Preview
  • Anthony Fokker

  • The Flying Dutchman Who Shaped American Aviation
  • By: Marc Dierikx
  • Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
  • Length: 16 hrs and 5 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (20 ratings)

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Anthony Fokker

By: Marc Dierikx
Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
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Publisher's summary

Comprehensive biography of Anthony Fokker, the famed Dutch pilot and daredevil aviator

Anthony Fokker: The Flying Dutchman Who Shaped American Aviation tells the larger-than-life true story of maverick pilot and aircraft manufacturer Anthony Fokker. Fokker came from an affluent Dutch family and developed a gift for tinkering with mechanics. Despite not receiving a traditional education, he stumbled his way into aviation as a young stunt pilot in Germany in 1910. He survived a series of spectacular airplane crashes and rose to fame within a few years. A combination of industrial espionage, luck, and deception then propelled him to become Germany's leading aircraft manufacturer during World War I, making him a multimillionaire by his mid-20s.

When the German Revolution swept the country in 1918 and 1919, Fokker made a spectacular escape to the United States. He set up business in New York and New Jersey in 1921, and shortly thereafter became the world's largest aircraft manufacturer. The US Army and Navy acquired his machines, and his factories equipped legendary carriers such as Pan American and TWA at the dawn of commercial air transport.

Yet despite his astounding success, his empire collapsed in the late 1920s after a series of ill-conceived business decisions and deeply upsetting personal dramas. In 1927, aviator Richard Byrd solicited a Fokker three-engine plane to be the first to fly non-stop across the Atlantic. The plane was damaged on a test flight and Charles Lindbergh beat him to it. Lindbergh's solo adventure in the Spirit of St. Louis earned him - and cost Fokker - a lasting place in the history books.

Using previously undiscovered records and primary sources, Marc Dierikx traces Fokker's extraordinary life and celebrates his spectacular achievements.

©2018 Marc Dierikx (P)2018 Recorded Books
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What listeners say about Anthony Fokker

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Excellent book about historical aviator

Having heard of Fokker planes my whole life, it was very interesting to get the full story. What an interesting man!

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If you like aviation or history in general you need to listen

Interesting for aviation history buffs. A tad dry but interesting none the less. Some of the flying stories were interesting. Glad I spent the 15+ hours listening

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Ruler of the skies

A very good telling of Fokker. Nice detail of his private life but light on his technology innovation. A fantastic narrator helps the story move. Needs more details on his aircraft development process, but worth a read or a listen.

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