This is an attempt to list, by name and by manufacturer or designer, all those aircraft ever, which can be defined as human-carrying, heavier-than-air vehicles that are supported primarily by dynamic lift. As a result, there are 25,000 aircraft and 5,000 companies listed, but even so, I am sure that the experts will discover some omissions, which will be welcomed by the Editor.

I checked up on my old favourite, the Miller 1843 Ornithopter, and it is present (there is no necessity of having actually flown to merit an entry, in spite of the definition given above). There are also 38 illustrations, slanted towards more modern American aircraft. I suppose this book is complementary to British Aircraft before The Great War (reviewed in 32/4) and the French one (30/4), but is much much wider in scope.

This should become the standard reference work for researchers in the future, as much of its value lies in having created, out of the confusion existing in 100 years worth of Smithsonian files, an 'authority list' for aircraft names and designations. As such it is to be welcomed and highly commended.