Bird Dream: Adventures at the Extremes of Human Flight
Product ID: 17306401
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PEN / ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing (2015 LONGLIST) “[P]erversely entertaining... In a truly intoxicating read that was hard to put down, Matt Higgins has managed to make real a world about as far removed from daily life as it gets.” -- Daily Beast "Matt Higgins cracks open this astonishingly dangerous sport and captures the spectacular adrenaline surges it delivers." -- The Wall Street Journal "[R]iveting... a must-read. A highflying, electrifying story." -- Kirkus (STARRED) A heart-stopping narrative of risk and courage, Bird Dream tells the story of the remarkable men and women who pioneered the latest advances in aerial exploration—from skydiving to BASE jumping to wingsuit flying—and made history with their daring. By the end of the twentieth century BASE jumping was the most dangerous of all the extreme sports, with thrill-seeking jumpers parachuting from bridges, mountains, radio towers, and even skyscrapers. Despite numerous fatalities and legal skirmishes, BASE jumpers like Jeb Corliss of California thought they had discovered the ultimate rush. But all this changed for Corliss in 1999, when, high in the mountains of northern Italy, he and other jumpers watched in wonder as a stranger—wearing a cunning new jumpsuit featuring “wings” between the arms and legs—leaped from a ledge and then actually flew from the vertiginous cliffs. Drawing on intimate access to Corliss and other top pilots from around the globe, Bird Dream tracks the evolution of the wingsuit movement through the larger than life characters who, in an age of viral video, forced the sport onto the world stage. Their exploits—which entranced millions of fans along the way—defied imagination. They were flying; not like the Wright brothers, but the way we do in our dreams. Some dared to dream of going further yet, to a day when a wingsuit pilot might fly, and land, all without a parachute. A growing number of wingsuit pilots began plotting ways in which a human being might leap from the sky and land. A half dozen groups around the world were dedicated to this quest for a “wingsuit landing,” conjuring the pursuit of nations that once inspired the race to first summit Everest. Given his fame as a stuntman, the brash, publicity-hungry Corliss remained the popular favorite to claim the first landing. Yet Bird Dream also tracks the path of another man, Gary Connery—a forty-two-year-old Englishman—who was quietly plotting to beat Corliss at his own game. Accompanied by an international cast of wingsuit devotees—including a Finnish magician, a parachute tester from Brazil, an Australian computer programmer, a gruff hang-gliding champion-turned-aeronautical engineer, a French skydiving champion, and a South African costume designer—Corliss and Connery raced to leap into the unknown, a contest that would lead to triumph for one and nearly cost the other his life. Based on five years of firsthand reporting and original interviews, Bird Dream is the work of journalist Matt Higgins, who traveled the world alongside these extraordinary men and women as they jumped and flew in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Offering a behind-the-scenes take on some of the most spectacular and disastrous events of the wingsuit movement, Higgins’s Bird Dream is a riveting, adrenaline-fueled adventure at the very edge of human experience. Review: Breathtaking and thrilling - Who are these guys who dream of flying and what compels them to defy death in their pursuit of that dream? Are they crazy and irresponsible or dedicated admirable athletes? These questions went around in my head as I read Bird Dream and tried to figure out what makes these guys tick. Technically and psychologically well researched, Bird Dream is a breathtaking adventure, intense and dramatic of two men, Jeb Corliss and Gary Connery, who race against each other to be the first to fly in a wingsuit and land without a parachute. Along the way we learn about the adrenaline fueled subculture of BASE jumpers and wingsuit flyers from all over the world and witness both the gritty and the sublime of the sport, from death and bodily destruction to majestic soaring through natural landscapes. The author's research enlightens and his detailed, almost poetic descriptions make this an immensely readable book on many levels. Thoroughly enjoyable, highly recommended to anyone who loves rip roaring thrills and/or a thought provoking study of what inspires great dreams. Review: Good read - But somewhat repetitious...in describing the flight scenarios and the people doing the flying. Way too much ink spent on entitled nimrod Jeb Corliss.
