The Dragonflies: The Story of Helicopters and Autogiros, 1919-1970

“The dream of flight is as old as the mind of man...”
So begins Robert Jackson’s incredible book on the history of helicopters.

It’s an epic tale that begins in the 4th Century B.C. and travels to ancient Greek physicists and great thinkers like Da Vinci. With dreams of fantastical flying machines that either soared magnificently or crashed to the ground, designs evolved throughout the centuries until, finally, the helicopter’s potential was finally recognized by the military. In combat, the helicopter's story goes from the early dreams of flight to daring searches and rescue missions…

Complex and compelling, The Dragonflies explores man’s relationship with flight in the most extraordinary, revealing way.

Robert Jackson was born in 1941 in the North Yorkshire village of Melsonby. A former pilot and navigation instructor, his active involvement with aviation lasted many years. Following his retirement from the RAFVR in 1977 as a squadron leader, he has written more than forty nonfiction works on military affairs.