New Book Celebrates the History of Lunken Airfield

Feb. 13, 2012 - PRLog -- New from Arcadia Publishing’s Images of Aviation series is Lunken Airfield by local authors Stephan Johnson and Cheryl Bauer. This pictorial history boasts a stunning collection of vintage images and memories of days gone by.

Lunken Airfield flew headlong into the golden age of aviation in the 1920s. World War I veterans became gutsy barnstormers who had only roads and railroad tracks as navigational landmarks. They gave way to courageous pilots who flew airmail, as well as record makers who flew for the joie de vivre and fame under conditions fraught with danger.

These flyers gave way to aircraft engineers and designers who would craft the next generation of planes. Pilots were seduced by the allure of international recognition and wealth, as well as the feeling of freedom experienced in the air. Along the way, they assumed the status of movie stars.

On any given day, anyone from a spectator to a mechanic might hobnob with Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Roscoe Turner, or Jimmy Doolittle, who routinely flew in and out of Lunken. Over the decades, Lunken has undergone many changes, but today, as it approaches its centennial, planes still take off and land daily, and crowds still flock to special events.

Join the Authors for a Book Signing & Panel Discussion!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
7:00 p.m.
Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati

Highlights of Lunken Airfield include:
•   In 1930, Lunken was the largest municipal airport in the nation, and the fourth largest municipal airport in the world.
•   Jimmy Doolittle, who most people remember as a courageous World War II general, started out as a barnstormer and stunt pilot, thrilling Lunken crowds with his aerobatics and daredevil racing.
•   Edmund P. Lunken, whose father and grandfather had the idea for the airport, emerged as one of the most exciting air racers of the late 1940s, challenging racing legends like Paul Manz and placing in the famous Bendix race in 1947 and 1948.

Stephan Johnson and Cheryl Bauer sifted through archival materials from historical societies and personal collections to discover dozens of exciting never-before-published images of people and events at Lunken. Their most recent collaboration was Madeira from Arcadia’s popular Images of America series.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com.

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With more than 7,500 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.