http://blog.oup.com/2012/12/samuel-johnson-human-flight/ Academic insights for the thinking world. Fri, 24 May 2013 00:55:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://blog.oup.com/2012/12/samuel-johnson-human-flight/#comment-341884 Kathryn Sutherland Sun, 13 Jan 2013 09:26:21 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=32698#comment-341884 This is a fascinating article, Tom. Johnson died just ten years before the prophecy in Rasselas came true: 'the pendent spectator' surveying 'the fields of battle'. In France a company of Revolutionary Aeronauts (Compagnie des Aerostiers) was formed in Year 2 of the Revolutionary Calendar (1794) and saw service at the Battle of Fleurus, where a balloon kept overhead observation for nine hours. The Compagnie were also deployed for reconnaissance and defence at Maubeuge and before Charleroi. The exercise was so successful after Fleurus that balloons were used for a short while on a regular military basis. The service was continued for several years (until Year 7). Eventually there were two Compagnies des Aerostiers (attached to the Armee de Sambre-et-Meuse and the Armee du Rhin). (A reference for this snippet of information is John Paxton, Companion to the French Revolution, 1988). This is a fascinating article, Tom. Johnson died just ten years before the prophecy in Rasselas came true: ‘the pendent spectator’ surveying ‘the fields of battle’. In France a company of Revolutionary Aeronauts (Compagnie des Aerostiers) was formed in Year 2 of the Revolutionary Calendar (1794) and saw service at the Battle of Fleurus, where a balloon kept overhead observation for nine hours. The Compagnie were also deployed for reconnaissance and defence at Maubeuge and before Charleroi. The exercise was so successful after Fleurus that balloons were used for a short while on a regular military basis. The service was continued for several years (until Year 7). Eventually there were two Compagnies des Aerostiers (attached to the Armee de Sambre-et-Meuse and the Armee du Rhin). (A reference for this snippet of information is John Paxton, Companion to the French Revolution, 1988).

]]> http://blog.oup.com/2012/12/samuel-johnson-human-flight/#comment-325867 William Flesch Mon, 17 Dec 2012 17:41:39 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=32698#comment-325867 This is great. It makes me think that Johnson might also have Paradise Regained in mind, where Satan gives Jesus the more-than-bird's-eye-view of the four corners of the Earth that Johnson also would be wanting in order to see China and Peru simultaneously. And it brings the wonderful balloons in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy to mind as well. (And of course there's Jules Verne and Mark Twain.) This is great. It makes me think that Johnson might also have Paradise Regained in mind, where Satan gives Jesus the more-than-bird’s-eye-view of the four corners of the Earth that Johnson also would be wanting in order to see China and Peru simultaneously. And it brings the wonderful balloons in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy to mind as well. (And of course there’s Jules Verne and Mark Twain.)

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