For a fantastic bio of him and a good overview of the beginnings of aviation, read Wings of Madness, by Paul Hoffman [0]. A really fun read not only with techni

For a fantastic bio of him and a good overview of the beginnings of aviation, read Wings of Madness, by Paul Hoffman [0]. A really fun read not only with technical details but also a lot about the personalities of the people of the time. It must have been a blast to see Santos-Dumont "parking" his dirigible in Paris when he went to restaurants and cafés. BTW if you ever go to Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil, you can visit his summer home. There's also a replica of the 14-bis in the city. [0] http://www.amazon.com/Wings-Madness-Alberto-Santos-Dumont-Invention/dp/B000FVHJ94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431564055&sr=8-1&keywords=wings+of+madness http://www.amazon.com/Wings-Madness-Alberto-Santos-Dumont-In...