In 1933, Chicago staged what was up to that time the most forward-looking international exhibition in history. The 1933 Century of Progress World’s Fair looked to the future as one full of glowing promise and no technology loomed larger at the Fair than aviation. In Broken Icarus, author David Hanna tracks the inspiring trajectory of aviation leading up to and through the World’s Fair of 1933, as well as the field of flight’s more sinister ties to fascism domestic and abroad to present a unique history that is both riveting and revelatory.

David Hanna
Raised on the coast of Maine, David Hanna currently teaches history at Stuyvesant High School in New York. He is a recipient of the New York Times “Teachers Make a Difference Award” and the University of Chicago’s “Outstanding Educator Award.” Along with his new book: on the 1933 World’s Fair, Hanna is the author of two previous books, Rendezvous with Death: The Americans Who Joined the Foreign Legion in 1914 to Fight for France and for Civilization and Knights of the Sea: The True Story of the Boxer and the Enterprise and the War of 1812. Hanna is a member of the American Historical Association and has been a featured speaker at the Smithsonian and the Museum of Science & Industry.