, A History Of The World's Passenger Flying Boats provides a fast-moving journey from the first pioneers to the very last use of such craft in regions still reliant on waterborne communication with the outside world. From the Americas and the United Kingdom, to France, Germany and Italy, and on to Australia and New Zealand. Supported by world-wide private, public and corporate images, the work boasts a comprehensive and well-researched Appendix.

From Henri Fabre''s first successful take-off from water, to the introduction of a hull (rather than floats) by American Glenn Curtiss, to the world-wide development of huge, ocean-crossing flying boats on both sides of the Atlantic - the passenger flying boat era continues to fascinate aviation enthusiasts and historians alike. It is a sadly missed epoch of flight. In this pictorial account, the reader embarks on a fast-moving journey, from the pioneering early years to the present day. The book features images sourced from private, public and corporate archives around the world.