Santos Dumont and the Conquest of the Air

When Ambassador Alcidia Napoleon wrote this book almost half a century ago, he was rendering a great service both to the history of mankind and to Brazil. The fact is that human beings forget easily the good examples that become more and more distant as time goes by. To that indifference we must add the fact that the exploits of our ancestors, wrapped in a quaintly unpretentious, have a tendency to underestimate their own merit. Thus the only interest of all kinds of external signs, which appear on the pages of this book. The way the history of aerial navigation would have turned out at the beginning is a clear proof of the presence of interested parties.

In face of historical documents, there is no way of questioning the great significance of Alberto Santos Dumont’s achievements. To some who refused to accept the true facts, we say: «It is preferable to modify the opinion of the future, which ought not to be kept uniformed of the true causes of human conquests.

We are glad – in truth, the success of our last appeal – that very Brazilian appellants, on the points of view of the minions, which he was forced to write in a strange land, may now be able to be more so well on the quickness of mind of the orthotic from our back-lands; and the capacity of our historian on extraordinary occasions: to raise the material that is scattered in the annals and to offer it to the reader.

In this book the author brings to light with solidity of mind and honesty lines facts long since buried in the archives; by the writing mentioned above. For this record, the Instituto Histórico-Cultural da Aeronáutica must oven allow this respect, the Institut. For this reason, we greet this re-edition.

Maj. STM – Ten. Brig.
DEOCLECIÃO LIMA DE SIQUEIRA
President of the Instituto Histórico-Cultural da Aeronáutica