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The Big Hop
- Author
- David Rooney
- Narrator
- Jeremy Clyde
- Publisher
- Vintage Publishing
- Publish Date
- 12 June 2025
- Run Time
- 10 hours 16 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
A non-stop flight across the Atlantic might seem routine today. But it is only possible because of those who went first.
Newfoundland, 1919. Buffeted by winds, an unwieldy aircraft struggled to take to the air. Cramped side by side in its open cockpit were two men, freezing cold, but resolute. They had a dream: to be the first in human history to fly, non-stop, across the Atlantic Ocean. But there were three other teams competing against them . . .
The young aviators who would get off the ground had already defied death many times during World War One. David Rooney’s evocative and deeply researched account shows how it was their thrilling wartime experiences that ultimately led them to the ‘Big Hop’, and brought old friends together for one more daring adventure.
These Atlantic pioneers weren’t scientists or upper-class officers. They were ordinary men, risking their lives in the name of progress, who ultimately ushered in the age of global connection in which we live now.
'Capturing not only the perils faced by the intrepid airmen who attempted the flight, but also their humanity' JOHN LANCASTER, author of The Great Air Race
'Fabulous ... Works on every level, balancing technological know-how with superb characterisation’ JACKY HYAMS, author of Hurricane: The Plane that Won the War
© David Rooney 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
Critics Review
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'One of the most astonishing moments in aviation history finally gets its due in The Big Hop, a vivid and utterly compelling account of the 1919 contest to cross the Atlantic by plane. David Rooney is an expert storyteller with a big heart, capturing not only the perils faced by the intrepid airmen who attempted the flight, but also their humanity'
John Lancaster, author of The Great Air Race
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‘The Big Hop is a fabulous book. It works on every level, balancing technological know-how with superb characterisation. A gripping read.’
Jacky Hyams, author of Hurricane
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'Enchanting ... Blends biography and scientific history in nimble measure. ... [A] very fine book'
Unseen Histories
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“I haven’t been so under the spell of a book about dangerous journeys since reading David Grann’s spectacular The Wager … Rooney comes into his own as a master of suspense … a sure-footed combination of technical detail, lively characterisation and artful narrative structure that keeps the tension going until the final pages … a splendid book'
Literary Review
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[An] excellent book…[The Big Hop] consists of colourful biographical sketches of the aviators who took part in the competition and thrilling accounts of their efforts
Daily Mail
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The Big Hop is a delectable serving of escapist nostalgia, a heroic adventure story perfect for a time when genuine heroes are few… [a] wonderful book… [and] a joy to read
The Times, *Book of the Week*
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Rooney’s previous book was also nonfiction, but The Big Hop reminded me of a John Buchan novel. Rooney has Buchan’s knack for acute imagery and for spare, compelling action scenes… There may be some risk of air sickness reading Rooney– but there is no danger of boredom
Observer
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The Big Hop brings some unsung heroes to centre stage… recounted by Rooney with page-turning panache
Times Literary Supplement
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The Big Hop is a glorious romp through an overlooked part of aviation history, stuffed full of intriguing characters and white-knuckle courage
Sunday Times, *Summer Reads of 2025*
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'Riveting … The Big Hop restores the 1919 achievement of those two young men, Alcock and Brown, to their rightful place in aviation history'
Wall Street Journal
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- David Rooney
- Narrator
- Jeremy Clyde
- Duration
- 10 hours 16 minutes
- Release Date
- 12 June 2025
- ISBN
- 9781529947274
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Vintage Publishing
- Genre
- Social and cultural history, Impact of science and technology on society, Aerospace and aviation technology, Aircraft and aviation, Biography: science, technology and medicine, Biography: adventurers and explorers
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin. A non-stop flight across the Atlantic might seem routine today. But it is only possible because of those who went first.Newfoundland, 1919. Buffeted by winds, an unwieldy aircraft struggled to take to the air. Cramped side by side in its open cockpit were two men, freezing cold, but resolute. They had a dream: to be the first in human history to fly, non-stop, across the Atlantic Ocean. But there were three other teams competing against them . . .The young aviators who would get off the ground had already defied death many times during World War One. David Rooney’s evocative and deeply researched account shows how it was their thrilling wartime experiences that ultimately led them to the ‘Big Hop’, and brought old friends together for one more daring adventure.These Atlantic pioneers weren’t scientists or upper-class officers. They were ordinary men, risking their lives in the name of progress, who ultimately ushered in the age of global connection in which we live now.'Capturing not only the perils faced by the intrepid airmen who attempted the flight, but also their humanity' JOHN LANCASTER, author of The Great Air Race'Fabulous ... Works on every level, balancing technological know-how with superb characterisation’ JACKY HYAMS, author of Hurricane: The Plane that Won the War© David Rooney 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
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