From huge, fragile airships hanging in the sky to dashing young war pilots obsessed with death and destruction, this text describes Germany's perilous romance with aviation, covering the bright idealism of flight and its darker service in total war. Shows how the fascination of the German people with flight combined idealized notions of vitality and modernity with symbols of conquest over the natural and political worlds.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

NTRODUCTION -- 1. GIANT AIRSHIPS AND WORLD POLITICS -- 2. THE IMAGE OF THE WAR ACE -- 3. GLIDING AND THE REVIVAL OF NATIONALISM -- 4. MODERNIST VISIONS, NATIONAL DREAMS -- 5. THE NAZI DISCIPLINE OF AIRMINDEDNESS -- ABBREVIATIONS