- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Coronet Books; New edition edition (23 Jun 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0340819332
- ISBN-13: 978-0340819333
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
1,191,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #19 in Books > Science & Nature > Earth Sciences & Geography > Meteorology > Atmosphere
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Review
"- 'A fascinating and exhilarating read, both for thrill-seeking balloonists and the earthbound alike' - Sir Richard Branson - 'Expert, beginner or vertigo sufferer, this is entertainment of the highest calibre' - Bertrand Piccard (joint first successful non-stop circumnavigator of the world in a balloon) - 'The Man Who Touched The Sky is written with such liveliness and fluency... has an impact that gets close to the actual experience. Truly exciting, this book is a triumph' - New Scientist - 'Enthralling and astonishing... The main narrative is thoughtfully interlaced with the history of our relationship with the sky, encompassing Greek mythology and NASA science, lending more weight to an already excellent read' - Stephen Torsi (Borders), The Bookseller - 'A ripping yarn of the most heroically vintage Boy's Own variety... This book has it all' - Focus - 'Breathtaking... beautiful, emotional and devoutly humbling. The very best of reading.' - The North Wales Chronicle - 'Both zealous and absorbing' - Georgraphical magazine
The North Wales Chronicle
'Breathtaking . . . beautiful, emotional and devoutly humbling. The very best of reading.'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A well-written and intriguing mix of adventure story, history, and popular science. In addition to gripping descriptions of Joe Kittinger's extraordinary achievements in high altitude balooning, this short but detailed book presents fascinating, tragic, and occasionally comic episodes in the histories of balooning and parachuting, as well as a summary of ancient and modern theories about the nature of the sky and the development of scientific thought about the heavens. A very good read. No prior interest in ballooning is necessary.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
What a wonderful book! It is one of my favorite books of all time. Johnny Acton tells the thrilling, suspenseful story of the first man to journey above the earth's atmosphere. This spellbinding central story is surrounded by an astonishing array of fascinating, enlightening information on science, outer space and balloon flight, all told in an accessible, extremely compelling manner. It makes you marvel at mankind's achievements and courage. The writing is superb -- eloquent, masterful, straight forward and, at times, poetically beautiful. I have told all my friends about this book and would strongly recommend it to anyone.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I enjoyed this book tremendously. It is suspenseful, gripping, moving and informative. Johnny Acton has masterfully assembled an astonishing array of facts about ballooning, space, and science and wrapped them in a spellbinding story about one of the bravest pilots in history -- the first man to journey beyond earth's atmosphere to the edge of outer space. The writing is superb -- easy to understand while being effortlessly elegant and poetically evocative. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Balloons and parachutes
A work colleague passed this book to me. He found it hidden away on a library bookshelf. The type of book that gets borrowed once a year but is a little gem. Read more
Published on 29 Sep 2007 by Alf
This is what it claims to be...
I have read many, many books about aviation, particularly the more 'energetic' areas (fast-jet combat, WWII aces, X-15, Apollo program etc) and was given this book as a present by... Read more
Published on 29 July 2007 by AggroTheAnalyst
Not as advertised..!
Don't be fooled, you are not buying a book about Kittinger, the first 50+ pages are about the history of ballooning in general, the detail about the Kittinger missions which... Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2003 by Tim Perkins
A fine mix of adventure story, history and popular science
Acton delivers a brisk, well-written history of ballooning, focusing on the extraordinary achievements of Joe Kittinger, a US Air Force pilot who, in 1960, ascended in a balloon... Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2002 by J. Cantor
UPLIFTING!
The incredible story of one man's lonely voyage to the edge of space is set against the backdrop of humankind's relationship with all things above, from the earliest theories of... Read more
Published on 18 Sep 2002
Biography, history or what?
I bought this book as I have an interest in the early space programme and was aware of Joe Kittinger's contribution to the early days of space exploration through high-altitude... Read more
Published on 13 Sep 2002 by Paul J Bramley
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