A Leap from the Clouds by Jerry Kuntz

A Leap from the Clouds by Jerry Kuntz

In the late nineteenth century, circus aerialists collaborated with show balloonists to perform death-defying stunts, initially by suspending themselves from trapeze bars beneath a balloon, later by jumping from the balloons using fabric parachutes. By the 1890s, these performances became a worldwide craze, remaining in rural fairs and fetes for decades. Many of the original balloon-parachute pioneers went on to play key roles in the creation of airships, test flying the first gliders and airplanes. Based on extensive historical research, this unusual account explores how a nineteenth-century daredevil act united with the desire to achieve human flight. These performers' contributions did not come without a price: dozens, if not hundreds, of people died in horrifying events witnessed by thousands of spectators. This book chronicles the act that had no practical purpose other than entertainment, which eventually evolved into the development of the free-fall parachute pack--a key aviation need--and the foundation of a new activity known as skydiving.

Jerry Kuntz is a librarian and writer residing in the Hudson Valley, New York. He has authored and edited several works on the history of nineteenth-century science, technology, entertainment, and crime.

SKU	Nicht verfügbar
ISBN 13	9781476689609
ISBN 10	1476689601
Titel	A Leap from the Clouds
Autor	Jerry Kuntz
Buchzustand	Nicht verfügbar
Bindungsart	Paperback
Verlag	McFarland & Co Inc
Erscheinungsjahr	2022-08-05
Seitenanzahl	240
Hinweis auf dem Einband	Die Abbildung des Buches dient nur Illustrationszwecken, die tatsächliche Bindung, das Cover und die Auflage können sich davon unterscheiden.
Hinweis	Nicht verfügbar