| Best Sellers Rank | #8,199,383 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #579 in Extreme Sports (Books) #1,325 in Expeditions & Discoveries World History (Books) #7,092 in Sports Biographies (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 64 Reviews |
P**Y
Breathtaking and thrilling
Who are these guys who dream of flying and what compels them to defy death in their pursuit of that dream? Are they crazy and irresponsible or dedicated admirable athletes? These questions went around in my head as I read Bird Dream and tried to figure out what makes these guys tick. Technically and psychologically well researched, Bird Dream is a breathtaking adventure, intense and dramatic of two men, Jeb Corliss and Gary Connery, who race against each other to be the first to fly in a wingsuit and land without a parachute. Along the way we learn about the adrenaline fueled subculture of BASE jumpers and wingsuit flyers from all over the world and witness both the gritty and the sublime of the sport, from death and bodily destruction to majestic soaring through natural landscapes. The author's research enlightens and his detailed, almost poetic descriptions make this an immensely readable book on many levels. Thoroughly enjoyable, highly recommended to anyone who loves rip roaring thrills and/or a thought provoking study of what inspires great dreams.
S**S
Good read
But somewhat repetitious...in describing the flight scenarios and the people doing the flying. Way too much ink spent on entitled nimrod Jeb Corliss.
M**S
A GREAT READ. CHOOSE BIRD DREAMS AS MY SUMMER READ ...
A GREAT READ. CHOOSE BIRD DREAMS AS MY SUMMER READ AND WAS QUICKLY DRAWN INTO THE WORLD OF BASE JUMPERS, AND WINGSUIT PILOTS. THE AUTHOR, MATT HIGGINS IS A GREAT STORY TELLER. HIS ABILITY TO TO EXPLAIN THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THIS EXTREME SPORT, INTRODUCING THE READER TO THE MEMBERS OF THIS SELECT COMMUNITY AND WHAT MAKES THEM "TICK" AND THEN TAKING YOU TO THE EDGE OF A MOUNTAIN IN SOME FAR AWAY PLACE ANXIOUSLY AWAITING ANOTHER FLIGHT. THAN THE AUTHOR DREW ME INTO THE SUSPENSE OF THE QUEST TO LAND WITHOUT A PARACHUTE, I KEPT READING ON CHEERING ON A FELLOW AMERICAN WHILE ADMIRING THE BRIT'S EFFORTS. BIRD DREAMS IS A GREAT READ, A STORY I NEEDED TO FINISH BUT SAD THAT STORY HAD COME TO AN END. HIGGINS WRITING STYLE MAKES FOR AN EASY AND ENJOYABLE READ AND I WILL DEFINETLY KEEP HIM ON MY READING LIST
J**P
Adrenalin Junkies
After a too-long and somewhat boring introduction, this book got pretty interesting. I read it not because I want to be a BASE jumper or fly in a wingsuit, but because I always wonder about the people who do want to do things like this, the adrenalin junkies of the world. This book follows the history of wingsuits, and to a lesser extent, BASE jumping. More interesting to me are the bits about some of the key players in the sport. And I got that, but not to the extent I would have liked. I also got quite a bit about sewing wingsuits, and glide ratios, and technicalities that I found midly interesting, but not in so much detail. The men and, to a lesser extent, women who jump are interesting characters, lots of nerve, a certain amount of ego and hubris, and a bit of selfishness that costs their families. The writing was solid, nothing spectacular, and the book is a good one to be read by those interested in trying the sport. And by those, like I am, who have no intention of jumping off a perfectly good structure or out of a well-functioning aircraft, but who like a little bit of vicarious living.
E**R
Thrilling story and fantastic writing!
I loved this book! The subjects of skydiving, BASE jumping and wing suit flying are inherently thrilling; but the combination of this thrilling topic, fascinating characters, and Higgins' impeccable skill as a writer make this book a must read!
T**T
Five Stars
Son said it was really good read, with good info for a paper he was writing on the subject.
A**R
Fantastic subject matter about extreme people living on the edge
Fantastic subject matter about extreme people living on the edge. Well written and informative without being overly judgmental about the psychology behind these people
M**T
I really enjoyed reading this book about the beginning of wingsuits
I really enjoyed reading this book about the beginning of wingsuits, BASE jumping and the race to land a wingsuit without a parachute. It was well written and the characters were interesting. I would recommend it to anyone who has a taste for adventure.
A**R
Highly recommended if you like your head in the clouds
If you're interested in flying, BASE jumping, or just people pushing the limits to progress a sport then this is a well written, fascinating and thoroughly absorbing book. Highly recommended, it's definitely a book that I'll be reading more than once.
M**R
Three Stars
Very mediocre for this genre.
A**S
really good read would highly recommend to anyone interested in wingsuiting
really good read would highly recommend to anyone interested in wingsuiting, It was one of them books that I couldn't put down and was a interesting read throughout.
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