Smithsonian AIR & SPACE, Centennial Edition, 100 YEARS of FLIGHT, March, 2003, chose PENDULUM as one of only 14 books (of Hundreds of works) recommended to its readers. See: http://www.glennhcurtiss.com/id18.htm . Also, both PENDULUM and its authors WALDO: Pioneer Aviator are now offered at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC. PENDULUM IIThe Story of Americas Three Aviation Pioneers: Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright, and Glenn Curtiss, The Henry Ford of Aviation - IncludingHow The Partnership of Alexander Graham Bell and Glenn Hammond Curtiss Led to the Founding of The American Aviation Industry.In this, the 100th YEAR of FLIGHT, Jack Carpenters acclaimed 1992 PENDULUM - the only book telling a multi-sided story - was among the select few recommended by the Smithsonians AIR & SPACE Centennial Edition, March, 2003. This sold-out best-seller is the foundation for PENDULUM II with its amazing, never-before-told story of one of the most important but least known chapters in American history.Improved and 25% larger - in its 520 archival-quality pages PENDULUM II tells the whole story with all the players in this epic tale of flights beginnings. You will read in this unique chronologically and interwoven story and view in its hundreds of archival photographs and exhibits - what actually happened with the Wrights, Glenn Curtiss including Alexander Graham Bells hitherto unknown pivotal role - with Henry Ford, Tom Edison, Octave Chanute and many others on the sidelines. The result of over two decades research and a 135-work selected bibliography, PENDULUM II focuses upon (1), a semi-secret Agreement made between the Smithsonian and Orville Wrights heirs, and (2), a volcanic, historically important letter written by Gilbert M. Grosvenor, National Geographics chairman (and Bells great-grandson), to the author - which changes everything. Nowhere else are the facts - hidden for almost a century - of this so misunderstood and misstated story revealed as in PENDULUM II. Comment:The Wrights and Curtiss were innovators by nature, with strikingly similar parsonage upbringing, education and backgrounds.On 17Dec1903, Wilbur (not Orville) Wright was first to fly in wing-warping-controlled flight.For all intents and purposes, in 1905 the Wrights stopped inventing while attempting (emulating Bell''s experience) to create a worldwide Air Trust monopoly.The Wrights first offered their invention (in writing) to a foreign country (Britain) and made their first contract with a foreign country (France; March, 1908).Arguably fewer than fifty people between 1903 and 1908 had seen the Wrights fly; their extreme secrecy kept America (and the world) ignorant of flight.On 1October1907, Glenn Curtiss (Americas top manufacturer of record-breaking motorcycles) joined the Aerial Experiment Association partnering with Alexander Graham Bell, Tom Selfridge, John McCurdy and Frederick Baldwin to get into the air.On July 4, 1908, in the first publicly advertised flight in America, Curtiss flies the A.E.A.s aileron-controlled, V8-powered June Bug before a crowd of notables and spectators.Two months later, on September 3rd, Orville Wright makes his first public flight.In August, 1909, while Orville Wright was negotiating in Berlin, Curtiss was the sole American at the world''s first air-meet at Reims, France (he beat Bleriot to win the coveted Gordon Bennett Cup). And a few months later (Oct1909), when Wilbur was teaching America''s first military aviators, Orville was in Berlin teaching some of Germanys first pilots and giving the Kaisers son his first flight.Curtiss awarded American F.A.I. Aviator License No. 1, the Wrights Nos. 4 & 5. In Europe Curtiss was No. 2 (Bleriot No. 1), the Wrights Nos. 14 and 15.In 1914, at North Island, the Armys only flight school, 8-of-14 Wright-trained pilots were killed. A design disaster and too often a killer 1915 saw the last Wright aeroplane.Octave Chanute and George Spratt, described by Orville as "our most intimate associates in those early years," along with most in aviation then, became their enemies.Bell, Tom Baldwin, McCurdy, Post, Chambers, Ellyson, Hunsaker, Robinson, Towers, Manly, Richardson, Verville...were lifelong friends of Curtiss.In WW1 Curtisss Buffalo, NY, aircraft factory was the largest in the world. In 1929, Curtiss, Americas largest (and oldest) aircraft manufacturer, merges with Wright (primarily then an engine manufacturer). In WW2 Curtiss-Wright was Americas No. 2 defense contractor (GM-1, Ford-3).