Birdmen, Batmen and Skyflyers

Book Review: Birdmen, Batmen and Skyflyers
By Michael Abrams
Audience: Young Adult and up

When most of us think of flying, we think of riding in airplanes. A few imaginative people have tried a very different approach, though: wings attached to an individual who would then hurl himself from a precipice or tall building, or jump from an airplane. It sounds like a recipe for disaster, and for many people it was.
Who were these people? How and why did they pursue their wild dreams? What happened to them? Author Michael Abrams tells their stories, and amazing tales they are. Read about John Damian, who made himself wings with bird feathers and jumped from Stirling Castle in 1507:

“Beating the air with all his might, he soared through the sky and headed south for many miles before gliding across the channel and…no, no, my mistake. It was the ground below that he headed for…”

Frenchman Leo Valentin and American Clem Sohn were among those who had better luck, for a while at least. Perhaps most astounding, Abrams relates that thanks to modern materials and engineering, gliding through the air with a pair of wings attached has become a relatively popular sport. To call it a safe sport might still be pushing it a bit, but you can decide for yourself. Read all about it in Birdmen, Batmen and Skyflyers. Find a copy in the New Books section of the Young Adult Room on the lower level of the library.

Gail Hintze
Young Adult and Information Services