RaveThe New York Times Book ReviewCaptivating, thoroughly researched ... Gwynne spins a rich tale of technology, daring and folly that transcends its putative subject. Like any good popular history, it’s also a portrait of an age — in this case, the age of an empire on the brink of decline. At the center of Gwynne’s narrative is a brisk, tightly focused account of R101’s first and final voyage, which keeps the pages turning even as he zooms out to tell a larger story of airships and imperial dreams.
William Finnegan
RaveThe Washington Post...Barbarian Days transcends its putative subject. Elegantly written and structured, it’s a riveting adventure story, an intellectual autobiography, and a restless, searching meditation on love, friendship and family.
