This fascinating biography explores the life and achievements of Alfred W. Lawson, the inventor of the airliner. From his early years as a professional baseball player to his groundbreaking work in aviation, Lawson was a true visionary and pioneer. Featuring vintage photographs and rare documents, this book offers a unique perspective on a remarkable man and his contributions to modern transportation. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Exploring these early years of aviation, Joseph Corn describes the fascinating, and often bizarre, plans for the future of manned flight and brings back to life the famous and lesser-known aviators who became American heroes.

Alfred W. Lawson (1869–1954) was a professional baseball player, inventor of the airliner, leader of a movement in the 1930s calling for the abolition of banks and interest, and founder of a utopian community, the so-called Des Moines University of Lawsonomy. This unusual institution, constantly embroiled in controversy in the 1940s and early 1950s, was dedicated not only to teaching Lawson’s novel religious and scientific ideas but also to initiating a reform of human nature.