John W. R. Taylor (1922–1999)

This book really does have it all.
Many, many line drawings and full-color illustrations, encyclopedic text.
A one-volume resource for all things aeronautic up to 1970.

(Used for a presentation to 5th graders.)

From the description of the Index (p.11):
This index does more than tell us what is where in the earlier sections of the Lore of Flight. Its more than 1,550 entries supplement the main text and illustrations with detailed explanations and added facts whihch make the Index itself a unique and valuable work of reference.
Important military aircraft are shown in colour, as are the symbols of the world's leading civil airlines. Other entries detail the major airports of the world and show the pattern of their runways.
Chronologies outline milestones in the flying history of many nations, and pay tribute to the men and women who pioneered aviation in every corner of the Earth.
Many of the photographs are unique; they come from th the personal files of leading air historians of many countries, and some have never before been published.… (mer)