This early 20th-century book charts the history of aviation from the first flights of the Wright brothers to the dawn of the First World War. It is written by one of the pioneers of aviation himself, Claude Grahame-White, who was a renowned pilot and aviation entrepreneur. The book provides a fascinating glimpse into the early days of flying, when planes were still seen as dangerous and unreliable machines. It also includes thrilling accounts of some of Grahame-White's own record-breaking flights, as well as profiles of other notable aviators of the time. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.