The Concorde Story
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Author: Christopher Orlebar
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-84908-163-4
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 248
The Concorde story is a fascinating one in civil aviation, one which still captures the attention of aviation enthusiasts even today. This is made apparent in this latest release from Osprey Publishing. The Concorde Story was originally published in 1986 as a celebration of ten years of operational service, and this release marks the seventh edition. Quite a bit has happened in the history of the Concorde since that first edition in 1986, including the retirement of the fleet in 2003. This edition has been updated to include this new information, making it a very complete history of the Concorde.
The book begins with an overview of supersonic flight and the background leading up to a supersonic passenger aircraft. The Concorde was more than just a supersonic aircraft, though, it also was the result of an unheralded cooperation between Britain and France. Ultimately it was that cooperation that saw the Concorde succeed where so many other supersonic transport concepts failed. Following these developmental and construction chapters, the book delves into the operations of the Concorde, including a detailed description of a single flight. Of course, no discussion of the Concorde would be complete without a look at the tragedy in France, when the Concorde experienced its first crash. The book covers that in excellent detail, as well as the final days of the Concorde and the ultimate disposition of the aircraft.
Throughout the book, the pages are filled with plenty of photos and drawings, showing the Concorde from all possible angles. A series of appendices cover information including dimensions, flight crews, and a chronology. Overall, this is a very well written text that does the Concorde justice. My thanks to Osprey Publishing for the review copy.