The book, The Complete Encyclopedia Of Flight 1848-1939 is the first of a three-part series on the incredible story of aviation.  “The Complete Encyclopedia Of Flight 1848-1939” reviews in detail over one hundred famous airplanes dating from the early days of flight up through the start of World War II.  This book begins with a review of arguably one of the most controversial questions in aviation history.  Who were the “original fathers of flight”.  Following this is a discussion of the earliest aviation pioneers that evokes the thrill when an entirely new technology is created.  The main body of “The Complete Encyclopedia Of Flight 1848-1939”, highlights in detail the development and production of each civil or military aircraft being reviewed.  Full technical and performance specifications are also included for every aircraft.  The main sections of “The Complete Encyclopedia Of Flight 1848-1939” are as follows: 1) Introduction; 2) Individual Aircraft Sections and 3) Index.  In addition to an informative narrative, “The Complete Encyclopedia Of Flight 1848-1939” includes the following features: 1) Approximately 85 black and white photographs; 2) 10 color photographs; 3) About 96 black and white or single color illustrations; 4) Approximately 206 color illustrations and 5) 3 maps.  “The Complete Encyclopedia Of Flight 1848-1939” is highly recommended to aircraft enthusiasts and to those interested in early aviation history. This book is 301 pages and is in excellent condition.  The author is Malcolm V. Lowe with John Batchelor (illustrations).  Edition published in 2004.