Chasing the Wind - The Autobiography of Steve Fossett
Author: Steve Fossett with Will Hasley
Hardcover, 23 excellent color and black and white photos, 259
pages, Copyright 2006
Dimensions: 6.0 x 9.4 x 1.14 inches
(153 x 240 x 29 mm)
Front Cover
Inside Front Cover
Table of Contents 1
Table of Contents 2
Inside Back Cover
Back Cover
‘The greatest adventurer alive.’ - Sir
Richard Branson
Overview (from inside front cover)
As a world-record holder in ballooning, sailing and aviation, Steve
Fossett has left an unprecedented mark on the history of extreme
sporting and human endurance achievement. He was the first to
balloon across the continents of Asia, Africa, Europe and across South
America and the seas of the South Atlantic, South Pacific, and Indian
Ocean, also becoming, in 2002, the first solo balloonist to fly around
the world. In March 2005, he succeeded in completing the first
solo, nonstop circumnavigation of the world as the pilot of the
Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. With two additional flights in
February and March 2006, he broke the Absolute Distance Record and the
Absolute Closed Circuit Distance Record.
Yet Fossett doesn't limit his exploits to
the jetstream. He is perhaps the most successful speed sailor in
the history of sailing, setting Outright World Records among which are
the illustrious Round the World, Transatlantic and Indian Ocean records.
As an endurance competitor, Fossett has completed sports events that
include the Iditarod, Ironman Triathlon and the English Channel swim and
has climbed the highest mountain peaks on six of the seven continents.
Fossett's achievements have attracted the
curiosity of the world. What makes someone give up the lucrative
ownership of a Chicago financial trading company for the romantic,
thrilling, yet dangerous world of adventure? How did it feel to be
one against the elements? How did he respond when the winds of
fate turned against him, when critical technological instrumentation
failed?
Reliving the excitement, setbacks,
thrills, unwavering determination and the near-death experiences of
these challenges, Chasing the Wing delivers a dynamic,
action-packed and inspirational memoir that answers these questions.
Sharing stories from his early family life, his wildly successful career
on the American financial exchanges, and how his friends and heroes have
emboldened him to achieve his goals; Steve candidly recounts the
milestones, challenges, defeats and victories that have comprised his
much-heralded career as the world's foremost adventurer and that paved
the way to setting a remarkable 115 world records.
About the Authors (from inside
back cover)
Pilot, balloonist, yachtsman and endurance sportsman, American Steve
Fossett has set numerous sailing and aviation records (with the broadest
possible range of flying machines), and is one of the world's most
accomplished modern adventurers. He was the pilot of the Virgin
Atlantic GlobalFlyer.
Will Hasley is a movie and TV
scriptwriter as well as a published author. He lives and works in
Los Angeles.
Review by Paul Remde
I am a big fan of Steve Fossett. I have closely followed many of
his record breaking endeavors over the years. I met him briefly at
the Soaring Society of America convention in February of 2005 just a few
weeks before he made the first nonstop around the world flight in the
Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. He impressed me as a very
friendly and down-to-earth person. I've also been pleased to sell
a few soaring instruments to his team over the years - shipped to New
Zealand and Argentina.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his
early life as an Eagle Scout and his business career and especially
liked reading about his adventures related to endurance swimming,
sled-dog racing, mountain climbing, yachting, ballooning, and flying
airplanes and gliders. He has an extremely adventurous spirit and
a "can do" attitude that I admire. While I have no desire to climb
mountains or go around the world in a balloon, I enjoyed reading the
entire book. Upon first opening the
book I was a bit disappointed to find that there are no chapters
dedicated to soaring and no photographs of gliders. In recent
years he has obtained many world soaring records. Thankfully,
there are about 7 pages in the beginning of the last chapter dedicated
to his soaring adventures. The section gives a good overview of
his adventures setting world soaring records in gliders with Terry
Delore and flying with Einar Enevoldson going for high altitude flights
with the Perlan Project.
After the book was published he and Einar
Enevoldson set a new world altitude record in gliders of 50,671 feet
(15,447 m). I feel that all
cross-country glider pilots have a bit of adventurous spirit in us.
I certainly felt like an "adventurer" while doing my first long distance
cross-country soaring flights and while going after state soaring
records. I found the book to be very motivational. It has
rekindled my desire to do long, memorable and record setting soaring
flights. Links
www.stevefossett.com/
www.stevefossett.com/html/main_pages/records.html - List of records
by Steve Fossett
www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/10/31/fossett/ - Interesting CNN interview in
which he states that gliders are his greatest passion.
www.perlanproject.com/
www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/ |
