Airline of the Jet Age: A History
by R.E.G. Davies, Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press, Washington, D.C., 2011, $99.95
Many words describe this book, including encyclopedic, impressive, indispensible and groundbreaking. But sadly, the word that is most apt is irreplaceable, because we have lost its author, the greatest scholar of air transport, R.E.G. Davies, who died on July 30, 2011, at age 90.
No one else has ever produced, and I do not believe anyone ever will, the kind of comprehensive, well-written, detailed but concise histories that Ron Davies did. Certainly one of the most productive curators ever at the National Air and Space Museum, Ron delivered in this, his final book, his usual combination of authority, detailed facts, reference to colorful personalities and a deep understanding of what makes airlines tick.
This work, the first ever history of the airlines of the jet age, will stand with his first book, A History of the World’s Airlines, as the absolute benchmark in the field. Ron had many strengths—deep knowledge of the subject, incessant gathering of material, contacts with the field’s top people, intimate knowledge of the business gained as a pioneer in the marketing field—but his forte was organization. This is a reference book, but just browsing through it is a joy, for along with its amazingly detailed coverage of the very complex airline operations, Ron spices his work with references to little-known people, events and aircraft that make you nod with pleasure. Almost casually, he drops in stories about his conversations with J.R.D. Tata, or accounts of Freddie Laker’s rise and fall. Aircraft are treated in great detail, from the complex birth and gestation of the Boeing 747 to his stubborn defense of the de Havilland Comet. His lovingly hand-drawn maps and charts, one of his hallmarks, supplement the text with logic and clarity.
Davies held strong views on many things. On airline deregulation he recounts the collapse of the industry at a $23 billion cost. He predicted very early on that the supersonic transport was not viable. Showing an amazing grasp of European affairs, he gives the sometimes inane rationale behind the quarrels among France, Great Britain and their partners that delayed the Airbus A300 from reaching the market. His views are buttressed with facts, figures and direct quotes from the principal players.
Airlines of the Jet Age would be an ideal text for two years of study at a university. It’s supplemented with hundreds of photos, a good bibliography, a superb index and a brief and far too modest note about the author. And at $99.95 this book is not just a bargain, it is an investment. Snap it up for your library, since it’s sure to appreciate over time as Davies’ other books have done.
Ron and I were good friends, in part because I had selected him to be the Lindbergh Scholar at NASM, and in part because we shared interests beyond the world of aviation. He never ceased to amaze me with the span of his talents. Ron was an excellent woodworker who built beautiful furniture. He was an expert on jazz, and owned a connoisseur’s collection of records. He established his own publishing house, Paladwr Press, guiding it successfully for years and putting out little gems of books that other publishers would have passed over. He reveled in the fact that he had spent six years in the British army, including landing in Normandy, while never rising above the rank of private. Yet from his memoir of his one year of service in Iceland, it’s evident that he was indeed a good soldier, if one with a broader than usual perspective on service life.
Perhaps best of all, Ron was at heart a fine, loving family man with a great sense of humor. He will be missed, but his work will live on.
Originally published in the March 2012 issue of Aviation History. To subscribe, click here.
