Home › Aviation › Dictatorship of the Air
  • Dictatorship of the Air by Scott W. Palmer book cover
  • Dictatorship of the Air by Scott W. Palmer book cover
1 2

Dictatorship of the Air

by Scott W. Palmer

Be the first to review this book

Aviation, industrial ambition, and power in twentieth-century Russia

$43.64 USD
$51.35 USD $43.64 USD
Save 15%

Paperback New English

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.
Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

AlbakiReads Editorial

Aviation, industrial ambition, and power in twentieth-century Russia

Scott W. Palmer traces Russian and Soviet aviation from the arrival of powered flight in 1909 through the USSR’s 1945 victory over Hitler. The book treats aircraft not only as machines or military tools, but as public symbols of industrial advancement and national standing. Against the visible culture of celebrated pilots, long-distance records, and enormous planes, it examines the conditions that shaped aviation development: state-led modernization, reliance on Western technology, cultural xenophobia, and uneven industrial capacity. The central question—what made Russian aviation distinctly “Russian”—anchors a history that connects technological ambition with the political and cultural pressures surrounding it.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in Russian and Soviet history
  • Aviation-history readers seeking political and industrial context
  • Those interested in technology as a symbol of state power

Themes

Russian and Soviet aviationIndustrial modernizationTechnology and national powerDependence on Western technologyState-directed development

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Focusing on one of the last untold chapters in the history of human flight, Dictatorship of the Air is the first book to explain the true story behind twentieth-century Russia's quest for aviation prominence. Based on nearly a decade of scholarly research, but written with general readers in mind, this is the only account to answer the question "What is 'Russian' about Russian aviation?" From the 1909 arrival of machine-powered flight in the "land of the tsars" to the USSR's victory over Hitler in 1945, Dictatorship of the Air describes why the airplane became the preeminent symbol of industrial progress and international power for generations of Russian statesmen and citizens, The book reveals how, behind a facade of daredevil pilots, record-setting flights, and gargantuan airplanes, Russia's long-standing legacies of industrial backwardness, cultural xenophobia, and state-directed modernization prolonged the nation's dependence on western technology and ultimately ensured the USSR's demise.
Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews

You may also like

View all