"The Dream Machine"

The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey (Richard Whittle)

Pretty much exactly what it says: The definitive history of the V-22, starting with a lengthy introduction outlaying the concept of a "dream machine" - an aircraft that can take off like a helicopter but fly as fast as a plane. My only issues with the book were that this introduction goes on a little long; I understand the author is setting the table for the Osprey to appear by talking about autogyros and failed attempts at tilt-rotor planes, but it can drag a little, and the biographies some people get feel pointless (does it matter that the Osprey's chief designer wore loud Hawaiian shirts?). Other than that, I found the book very interesting, and quite harrowing during the Osprey crashes. I don't know if I can recommend this generally, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Grade: B+