The American aerospace industry

by Roger E. Bilstein

The American Aerospace Industry is a comprehensive study of the growth of the industry from its beginnings through the present day. It is the first book to focus on technological advancement and the complex relations between industry and government in such a wide range of business fields, including commercial aviation, general aviation, airplane manufacturing, spacecraft, and military rockets and missiles. This book traces the colorful early development of the industry in America, its rapid expansion during the Second World War, and American dominance and European competition during the modern period. Author Roger E. Bilstein offers a new analysis of the international influence on American aviation and space technology. He demonstrates that the industry's growth has owed much to wartime advances, foreign technology and competition, the design success and commercial effectiveness of such government organizations as NACA and NASA, and the role of innovative entrepreneurs who looked ahead