Leslie Gardiner

Leslie Gardiner's Lunardi recounts the life of Vincenzo Lunardi, born in Lucca (Italy), who achieved renown when he was in the Neapolitan ambassador's service and successfully flew a Charlière (hydrogen gas-filled) balloon on 15 September 1784 in England, becoming the first man to ascend in a balloon in England (though James Tytler preceded his flight in Scotland, becoming the first aeronaut in Great Britain). Gardiner draws upon a variety of historical sources, including Lunardi's own writing and that of his contemporaries, most notably the Balloon Intelligence section of several newspapers, which covered the work of pioneering aeronauts. Gardiner fictionalizes in parts, in order to fill in the gaps in the historical record and to add drama to his narrative. While this work may not meet the standards of modern academic history, it remains one of the only biographies of Vincenzo Lunardi and is sure to lead readers on a journey of study into the early history of flight. Among Gardiner's most impressive feats is his ability to recreate, through fictionalized history, the world of the late eighteenth century, much like the work of Patrick O'Brian.… (more)