Ascending Republic

The book investigates the resurgence of interest in ballooning during 19th-century France, examining its links to the Franco-Prussian War and the rise of the Third Republic.

It explores how the French civil society cultivated enthusiasm for flight, appropriating it as a symbol of national pride.

The narrative encompasses the roles of republican savants, aristocrats, and the anxieties of colonial expansion.

This study reveals Paris as the global center of aeronautical culture, blending visions of patriotism, modernity, and technological cosmopolitanism.

It sheds light on the cultural and societal impacts of flight before the advent of airplanes.