Dictatorship of the Air

Scott W. Palmer is a specialist on the history of modern Russian culture and technology. A frequent traveler to the Russian Federation, he has conducted eight extended visits to Russian archives since 1994. His research has been supported by the American Council of Learned Societies, the United States Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, the Fulbright-Hays Program, the International Council for Research Exchange, and the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies.

Part I. Imperial Aviation, 1909–17: 1. The dawn of Russian aviation; 2. 'The air fleet is the strength of Russia'; Part II. The Origins and Institutions of Soviet Red Air Fleet, 1917–29: 3. Mandating 'red' aviation; 4. The images and institutions of Soviet air-mindedness; 5. Aeronautical iconography and political legitimacy; 6. Aviation in service to the state; Part III. Soviet Aviation in the Age of Stalin, 1929–45: 7. Aviation and Stalinist culture; 8. 'Higher, faster, farther!'; 9. Red Phoenix; Conclusion: Aviation culture and the fate of modern Russia.