Contents -- Introduction: The Logic of the Air -- 1 - The Americanization of the Airplane -- 2 - Good Neighbors Are Close Neighbors -- 3 - Global Visions, National Interests -- 4 - "America's Lifeline to Africa" -- 5 - From Open Door to Open Sky -- 6 - Mass Air Travel and the Routes of the Cold War -- 7 - The Jet Age and the Limits of American Power -- Conclusion: "Empires Rise and Empires Fall" -- Sources and Abbreviations -- Notes -- Acknowledgements -- Index.