Pushing the envelope : the American aircraft industry /

Pattillo's book is specifically dedicated to airframes and engines; general aviation and space/missile aspects are both excluded. In 16 chapters plus epilogue, a nine-page corporate lineage, some 52 pages of notes and bibliography, plus a general index and an index of planes, engines, etc., this production embraces a quantity of information. Most chapters follow a similar, structured commentary with emphasis on sequential summaries of the principal manufacturers. As an informational source, it has its virtues; veterans of the firms recorded in this compendium will find satisfaction in its roster of projects and corporate officers. Other aspects may puzzle specialists: W.G. Vincenti's incisive What Engineers Know (CH, Jul'91) is absent; R. Van der Linden's indispensable history The Boeing 247 (CH, Oct'92) is ignored. With several highly regarded topical NASA histories available, many readers will be amazed at their total exclusion. And so on. The general index is essentially a list of specific companies, corporate officials, and engineers; casual readers who may want to scan for topical subjects such as exports, finance, concurrency, management, or even jet engines, will come away empty. For all its utilitarian value, scholars will want to approach this book with care. General readers; two-year technical program students. R. E. Bilstein; University of Houston--Clear Lake