Into Unknown Skies - by David K Randall (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Equal parts The Right Stuff and The Boys in the Boat, [this book] tells the unbelievable history of the 1924 race to circumnavigate the globe for the first time by air, a nail-biting contest that pitted underdog US pilots against their better-funded European rivals, created technology that changed aviation, and convinced America that its future was in the sky"--

Book Synopsis

"Thrilling . . . With deep research and suspenseful storytelling, Mr. Randall reminds us that America's pre-eminence in the aviation industry was never assured and that it took a race of unlikely heroes to bring the dream of world flight to the public imagination."--Wall Street Journal

"David K. Randall has conjured the first air race to circumnavigate the globe in all its death-defying glory, featuring a cast of unlikely heroes who had the right stuff before anyone knew what that was." -- Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times bestselling author of Lost in Shangri-La and 13 Hours

"Thrilling reading...an account filled with unexpected layers of intrigue. Recommend Into Unknown Skies to Erik Larson fans." --Booklist

The unbelievable history of the 1924 race to circumnavigate the globe for the first time by air, a nail-biting contest that pitted underdog US pilots against their better-funded European rivals, created technology that changed aviation, and convinced America that its future was in the sky.

In the early 1920s, America's faith in aviation was in shambles. Twenty years after the Wright Brothers' first flight, most Americans believed airplanes were for delivering the mail or performing daredevil stunts in front of crowds. The dream of commercial air travel remained just that. Even the American military was a skeptic--rather than pay to bring its planes back from Europe following World War I, the War Department chose to burn most of them instead.

All that changed with a single race in 1924. It was not just any race, though--it was a race to become the first to circle the globe in an airplane, pitting a team of underdog American pilots against the best aviators in the world from England, Italy, Portugal, France, and Argentina. Rooted in the same daring spirit that pushed early twentieth-century explorers to attempt crossings of the Antarctic ice or locate the source of the Nile, this race was an adventure unlike anything the world had seen before. The obstacles were daunting--from experimental planes, to dangerous landings in uncharted territory, to the simple navigational gauges that could lead pilots hundreds of miles off course. Failure seemed all but guaranteed--the suspense less about who would win than how many would perish for the honor of being the first.

Now on the race's centennial, award-winning author David K. Randall tells the story of this riveting, long-forgotten race. Through larger-than-life characters, treacherous landings, disease, and ultimately triumph, Into Unknown Skies demonstrates how one race returned America to aviation greatness. A story of underdog teammates, bold exploration, and American ingenuity, Into Unknown Skies is an untold adventure tale showing the power of flight to bring the world together.

Review Quotes

"The remarkable 1924 race to circumnavigate the globe has been largely forgotten, but journalist Randall, author of Dreamland and Black Death at the Golden Gate, sets out to correct the record...All this makes for an interesting story, and Randall handles it well, providing an engaging, colorful read. With careful research, Randall capably assembles the tale of the race that put the world on the path to modern aviation." - Kirkus Reviews

"With Into Unknown Skies, author David K. Randall excites with the story of a 1924 race to circumnavigate the globe by air. It was the upstart U.S. team versus their European rivals in a death-defying contest. The result? Innovations in technology, and an upsurge in excitement for aviation in the U.S. that might just have given it the edge needed to win World War II." - Parade

"A compelling narrative of this wholly underappreciated aviation feat. Even those who are well-versed in the history of aviation will find that Randall's account is revelatory . . . There's much within these pages that make it worthy of study both for the general public, and aviation policy leaders here in the U.S. It's both shocking and inspiring to read just how often these brave fliers put their lives on the line in pushing the envelope in this new field of aviation technology." - Forbes

"David Randall is...an artist in prose." - Los Angeles Weekly on The King and Queen of Malibu

"A doozy of a tale...The Rindge saga has the trappings of [a] Hollywood movie." - Wall Street Journal on The King and Queen of Malibu

"Thrilling . . . With deep research and suspenseful storytelling, Mr. Randall reminds us that America's pre-eminence in the aviation industry was never assured and that it took a race of unlikely heroes to bring the dream of world flight to the public imagination." - Wall Street Journal

"David K. Randall does a wonderful job bringing both the race and its main characters to buoyant life, with enough dangerous thrills to make you reach for your seat belt. This is armchair reading at its best." - Air Mail

"Into Unknown Skies is as thrilling as its subject, as welcome as a following wind. David K. Randall has conjured the first air race to circumnavigate the globe in all its death-defying glory, featuring a cast of unlikely heroes who had the right stuff before anyone knew what that was." - Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times bestselling author of Lost in Shangri-La and 13 Hours

"An intriguing history of the first flight around the world...Randall's narrative approach, in which he stays behind the scenes and even considers aviation's struggle for notoriety in the period, makes not just for thrilling reading (the flight was exciting, no doubt about that!) but also presents an account filled with unexpected layers of intrigue. Recommend Into Unknown Skies to Erik Larson fans." - Booklist

"Randall's skill as a writer is undeniable." - Salon.com on The Monster's Bones

"[Randall] combines his journalist's eye for details with a storyteller's flair for spectacle." - The Atlantic on The Monster's Bones