{"product_id":"the-big-hop-the-first-flight-across-the-atlantic-and-the-ordinary-heroes-who-risked-their-lives-for-it-by-david-rooney","title":"The Big Hop: The first flight across the Atlantic and the ordinary heroes who risked their lives for it by David Rooney","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA non-stop flight across the Atlantic might seem routine today. But it is only possible because of those who went first. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNewfoundland, 1919.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBuffeted by winds, an unwieldy aircraft – made mainly from wood and stiff linen – struggled to take off from the North American island’s rocky slopes. Cramped side by side in its open cockpit were two men, freezing cold and barely able to move, but resolute. They had a dream: to be the first in human history to fly, non-stop, across the Atlantic Ocean.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut there were three other teams competing against them, and as the waves raged a few miles below, memories of wartime crashes resurfaced . . .\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMining letters, diaries and evocative unpublished photographs, David Rooney’s deeply researched account of this audacious contest shows how it was the airmen’s thrilling wartime experiences that ultimately led them to the ‘Big Hop’, and brought old friends together for one more daring adventure. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003ePaperback | Publication: 11 Jun 2026, Vintage\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9781529967128 | Extent: 336 pages\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"David's Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57368227971454,"sku":null,"price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/0892\/5225\/files\/9781529967128.jpg?v=1777983378","url":"https:\/\/www.davids-bookshops.co.uk\/products\/the-big-hop-the-first-flight-across-the-atlantic-and-the-ordinary-heroes-who-risked-their-lives-for-it-by-david-rooney","provider":"David's Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}