The wind in the flippers
I too baught a copy of this book, (having heard everybody raving about it), but must admit I just couldn't get along with it at all.
Probably having had a scientific education, I just didn't trust Langewiesche's self-taught empiricalist approach. Empiricalism is perfectly good when there is nothing else available, as in the early years of a new science, (up until about 1920 in the case of aviation). But I'm sure there would have been better texts even in 1944.
Langewiesche struck me as one of those people who will learn the basics of something (with difficulty) and then write a book about it, including in it a lot of his own ideas that probably would not stand up to close scrutiny.
Hence, I feared that somewhere in this book would be some aviation equivalents of 'Phlogiston', the non-existent substance that 18th Century scientists believed was released when any combustible matter was burned, but which was later proved not to exist.
Now about 'Wind in the Willows' I am in total agreement. Splendid text! Everyone should read it!
Broomstick.