::: The Bookmark - News from Farcountry Press

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

from your friends at Farcountry Press

These mountain goats in Glacier National Park appear to be picking out a Christmas tree! This one seems to taste just right. Photo appears in Mountain Goats of Glacier National Park, by Sumio Harada. Click HERE for more information.

Ever heard of Cromwell Dixon? He is one of the most remarkable and tragic figures in aviation history, a boy inventor who piloted the world’s first planes.

Learn more about Dixon by downloading a FREE chapter from Cromwell Dixon: A Boy and His Plane by Martin J. Kidston.

What people are saying about Cromwell Dixon:

“Cromwell Dixon’s tragically short life story is a tale of pure courage and skill that biographer Kidston handles with fondness, empathy, and a historian's reverence for detail.”

—Tom Harpole, Smithsonian Air and Space magazine

Back row, left to right: Kathy Springmeyer, Jessica Solberg, Shirley Machonis. Middle row, left to right: Suzan Glosser, Nancy MacBride, Kelli Street. Front row, left to right: Eric Hanson, Linda Netschert, Theresa Rush, Sue Johnson.

Contest Winner!

Tony Bynum correctly identified Clements Mountain in Glacier National Park in last month’s Bookmark. Tony generously donated his book to the library in East Glacier, Montana. Thanks to everyone who sent in a guess! Watch for more giveaways in January!

Martin Kidston

FCP: What makes Dixon such an important figure, not only in aviation but in American history?

MK: His place in American history is probably more significant than his place in general aviation, though he was certainly a daredevil pilot at a young age. On the national scene, he was among the first dirigible pilots to convert to flying aeroplanes in 1911, and he did so at the young age of 19, making him the youngest licensed pilot in the country at the time. After earning the 43rd pilot's license ever issued, he set out to demonstrate the power of the Glenn Curtiss Pusher by flying the Pusher at fairs in rural western towns. In Helena, Montana, he took up the challenge to fly over the Continental Divide. Back then, few believed an aeroplane could be flown at such elevations. He accomplished the task, becoming the first to cross the Rocky Mountains by air.

FCP: What was the most surprising thing you learned about Dixon?

MK: Up until a few years ago I, like many others, had never heard of Cromwell Dixon. I was surprised by his mechanical ability at such a young age. He built a roller coaster in his mother's back yard, for example, and supposedly wired her house for electricity. He studied newspapers and scientific magazines as a boy, scrutinizing the designs used by other dirigible pilots. While so many people talk about their dreams and let them pass, he pursued them. With his mother's help, he made them real. He didn't seem to have any fear, and if he did he rarely showed it, despite the dangers of flying in the sport's early days. He accomplished a lot before his death in 1911. It broke his mother's heart.

FCP: What is the message you hope readers take from the book?

MK: To me, the book is more than a story about flying. It's about family support and following through with your dreams, no matter how farfetched they may be, or what kind of setbacks you encounter along the way. Dixon's story is full of setbacks and mishaps, including fires, crashes, and comments that he was too young and too small to be a successful pilot. He overcame all of that and did what he wanted to do.

Save the Date

Click HERE to view the many book signings going on this month in Montana, Texas, and Virginia.

In January... more free stuff, some new year resolutions, and a few new books. Its going to be a great new year, so keep us bookmarked!

We have enjoyed all the feedback! If you have anything you would like to share related to Farcountry Press or have feedback for us, please send us an email at [email protected].