It'll Never Work: Planes and Helicopters An Accidental History of Inventions

Have you ever wondered what made human beings think they could take to the skies? Starting with Icarus and his wax and feather wings and Leonardo Da Vinci's Flying Machine and primitive helicopter know as the Aerial Screw, It'll Never Work: Aeroplanes and Helicopters explores the history of flying machines, the successes and failures that have led to the comforts of modern passenger flight that we know today.

Each title in this exciting, high-interest series looks at a different area of technology and engineering and reveals the pioneering ideas and scientific thinking that enabled its development, as well as exposing those that proved to be a dead end. Each spread examines a particular example in depth, bringing in other similar ideas where relevant, and revealing that experimentation and failure often pave the way to technology success. Beautifully designed and illustrated with infographic-style artwork, this series is an excellent technology resource for readers aged 9 and up.

Jon Richards is an award-winning author of non-fiction books for children. He specialises in visual literacy, infographics and data visualisation.