In their struggle to fly, the Wright brothers were engaged in strife with their own government. President McKinley's administration decided to dedicate an unprecedented amount of money to ensure that the first flyers would be American but the Wrights refused such financial support for fear of the strings attached, and resolved to go it alone. This book tells the story of the raw ambition, high ideals, greed, and cloak and dagger tactics of each side. By 1903, the Federal venture was in its seventh year and the Wright brothers had been working nights and weekends, often in secret for four years. Everything came to a head in eight tense days in December when the battle--and the fame and fortune that would follow--was decided.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic flight, Gutman delivers the fictional diary of a boy who helps the Wrights' build their flying machine, giving a new perspective to the historical events. Illustrations.

Who would you run one hundred miles for? Caleb Oberest is an ultramarathon runner, who severed all ties to his family to race brutal 100-mile marathons across mountains. Shane Oberest is a sales rep for a cutting-edge biotechnology firm, creating new cures for the diseases of our time. Shane has spent his life longing to connect with his older brother, but the distance between them was always too vast. Caleb’s running group live by strict rules, but Caleb is breaking one of them. He has fallen in love with a new member and her infant daughter. When Caleb discovers that the baby has a fatal genetic disease, he reaches out to Shane. On the verge of becoming a father himself, Shane devises a plan that could save this baby and bring his lost brother home. But to succeed, both brothers will need to risk everything they have. And so each begins a dangerous race that will push them past their boundaries, and take all of Caleb’s legendry endurance to survive. Derek Sherman’s authentic, compelling story of ultramarathons, biotechnology, and family takes us deep into new worlds and examines how far we will go for the people we love.

The Roaring Twenties in New York was a time of exuberant ambition, free-flowing optimism, an explosion of artistic expression in the age of Prohibition. New York was the city that embodied the spirit and strength of a newly powerful America. In 1924, in the vibrant heart of Manhattan, a fierce rivalry was born. Two architects, William Van Alen and Craig Severance (former friends and successful partners, but now bitter adversaries), set out to imprint their individual marks on the greatest canvas in the world--the rapidly evolving skyline of New York City. Each man desired to build the city’s tallest building, or ‘skyscraper.’ Each would stop at nothing to outdo his rival. Van Alen was a creative genius who envisioned a bold, contemporary building that would move beyond the tired architecture of the previous century. By a stroke of good fortune he found a larger-than-life patron in automobile magnate Walter Chrysler, and they set out to build the legendary Chrysler building. Severance, by comparison, was a brilliant businessman, and he tapped his circle of downtown, old-money investors to begin construction on the Manhattan Company Building at 40 Wall Street. From ground-breaking to bricklaying, Van Alen and Severance fought a cunning duel of wills. Each man was forced to revamp his architectural design in an attempt to push higher, to overcome his rival in mid-construction, as the structures rose, floor by floor, in record time. Yet just as the battle was underway, a third party entered the arena and announced plans to build an even larger building. This project would be overseen by one of Chrysler’s principal rivals--a representative of the General Motors group--and the building ultimately became known as The Empire State Building. Infused with narrative thrills and perfectly rendered historical and engineering detail, Higher brings to life a sensational episode in American history. Author Neal Bascomb interweaves characters such as Al Smith and Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt, leading up to an astonishing climax that illustrates one of the most ingenious (and secret) architectural achievements of all time.

Experience the rush! Feel the adrenaline! Live the excitement! It is the second half of the twenty-first century, an era of highly advanced aviation innovation and the golden age of the extraordinary motor sport of air racing. When finding out his hometown airport will be venue of the most famous air race in the world, thirteen-year-old pilot student Keithan Quintero determines himself to be in it, so long as his best friends, Fernando and Marianna, help him out. Keithans goal: to become the youngest air-racing champion in history. But the air race is not the only thing getting Keithan and everyone elses attention. Strange sightings in the sky, followed by unusual behaviors within Ramey Airport, have led locals to believe it could all be a new case of unidentified flying objects. All of this soon becomes a challenging distraction while Keithan prepares for the race. In an attempt to find answers, he and his friends discover a legion of fighter pilots thought to exist only in legends. Even more surprising, the legion knows that the upcoming air race might be concealing something bad. Filled with intriguing secrets and intense air-racing sequences, this futuristic novel is sure to take readers on an exciting adventure, making them wish they were air racers too. So get ready and strap yourself before turning to the first page!

Three years after American raceplanes failed dismally in the most important air race of 1920, a French magazine lamented that American "pilots have broken the records which we, here in France, considered as our own for so long." The Pulitzer Trophy Air Races (1920 through 1925), endowed by the sons of publisher Joseph Pulitzer in his memory, brought about this remarkable turnaround. Pulitzer winning speeds increased from 157 to 249 mph, and Pulitzer racers, mounted on floats, twice won the most prestigious international air race--the Schneider Trophy Race for seaplanes. Airplanes, engines, propellers, and other equipment developed for the Pulitzers were sold domestically and internationally. More than a million spectators saw the Pulitzers; millions more read about them and watched them in newsreels. This, the first book about the Pulitzers, tells the story of businessmen, generals and admirals who saw racing as a way to drive aviation progress, designers and manufacturers who produced record-breaking racers, and dashing pilots who gave the races their public face. It emphasizes the roles played by the communities that hosted the races--Garden City (Long Island), Omaha, Detroit and Mt. Clemens, Michigan, St. Louis, and Dayton. The book concludes with an analysis of the Pulitzers' importance and why they have languished in obscurity for so long.

Karleen Hammer Anderson grew up in Lincoln, MT during its busy, early years in the 1950s and 1960s. She is credited for having a special gift for spiritual hospitality, which she believes came from those formative years in Lincoln, and its many wonderful people who helped one another and were able to make a party out of any event. This book is the first in a series of books that pays tribute to the history, people and places of Lincoln, Montana. Contains over 250 recipes. Illustrated throughout.

What's so great about Montana? Find out the top ten sites to see or things to do in the Treasure State! Explore Montana's mile-high mountains, gold mines, and wild-west history. The Montana by Map feature shows where you'll find all the places covered in the book. A special section provides quick state facts such as the state motto, capital, population, animals, foods, and more. Take a fun-filled tour of all there is to discover in Montana!

Summary: Traces the history of humankind's attempts to shrug off the shackles of gravity and take to the air.

Between the years 1815 and 1945, Europe achieved unrivaled global dominance, only to see it shattered by two world wars. This frenetic rise and fall was attended by immense societal change. In 1815, Europe remained largely agricultural and dependent upon horsepower. By 1945, the power of the atom had been unleashed. Two industrial revolutions occurred in the interim--the first founded upon coal, iron and steam, the second upon oil, steel, electricity and internal combustion. The implications for humanity were profound. This concise yet comprehensive study is divided into three sections. In section one, the map of Europe emerges in its modern visage as unrestrained nationalist fervor gives rise to an assemblage of new nation-states. In section two, the continent attains global hegemony as massive industrialization fuels a mad scramble for colonial markets and raw materials. In section three, a cauldron of national, ethnic and class hatreds spawn the rise of totalitarianism and the overthrow of European hegemony in two calamitous world wars. By tracing the events and undercurrents of this vital period in European history, this book offers trenchant insights for the lay reader and the student of history alike.