purple plum press

“Here I was with less than an hour of instruction, about to take off on my solo flight. There was nothing else to do. I was totally committed to success or disaster.”

On February 17, 1933, Newsweek magazine published its very first issue. Thomas J.C. Martyn had envisioned a national weekly news magazine for a decade and had worked to accomplish that goal with the tireless zeal and dedication of a true entrepreneur. What kind of man has the vision, creativity and dedication to accomplish such a big dream? Aviation Adventures contains some answers to that question.

Nineteen years earlier, when World War One broke out in 1914, Martyn was a bright eyed 18 year old, full of romantic and patriotic ideas. He joined the British Royal Air Corps, an elite fighting organization that garnered the respect of an entire nation. The air battles he participated in, the respect he earned from his commanding officers and fellow pilots and his behind-the-scenes contributions reveal the character of the man and journalist who would go on to found Newsweek.

Aviation Adventures: The True Story of A Royal Air Corps Pilot Who Became Newsweek’s Founder is Martyn’s personal account of how he was able to wrangle a much coveted acceptance into the Royal Flying Corps. It then details the bombing raids and other contributions he made to the war effort.

Written in the detailed and colorful language of the journalist Martyn was to become, Aviation Adventures provides an up close and personal look at one man’s World War One wartime experience.