Air Travel: a Social History

The first scheduled air-services began just over fifty years ago. The story of flying since then has often been written from the point of view of the aeroplanes, the pilots and the operators. The most important people of all, however, the passengers themselves, have been strangely neglected. What kind of people travelled by air during the 'twenties and 'thirties ? How were they persuaded to fly, instead of going by boat and train ? How much did they pay ? What kind of treatment did they receive at the airports and during the flight ? How do conditions now compare with those which passengers came to expect before the war ?
This book is the result of extensive research in many countries. It draws on the memories of passengers and staff, on the archives of the world's major airlines and of industrial and commercial concerns, and on a wide range of newspapers, magazines and other contemporary sources. Particular care has been taken to discover photographs, advertisements, posters and other documentary material which help to recreate the atmosphere and conditions of air travel during the half-century when flying began as an adventure for the well-to-do and ended as routine transport for the masses. Kenneth Hudson is the author of a number of works on social and industrial history, including The Fashionable Stone and A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Europe. With 92 monochrome illustrations.



by Kenneth Hudson
Published by Adams and Dart 1972 1st edition. 174pp profusely illustrated, index, appendices, bibliography. 20x25 previous owner's bookplate otherwise near fine including d/j.




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