Description: "Naval aviation owes a lasting debt to Eugene Ely and his employer, Glenn Curtiss. And history owes a debt to John H. Zobel for his tremendous biography of the first airman to take off from and land aboard a ship. The product of meticulous research, it unravels more than a century of myths and mysteries and provides the definitive biography of Eugene Ely amid his era." -- Barrett Tillman , author, On Wave and Wing: The 100-Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier "One of naval aviation's earliest pioneers, Eugene B. Ely is best known for making the first shipboard aircraft takeoff and landing. Recognizing that Ely's contribution could only be appreciated in the context of aviation's growing pains prior to World War I, Zobel developed a two-part story: Ely's all-too-short but hugely impactful aviation career, and an in-depth study of his contemporary flying pioneers. Exhaustively researched, well written, and historically accurate." -- Robert O. Harder author, The Three Musketeers of the Army Air Forces: From Hitler's Fortress Europa to Hiroshima and Nagasak i "Through meticulous research and enthralling prose, Zobel captures the earliest moments of naval aviation and the competition to master flight on the eve of world war. Must-read for aviation enthusiasts and anyone looking for an authentic immersion intoEugene Ely's all-too-brief life and the "heavier-than- air" machines that transformed aviation, the U.S. Navy, and America -- forever." -- Lt. Paul M. Donofrio, USN, Ret ., Vice Chair, Bank of America "One of the most skilled and experienced fliers in Glenn Curtiss's exhibition squad, Eugene Ely was the first to take off from and land on two U.S. Navy warships in 1910 and 1911. John Zobel chronicles those remarkable achievements, among many during Ely's brief flying career, in this outstanding biography, which will stand the test of time as the definitive treatment of the man who has earned everlasting fame as a pioneer of naval aviation." -- William F. Trimble , professor emeritus at Auburn University, author of Hero of the Air: Glenn Curtiss and the Birth of Naval Aviation "From Father Thomas Smyth, the car-racing priest, to Buffalo Bill Cody, a superb set of stories within the story, soaring to one of the greatest flights in history. We celebrate Eugene's incredible feat and John H. Zobel's storytelling. A definite read!" -- Anna Jane Durr , great-granddaughter of Eugene Ely's sister Maidie

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