Announced in 1912, the Schneider Trophy captivated both sides of the Atlantic with a series of glamorous air races between seaplanes held in Monaco, the Venice Lido, the Solent, or Chesapeake Bay. It pitted nation against nation, creating rivalries between aircraft designers—notably, Reginald Mitchell and Mario Castoldi. Recounting the two-decade history of the race, Jonathan Glancey also traces how this potent mix of engineering and politics led to the creation of the most potent military fighters of World War II.