Les femmes dans les nuages - T2

At the beginning of the 20th century, women quickly developed a passion for “heavier than air”. In 1908, a French woman became the first passenger on a plane. In 1910, the Parisian actress, Raymonde de Laroche, obtained the first pilot's license. In 1912, American aviator Harriet Quimby crossed the English Channel. Airplane manufacturers set to work in Germany, Russia and England.
Between 1914 and 1918, women gave way to the military, but they took to the sky even more as soon as peace was restored. In 1921, Adrienne Bolland crossed the Andes mountain range. In 1930, Maryse Bastié set the endurance record by staying in the air for 38 hours and 55 minutes. In 1931, Maryse Hilsz linked Paris to Saigon and in 1934, Hélène Boucher broke the world speed record for all categories with 444 km/h.
In Germany, Marga von Etzdorf connects Berlin to Tokyo and Elly Beinhorn tours the world solo. In the United Kingdom, Winifred Brown wins the King's Cup and Amy Johnson visits the Australians. The hearts of New Zealanders beat for Jean Batten, their “Greta Garbo of the air”, while Americans cherish Amelia Earhart for her crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1932.
In the Soviet Union, many female aviators broke records and risked their lives for the glory of the regime. In 1941, heroic young girls became military pilots. They transform their old cuckoo clocks into formidable weapons and enter the history of military aviation under the nickname “The witches of the night”.
During the war, in the United States and the United Kingdom, by becoming escorts for fighter planes or bombers, hundreds of female aviators helped the men win the battle. In Romania, by transforming into flying nurses, intrepid pilots save thousands of lives. In Germany, they are doing everything they can to enable technical progress to be made.
The book presents an overview of around forty countries, focusing on remarkable exploits carried out, both in times of peace and in times of war.