Flying Man

“A key work for the development of air capability in the early decades of the twentieth century and, more particularly, in the development of the German and Soviet aviation industries.” — Jeremy Black, professor of history, University of Exeter
 

"Flying Man: Hugo Junkers and the Dream of Aviation focuses on a pioneer whose name is more often associated with World War II, yet he was very much a pioneer of air transport in the 1920s and early 1930s. By focusing on his contributions to aeronautics, but also by clarifying the challenges Junkers faced, Byers offers a nuanced evaluation of the German engineer. In so doing, he also sheds light on the difficulties aircraft manufacturers and airlines faced in the interwar years as governments came to terms with the airplane, its many potentials, but also its high financial cost. The paradox of banning Germany from building airplanes, even commercial ones, under the terms of the Versailles treaty prompted the search by manufacturers for other outlets. In the case of Junkers, this meant that his aircraft were exported and became famous beyond what one might have expected. The success was far more limited than one would think, however, and Byers does a splendid job of contextualizing the factors that slowed Junkers' success.
 
Junkers’ name was also associated with Dessau, and many have focused on the modernist element of the firm he founded in the same city that saw the birth of the Bauhaus architectural movement. Byers, however, succeeds in maintaining his focus on Junkers’ industrial and technical work. Having delved into numerous archives, some of which were only opened recently, Byers teases out the intricacies of the many governmental operations that affected Junkers’ work. While there exist many works by enthusiasts on the subject of Junkers aircraft, the body of literature on Junkers himself is rather limited, and mostly in German. Byers is to be congratulated on bringing this excellent synthesis to print, as it helps us understand better the peculiarities of European aviation, and German aeronautical production in particular, during the interwar years.” — Guillaume de Syon, Professor of History, Albright College
 

“In addition to making this case, Byers’ work stands as a fine example of approaching aviation history with a broader view. While examining the technical, economic and bureaucratic facets of Junkers’ experience, Byers remains focused on the vision, or ‘dream’, for aviation. This offers more profound insights into the history of aviation, as well as a number of other subfields, and thus stands as a worthy example of scholarship.” —The Journal of Transport History