In a story that spans the entire twenties century, CONQUERORS OF THE SKY begins at a crucial moment in the history of flight - the death of aerospace giant Adrian Van Ness. Three men are forced to reflect on his monumental change and its effect on the lives of everyone the world over. At the beginning of the century, flight was seen as a spiritual ascent, and Frank Buchanan fell in love with planes. New York aristocrat Adrian Van Ness has a similar experience in England. The two men meet in the makeshift offices of Depression-battered Buchanan Aircraft in 1930, where Adrian's business genius and Frank's visions of ever-swifter, sleeker planes form a precarious alliance. Their partnership leads them into the thick of the corrupt connections between plane makers and politicians. As the heartbreak of seeing great planes scuttled by dirty political deals ruins one man's hope, it allows the other to make a decision that will forever change him.