The Hindenburg
Patrick O'Brien
Unknown Binding
(Scholastic, March 15, 2001)
A dramatic, vividly illustrated look at the tragic ship whose fiery crash ended the age of the dirigible.Like a fabulous silvery fish, floating quietly in the ocean of air ... it seemed to be coming from another world and to be returning there like a dream.On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg, the largest and fastest airship ever built, exploded in a tremendous ball of fire as it came to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey. It was one of the most spectacular disasters of the twentieth century, and in a single moment ended the era of the majestic dirigible airships.For thirty-seven years before the Hindenburg tragedy, the gigantic airships of the Zeppelin Company captivated the world as they carried thousands of passengers on luxurious transatlantic voyages. Some dreamed that the steerable, gas-filled "zeppelins," invented three years before the airplane, would fill the skies as the unrivaled way to travel over the ocean. That dream ended with the Hindenburg.Readers of all ages will enjoy this fascinating look at the Hindenburg and the magical age of the Zeppelin airships.