Yale Press Log

November is...

Aviation History Month! Check out some of the Yale University Press books that just fly off the shelves.

A Passion for Wings: Aviation and the Western Imagination, 1908-1918, by Robert Wohl

This elegantly written, copiously illustrated book presents the first cultural history of the pioneering phase of aviation. Robert Wohl's fascinating story describes Wilbur Wright and other colorful early aeronauts, aces such as Baron von Richthofen, and the enthusiastic responses to the implications of aviation by such writers and artists as H. G. Wells, Franz Kafka, Kazimir Malevich, Robert Delaunay, Gabriele D'Annunzio, and Emile Driant.

The Spectacle of Flight: Aviation and the Western Imagination, 1920-1950, by Robert Wohl

This extraordinary account of the development of aviation takes us from Charles Lindbergh’s dramatic New York-Paris flight to the horrifying bombing campaigns of World War II. Robert Wohl recaptures in words and illustrations an era when a wide-ranging cast of characters—among them millionaire Howard Hughes, Italian dictator Mussolini, and architect Le Corbusier—fell under aviation’s spell.

The Unknown Battle of Midway: The Destruction of the American Torpedo Squadrons, by Alvin Kernan

What really happened at the Battle of Midway, one of the greatest naval victories of the Second World War? This wrenching book, told by a survivor of the battle, provides the first accurate account and explanation of the devastating losses to America’s torpedo squadrons: only 7 of 51 planes returned, only 29 of 127 crewmen survived, and not a single torpedo hit its target.

Read an excerpt or view the table of contents.

Show Notes for Episode 3, Yale Press Podcast

Posted by Chris Gondek, Producer/Host of the Yale Press Podcast

The famous baseball manager, Casey Stengell, once said that "There comes a time in every man's life, and I've had plenty of them." I had one of those moments during my interview with John Marzluff and Tony Angell, when Tony decided to cut loose with both a Raven and Crow call. I knew right then that I was going to have something fun for the opening segment.

As usual, the guest list was a very cool mixed bag. I thought that Sidney Kirkpatrick's statement on how his step-daughter's illness was the inspiration to write about Thomas Eakins was a nice moment. I now hope that Dr. Gerald Edelman, or someone else, might look more into the intersection of brain science and Eastern philosophy, which we got into just a bit on his extended interview. And I thought that all of the Gombrich family stories that Leonie Gombrich told were great. I now have both A Little History of the World and The Story of Art side by side on my bookshelf.

Please send me comments and questions. The Ask the Author segment has been running dry, and if I don't start getting some e-mails, I'll have to make up some of my own ;)

Stay warm,

Chris

A Little History Generates a Lot of Buzz

A Little History of the World continues to receive praise in publications across the country.

• The Los Angeles Times Book Review counts A Little History among the 20 titles in its Favorite Nonfiction Books of 2005 in its holiday roundup.
• The Raleigh News & Observer also names A Little History one of its top two "best nonfiction" books of the year, in a "Wilde Awards" roundup, by children's books columnist Susie Wilde.
• The Globe & Mail (Toronto) also reviewed the book this past weekend saying, "it is a lovely book, gracefully written, provocative in the best sense, complemented by elegant woodcuts and easy to recommend. . . . A Little History of the World is, in the end, one of the loveliest books of history I've read, not because it gets to the heart of anything, but because it makes one want to go there for oneself."
• Tampa Tribune, books column: "I like the sort of thing where history is presented in a storylike fashion, and no one has done it better than E.H. Gombrich in A Little History of the World"
• USA Today: "The writing is graceful, often personal and should delight readers of all ages."
• Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Kids' Gift Books Roundup: "A delightful book that relates the history of the world...in a conversational way that never condescends."
• The State (Columbia, S.C.): "One of the most wonderful books of the year."
• The New York Observer: "Speaks to readers of any age."
• The Bloomsbury Review: "Gombrich gives his English-language readers a new way to look at the world."

A story featuring an interview with Gombrich's grand-daughter, Leonie Gombrich, has also appeared in a recent edition of Bookselling This Week, the online publication of the American Booksellers Association. A Little History of the World is one of ABA's Book Sense Picks for January and is #43 on its extended nonfiction bestseller list.

A Little History of the World

Word keeps spreading about Ernst Gombrich's amazing book. An interview with Leonie Gombrich, the author's granddaughter, aired last Sunday on NPR's Weekend Edition. Also last Sunday, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a rave review by Katie Haegele, who called A Little History of the World "an astounding collection of historical and cultural knowledge told in the sweet and engaging style of a fairy tale." Read the rest of the review.