Author:Kenny Kemp
The gripping story of the biggest trade war in aviation history.
In October 2007, the colossal Airbus A380, the largest commercial jet in history, will take to the skies. This gigantic double-decker is the first real competitor to Boeing's iconic 747 Jumbo Jet.
Meanwhile, Boeing has thrown its weight behind the smaller 787 Deamliner, an aircraft whose emphasis is on fuel economy and reduced emissions.
The future of commercial air travel is in the balance, and the outcome is difficult to predict.
A dazzling command of science and a relentless faith in people ... I never miss reading him.
—— Naomi KleinAn impressive piece of investigative journalism
—— Rosie Boycott , Mail on SundayA book anyone who thinks they know what should be done about global warming must read
—— John Gray , New StatesmanAt last the global movement has found a vision.
—— Independent on SundayMonbiot's book has an infectious and practical 21st century spirit
—— Sunday HeraldThe combination of practical detail and creative thinking is immensely impressive.
—— GuardianOne of the best-informed people about climate change ... comprehensive and compelling
—— The ScotsmanTurns number crunching into inspiration for social change.
—— MetroRichard Godwin knows how to take the nonsense out and put the pleasure back into cocktail-making. Intelligent, humorous, crammed full of recipes and knowledge- my new ‘little black book’ guide to cocktailing at home
—— Rebecca Dunphy , Sainsburys MagazineInformative recipes blended with whimsy and anecdote are given a dash of fun, and finished with a twist of brilliantly wry humour
—— CGA MagazineA pleasing account of the art of the cocktail...Life enhancing
—— Melanie MacDonagh , The TabletIf you’re going to buy one cocktail book, you can’t go far wrong with this one
—— BBC Good FoodRichard Godwin is such a smart, funny and intoxicating drinks writer. And The Spirits - accessible, authoritative and crisply written - is the perfect companion for cocktail-curious drinkers looking to seriously up their game.
—— Jimi Famurewa'The Spirits is the best all-rounder... this stylish recipe book covers a lot of ground with hilarious anecdotes, essential recipes and easy to follow methods'
—— Georgie Darling , Evening StandardA fantastic read. After I started it, I read it straight through. For more than spaceflight geeks, this is the story of an astonishing adventure that, despite the outward confidence of NASA, could have and perhaps should have gone horribly wrong.
—— Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys/October SkyA work of great importance … Highly readable and impossible to put down.
—— Dr David Baker, Editor of SpaceflightA riveting account of the origins, development, and first flight of the Space Shuttle.
—— Roger D. Launius, former NASA Chief HistorianInto the Black isn’t just spectacularly researched, it’s told like a thriller, unfolding the edge-of-death tale of the Space Shuttle Columbia’s maiden voyage in riveting fashion. Rowland White performs a rare feat here, stitching together comprehensive research—countless interviews, declassified files, flight documents—into a tale of courage and daring as streamlined and elegant as the spacecraft herself. Buckle in and hold on tight—this thing's got rocket propulsion.
—— Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times bestselling author of Orphan XWhite's research is thorough, his writing style is superb, and he has a gripping and fresh story to tell. This is a genuine 'must-have' book for anyone fascinated by the sharp end of space flight.
—— Piers Bizony, author of Starman, The Space Shuttle and The Making of Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’With Vulcan 607, Rowland White demonstrated his mastery of gripping aviation history. Now he ventures beyond the atmosphere, not only taking you inside the Space Shuttle Columbia on its challenging maiden flight, but also into the secret hallways of America’s military space establishment, as he uncovers the heretofore untold relationship between NASA and the world of space reconnaissance. Into the Black is an impressive and unique achievement.
—— Michael Cassutt, co-author of Deke! and We Have CaptureI’ve been privileged to read this fizzer of a book. I grew up in the world of experimental test flying which spawned the first astronauts, some of whom actually I served with, and they popped out at me from almost every page of this book. An astonishing amount of research has gone into this splendid work. I found it totally absorbing.
—— Captain Eric Brown, former UK Chief Naval Test PilotA tour de force … blends hardcore science and history with colourful characters of the Tom Wolfe Right Stuff mould and a taut countdown to produce a genuine, real-life, edge-of-the-seat thriller … a masterpiece of journalistic investigation and a compelling piece of story-telling that reminds us that - when it comes to the decades-old space programme - there are still secrets waiting to be told.
—— Nick Cook, bestselling author of The Hunt for Zero PointWhite’s work is authoritative and reeks of authenticity, but it also rattles along at breakneck speed. Non-fiction is rarely written like this - Into the Black is infectiously page-turning and impossible to put down.
—— Jon LakeWith this superb book, Rowland White has given us not only the true account of an epic aerospace achievement, but in vivid prose he brings to life the human drama behind the Space Shuttle.
—— Robert Gandt, author of Intrepid and The Twilight WarriorsInto the Black is an extraordinary, carefully researched, tale of the evolution of America’s space program … Anyone who has ever dreamed of being an astronaut will find themselves feeling they are indeed in the orbiter Columbia with Bob Crippen and John Young on that first flight.
—— Hugh Harris, former Director of Public Affairs at Kennedy Space Center