Dr. Eckener's Dream Machine: The Great Zeppelin and the Dawn of Air Travel

From Publishers Weekly: "Oh, the humanity and all the passengers... a mass of flaming wreckage." These words from radio reporter Herbert Morrison witnessing the destruction of the Hindenberg in 1937 are familiar to many. However, in the two decades before this disaster, the zeppelin had a string of successful voyages around the world and was a popular mode of transportation, particularly among the affluent. English journalist Botting (Gerald Durrell: The Authorized Biography) vividly tells the story of the development of the zeppelin and the work of its inventor, Dr. Hugo Eckener. Eckener, an entrepreneur, believed that this type of aircraft would eventually be an accepted mode of transportation around the world. He faced skepticism from both government and private industry as he traveled from his native Germany overseas on the zeppelin to raise money and support. The difficulty of getting enough fuel for long voyages was a daunting obstacle, but Eckener's zeppelin dreams ended with the Hindenberg explosion. Botting's thorough research and plausibly recreated conversations of those involved allow readers to easily step back into Eckener's world and understand the difficulties he encountered.