From the Gilded Age until 1914; more than 100 American heiresses invaded Britannia and swapped dollars for titles--just like Cora Crawley; Countess of Grantham; the first of the Downton Abbey characters Julian Fellowes was inspired to create after reading To Marry An English Lord. Filled with vivid personalities; gossipy anecdotes; grand houses; and a wealth of period details--plus photographs; illustrations; quotes; and the finer points of Victorian and Edwardian etiquette--To Marry An English Lord is social history at its liveliest and most accessible.
#622212 in Books Graham; Richard H. 2008-07-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 1.25 x 6.50l; 1.36 #File Name: 0760332398288 pages
Review
98 of 100 people found the following review helpful. Mach 3 Aviation Nerd HeavenBy Dave EnglishThis is a great book! It's exactly what the title says it is -- a pilot's inside the cockpit explanation of flying the SR-71; in expansive detail. The author is perfectly qualified for the task as a former SR-71 pilot; instructor pilot; chief stan/eval and commander of the 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron. There are 80 pages of original SR-71 checklists; there are detailed cockpit pictures; and there is explanation of every switch you'd see in a complete mission. Make no mistake; this is not a pretty picture book; this is for true pilot nerds who want to do what is now impossible -- climb inside the Blackbird and take it flying at Mach 3.2 and FL 780.The foreword correctly states the book; "provides the missing link among the many Blackbird volumes that have been written over the past quarter century. While many nuts-and-bolts references have been written covering the aircraft's development; flight test; and operational history in minute detail; none; until now; have addressed the subject of flying the mission from the perspective of the pilot." It includes illuminating discussions about abnormal and emergency procedures; as well as some sidebars with tales of specific flights. It also includes a few pages of color pictures. The SR-71 was a stunning thrill-ride; and also a hughly complex techno-social system. Graham has written a quality tribute to the aeroplane and the thousands of people that made the system work.Buy the big picture books by Brian Shul for glossy photographs and fluid descriptions of the feel of flying the SR-71. Buy the various history books for the development story and technical details. But for the this-switch-does-that (and why) (and when) detail of actually flying faster than a bullet; you need to buy this book. If this sort of thing is your cup of tea; you may also enjoy 'The Concorde Stick Rudder Book' by Mike Riley for details on flying another big plane really really fast. I hope this review helps you.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Pilot's guide to flying at Mach 3!By Tee DubAs I kid I remember when I first laid my eyes on a photo/painting of the SR-71 by Keith Ferris; it intrigued me then with its unique and daunting configuration; not to mention the mystique of the then-recently unveiled black jet!What intrigues me now; as a long time professional aviator with a deep appreciation of the requirements such a capable aircraft would put on the pilot and the aircraft's systems; are the skills required of the aviators who were fortunate enough to have flown the Blackbird.Richard H. Graham's book is an important volume in the library of information slowly becoming available about the SR-71 since it was declassified. Clearly there are other excellent books with photos and stories; as well as its design history and technical details; but this book does an excellent job of helping those of us who've always wondered what it was like to fly above Mach 3; at the extreme edges of our late 50's/early 60's technology - the same technology that also produced one of mankind's other great aeronautical achievements: the Apollo program.The technical side of the Blackbird is certainly worthy of investigation; but then so are the skills required to operate such an incredible machine and by discussing each system in the cockpit of the Blackbird from the pilot's point of view; Graham takes us there. I will never have the opportunity to fly the SR-71 but thanks to this book I can at least appreciate what a thrilling experience it must have been!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Recommended reading for all SR-71 enthusiastsBy Kindle Customergreat book on one of the most interesting planes to fly in modern times. The book is very technical and it is indicative of the quality of the pilots flying this wonderful machine. Also; without the dedication of the supporting crews; all the speed records and spy data would not be possible. I highly recommend.
