June Book Reviews | 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

O'Callaghan, Timothy J. The Aviation Legacy of Henry & Edsel Ford. Ann Arbor, MI: Proctor Publications. 2000. 208 p. $34.95 [ISBN 1928523018]

This is Mr. O'Callaghan's second book on the subject of the Ford family's ventures in aviation. In it he has reproduced approximately 150 black and white photographs and other images, and provides an interesting and readable text to accompany them. In his first book, Henry Ford's Airport and Other Aviation Interests 1909-1954, he presents information pertaining to aviation, from the Ford Research Center. In this text he makes use of new discoveries found in the archives of Ford, and in a work titled The LaCroix Papers (not cited in the bibliography).

The book's fifteen chapters discuss the beginnings of Ford aviation through World War II. Each chapter is self-contained, making the chapters readable in any order. There are explanatory notes following the chapters, but the text contains very few footnotes. Appendices supply statistics on aircraft production, route schedules, and budgets (one wishes these had their sources documented), as well as a section titled "Memorabilia", which reproduces advertisements, logos, factory badges, and other ephemera. In addition to these appendices, there is a bibliography and an index.

What emerges most prominently from the text is the number of technological firsts that can be attributed to the Fords' interest in the development of commercial air transport. Though the concrete runway debuted at Ford Field in Dearborn, and the Ford Tri-Motor made air travel achievable for persons who were not barnstorming pilots, it was the radio beacon that was the company's most important contribution to the industry. A series of overlapping transmission signals stretching coast to coast permitted flying at night and in other conditions of poor visibility. It seems amazing today that at one time pilots used visual frames of reference for all navigation; hence the giant "FORD" sign spelled out in white crushed stone at Ford Field.

The reviewer found this book recreational, but was troubled by the inconsistent referencing of important primary sources. Readers hoping for a gripping tale of the early days of flight may be disappointed in the style of writing, which favors reportage over storytelling. Still, the average reader as well as the airplane buff will find enough tidbits and facts to sustain interest. Yet, it is the photographs, many never-before published, which make the book so browseable.

Overall, this book is recommended for Michigan history or transportation history collections. Libraries with such collections may also wish to acquire, if possible, the charming 40-minute video, Henry Ford's Aviation Ventures, produced by Mr. O'Callaghan in 1996. It contains archival black-and-white footage of aircraft trials and other aviation subjects, and features an artistic overhead tracking sequence through the Tri-Motor assembly plant in operation. Taken together these two resources, more than anything else, leave a bittersweet impression of the energy and optimism of the pioneers of commercial flight.

Reviewed by Margaret B. Kelly, University Library Systems Analyst at the University of Michigan, megrust@umich.edu

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 | next

you are: contents > Book Reviews (top)