Download Eugene Ely: Pioneer of Naval Aviation

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Eugene
Ely
Pioneer
of
Naval
Aviation
Description
The story of Eugene Ely8217slife
is the stuff of myth
and legend.
Much of what has been written about him relies on
sensationalized newspaper accounts from an era
when early twentieth century reporters
unabashedly fabricated stories to increase
newspaper circulation. Those accounts portray Ely
as a reckless daredevil and
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are essentially historical fiction. Eugene Ely
Pioneer of Navigation cuts through the
sensationalism by relying on primary sources and
photographic records and triangulating multiple
sources to arrive at an honest portrait of the
man and his legacy. The result is the story of a
quiet, self-effacing Iowan who did extraordinary
things. Ely8217smeasured approach and
calculated demonstrations of the potential of
military aviation ultimately pointed the way to
today8217smodern aircraft carriers, over a
century later.