{"product_id":"knights-of-the-air-lieutenant-lester-j-maitland-1st-edition","title":"Knights of the Air, Lieutenant Lester J. Maitland — 1st Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication\u003c\/strong\u003e: Garden City, New York, Doubleday, Doran \u0026amp; Company, Inc., 1929\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormatting\u003c\/strong\u003e: 8vo, pp. xvi, 338.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/strong\u003e: Very Good. The original blue cloth boards remain structurally sound but present with moderate sun-fading, most notably to the spine which has toned to a darkened grey-brown, somewhat dulling the orange title lettering and aeroplane motif. The extremities exhibit light shelf-wear with minor rubbing to the corners and localised fraying at the spine ends. The binding remains firm with a relatively tight text block, though there is a hint of a forward lean. The edges display typical age-related toning, with the top edge slightly dust-soiled. Internally, the pages are generally clean and bright, free from significant foxing or extraneous markings, with the photographic frontispiece and internal plates remaining crisp. An attractive and solid survivor of this early aviation history, despite the external sunning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/strong\u003e: First edition. An engaging and comprehensive early history of aviation published during the golden age of flight, authored by noted US Army aviation pioneer Lieutenant Lester J. Maitland. The book is introduced with a foreword by General C. P. Summerall, then Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis first printing is thoroughly illustrated with numerous full-page photographic plates documenting the foundational era of aeronautics, from the Wright brothers to the daring global circumnavigations of the late 1920s. Unsigned and lacking the dust jacket, true first printings of this title are uncommonly found on the open market today without significant wear, making this a desirable, unsophisticated copy for the aviation historian or collector.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten by one of America's own aviation pioneers, \u003ci\u003eKnights of the Air\u003c\/i\u003e offers a thrilling, first-hand perspective on the first twenty-five years of manned flight. From the dusty slopes of Kill Devil Hill to the daring endurance flights of the 1920s, Lieutenant Lester J. Maitland chronicles the courageous personalities and monumental technological leaps that conquered the skies. Richly illustrated with historical photographs, this gripping narrative captures the romance and danger of the early aeronautical age.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54507628462419,"sku":"4947","price":24.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260730_234655.jpg?v=1786015848","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/knights-of-the-air-lieutenant-lester-j-maitland-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}