Bookshelf

A Love Story

The Barnstormer and the Lady

Aviation legends Walter and Olive Ann Beech were not only a historic couple, but innovators who created one of the most successful aircraft manufacturers in the world. Together they started the Beech Aircraft Corporation, which over its long history has made more than 50,000 airplanes. Their customers ranged from movie stars to presidents and Beechcraft transformed Wichita, Kansas, to the aviation center of the country. After Walter Beech’s early death, Olive Ann kept the company going. With historic photography, this book—written by former Wall Street Journal writer Dennis Farney—is a look back at an influential time in U.S. history.

PRICE: $29.95
CONTACT: beechcrafthm.org

Aerial Cape Cod

Sea and Sand from the Sky

Pilot and photographer Margot Cheel flies over Cape Cod—from Dennis to Chatham to the National Seashore—documenting the shifting sands of the fragile beaches in this beautiful coffee table book. Accompanied by inspirational quotes from famous aviators, these photographs were taken over a 10-year period after Cheel’s daughters left home. Her photos are considered “abstract” as they are painterly and artistic in nature. Cheel is an active member of the New England chapter of The Ninety Nines.

PRICE: $45
CONTACT: margotcheel.com/books

Is it Science Fiction?

The Flying Submarine

Author bruce reid tells the story of his father, Donald V. Reid, the inventor of the “flying submarine.” RFS-1 was developed during the Cold War and, according to Reid, his father was a tireless inventor who was never fully recognized for his aviation contributions, although he did appear on popular television shows of the day such as I’ve Got a Secret, To Tell the Truth, and The Johnny Carson Show. Find out what happened to the flying submarine by the man who flew it first.

PRICE: $18.50
CONTACT: heritagebooks.com

An Unlikely Hero

The Legend of Zulu Charlie

Nevada flight instructor Zach Crooker has written and illustrated a charming little book about Zulu Charlie, a senior in high school who, along with his trusty dog, Mike, sets out to save his small town. If you need your reading accompanied by illustration, you’ll enjoy this “comic” style book. There’s also merchandise available such as T-shirts with Crooker’s artwork.

PRICE: $26
CONTACT: amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com