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Leary, William M. , Jr : The Dragon's Wings: The China National Aviation Corporation and the Development of Commercial Aviation in China

University of Georgia Press, Athens,, 1976

ISBN 0820303666

Xiv, [2], 279 pages, plates, cloth, DJ, very good. Former owner's address label on front blank endpaper. From the DJ: "The China National Aviation Corporation played a significant role in the history of China. Originally a partnership between the Chinese government and the Curtiss-Wright Corporation, the airline became of the Pan American Airways empire in 1933. Surmounting massive technical problems, CNAC established the first air routes in China, connecting the commercial center of Shanghai with Canton, Peking, and the cities along the Yangtze River. Following the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war in 1937, CNAC remained China's sole means of speedy communication with the outside world. Operating conditions were extremely hazardous because the airline was forced to fly under the worst possible circumstances to avoid Japanese attack. Before America's entry into the Pacific War, CNAC pioneered the famous route over the Hump between China and India. The airline later became involved in the Chinese Civil War and frequently operated as a paramilitary adjunct of the Chinese Air Force. William Leary's research combines history with personal drama to reconstruct an important chapter in the early years of aviation. In addition to obtaining access to the records of Pan American Airways and interviewing many individuals associated with the airline, Leary has done intensive research In American governmental archives, the Hoover institution, and libraries throughout the United States. His history of the CNAC, besides providing an example of Western business enterprise in the East, offers insights into the history of modern China and sheds light on several aspects of Sino-american diplomatic relations. A number of previously unpublished photographs illustrate the book. This book won the 1973 History Manuscript Award of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. ", Very Good in Very Good- dust jacket

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