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First Air Voyage in the United States: The Story of Jean-Pierre Blanchard
Alexandra Wallner
Alexandra Wallner
Recounts the voyage of an eighteenth-century French aeronaut by hot air balloon from Philadelphia to Woodbury, New Jersey, in 1793.
pp. Hardcover - Youth (nonfiction)
Lighter than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot
Matthew Clark Smith ; illustrated by Matt Tavares
Matthew Clark Smith ; illustrated by Matt Tavares
Behold, the story of Sophie Blanchard, an extraordinary woman who is largely forgotten despite her claim to being the very first female pilot in history. In eighteenth-century France, "balloonomania" has fiercely gripped the nation, but all of the pioneering aeronauts are men. The job of breaking that barrier falls to a most unlikely figure: a shy girl from a seaside village who is entirely devoted to her dream of flight.
Stay tuned as the Athenaeum celebrates ballooning history in January 2026 as part of 52 Weeks of Firsts
39 pp. Hardcover - Youth (nonfiction)
