North American Aviation: The Rise and Fall of an Aerospace Giant

by Jon Boyd and John Casey

This is the true account of one of America's greatest aircraft producers, North American Aviation (NAA): its rise and its fall. It is the story primarily of the two men who were its only chief executive officers while it held that name: James H. "Dutch" Kindelberger and Lee Atwood. A lot of history came and went to influence decisions that were made, but Kindelberger essentially oversaw North American's rise, and Atwood oversaw its fall. The real reasons why this happened or was allowed to happen may never be known; however, many other people were involved in the process, and some of them share their perspectives in this book about NAA.

Along the way we hope to gain perspective on why things happened the way they did. We also want to share some anecdotes about the people, the airplanes, and what both did. What they achieved and what they represent in our imaginations is the stuff of legend.

In the process of telling our story we also hope all of our readers--aviation buffs, historians and future CEOs--gain an insight into the effort, rewards, and pitfalls that are out there on the path to achieving great things.

Hard cover keepsake $19.95