In the early 20th century, the dream of crossing the Atlantic by air was as potent as putting a man on the moon would be 50 years later. But many people believed women too fragile and lacking in the skills to endure the gruelling conditions of flying long distances. This book uncovers the stories of […]
The Wire and the Lines by Patrick Larsimont
Summer, 1943, and when fighter pilot Jox McNabb crashes on the wrong side of the straits of Messina, he is captured by the Germans. It seems that for Jox, the war might be over. But Jox is never one to give up. Desperate to escape, he quickly familiarises himself with the camp and gets to […]
The Endeavour of Elsie Mackay by Flora Johnston
It’s 1927 and flight fever is running high. Daring flyers are all anyone can talk about. And now the Honourable Miss Elsie Mackay, glamorous former film star and regular name in gossip columns, has a new ambition – to be the first woman to fly the Atlantic. Elsie’s friend Stella Campbell once felt at the […]
American Wings by Elizabeth Wein and Sherri L Smith
In the years between World War I and World War II, aviation fever was everywhere, including among Black Americans. But what hope did a Black person have of learning to fly in a country constricted by prejudice and Jim Crow laws, where some previous Black aviators like Bessie Coleman had to move to France to […]
Mussolini meets the World’s Fair
While researching the Chicago World’s Fair of 1933 for her new novel, Anika Scott came across an episode of political public manipulation which took her aback – for its present-day resonances as well as its impact at the time. She tells Historia what happened when the Fascists flew to the Fair. Sometimes, a piece of […]
Review: The Women who Flew for Hitler by Clare Mulley
Clare Mulley has written a fascinating biography about two fascinating women. You would have thought that two women who grew up in post-World War One Germany with a love for flying and an intense urge to succeed in becoming pilots, would have been allies, even friends. Instead, Hanna Reitsch and Melitta von Stauffenberg (nee Schiller) […]
Female Aviators of the Edwardian Era
Rebecca Mascull’s latest novel, The Wild Air, is set in the early days of aviation and tells the story of Della Dobbs, a young woman whose ambition is to learn to fly. Here, Rebecca tells us about the real life female pilots who defied convention and risked all for their passion. Every time I start researching about women in history, […]