From transforming the ways of war to offering godlike views of inaccessible spots; revolutionizing rescues worldwide; and providing some of our most-watched TV moments—including the cloud of newscopters that trailed O. J. Simpson’s Bronco—the helicopter is far more capable than early inventors expected. Now James Chiles profiles the many helicoptrians who contributed to the development of this amazing machine; and pays tribute to the selfless heroism of pilots and crews. A virtual flying lesson and scientific adventure tale; The God Machine is more than the history of an invention; it is a journey into the minds of imaginative thinkers and a fascinating look at the ways they changed our world.
#84084 in Books Cengage Learning 2011-01-01Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 .90 x 7.30 x 9.00l; 1.80 #File Name: 0547218508560 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Pretty good book (even for people that usually dislike history class)By Jule ShigiharaI had to purchase this book up for my history class in college; and the book definitely provided me with a lot of info that I needed for the class.Even I; a person that is not particularly interested in history at all; found some of the topics interesting - which was a surprise to me since most historical textbook are very boring to me.It's detailed (but not too much) and has a good design (and enough pictures) to keep all readers interested. Overall; I would recommend it even for people that don't like history as a course.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Poorly written; needs a good review by an English professional.By CrystalThis book was required for my history class and certainly not a subject I would have chosen to read. I had hopes that the book would not be a chore to read through but my hopes were quickly dashed. One would think that a seventh (7th) edition would have some of the quirks worked out. There were several run-on sentences; sentences beginning with "and"; and just poorly constructed thoughts. It made it very difficult to trudge through the information. I feel as though I gained little to no knowledge through attempting to read the text. Even parts of history that I was already aware of and had some interest in suddenly became boring and difficult to read about. The only thing I look forward to now that I am halfway through the course and text is finishing my requirements so I can get this book out of my hands.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Twentieth century boringBy new breed of historianA textbook in many cases is a methodical read and sometimes one can get lucky and the textbook he or she is assigned can be enjoyable. Unfortunately this falls in the category first mentioned. It is written well and obviously researched expertly but it reads like a typical "textbook". By this I mean it can put one in a daze as one reads the material. In one way it is what one expects from a textbook; boring and dry. The facts are extremely helpful but the opinions espoused could be omitted so the reader can come to their own conclusion. If not for this book being "required" I would have put it in my bookshelf after the first chapter unfinished to collect dust.
