Chasing the Wind: The Autobiography of Steve Fossett

By Steve Fossett

Book Overview

As a world record holder in ballooning, speed sailing, and aviation, Steve Fossett was the pinnacle of extreme sporting achievements. His adventurous spirit continually inspired his fellow competitors... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1852272341
• ISBN13: 9781852272340
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Virgin Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.2" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Where Angels Fear

"I always meant to invite Steve to one of our luncheon meetings." And with that, my friend who lives across the street from the Fossett residence loaned me this book to read. Being a retired fighter pilot and airline captain, my fellow club member referred to Steve Fossett's fatal plane crash in that almost clinically detached way people do who gamble with the high risks and experience the high personal rewards. As I write this review, I keep looking at the book's cover. It is a close-up of Steve standing by the Global Flyer, the plane he flew solo around the world. He is dressed in a white "Right Stuff' looking flight suit. But the round face, thinning hair and cherubic smile on this 63 year old face seems incongruous for an adventurer with a list of "firsts' that runs for pages. This book stuffs you into the cramped cockpits of airplanes and the windswept decks of unimaginably big and fast sailboats. You and Steve are suspended in the cold thin upper atmosphere in a gas balloon or soaring to great heights and speeds in a high tech glider. He was looking forward to sharing with us his next adventure, a deep submersible trip miles down into the Marianas Trench. Published scarcely a year before his untimely death in rugged mountainous terrain, the epilogue he wrote is all the more poignant: "There are places yet to be explored and important records to be broken." Perhaps because I know my friend has spoken with her since his death, it is Steve Fossett's wife Peggy's words, at the very beginning of the book that stick with me the most. "Do I worry? Well, of course I do, something might be wrong with our marriage if I didn't...I am proud to be his wife, supporter and a member of his crew." And this reviewer regrets Steve never made it to our luncheon. COMPUTER BRAIN MOLASBA

A motivated person to achieve

An incredible person whose ambition is to do it better than anyone else and to break records. Almost anything in life that Fossett set out to do he has done. I wish there were more Fossetts around. Good read. David Bingham

A wild and bumpy ride by Ralph Sheese

"Chasing the Wind" is a great opportunity to see what today's technology and the stubborn determination to succeed can acoumplish for Steve Fossett. Here is the story of Steve fossett and the loyal support of his wife Peggy, through their adventures and achievements of life. Each event of his collection of conquests is archestrated by his age an strength. His great achievement, in my opinion, is his ability to convince a team of dogs to sucessfully complete the Idenorod dogsled race, and then at another time, adjust his body in such a way as to be able to fly around the world in record time, without any sleep. Buy this book, read it, and then give it to the local library in your town!

Chasing the Wind

This is a fantastic read for all age levels. I couldn't put the book down and I really got the feeling that I was along for the ride in all of Steve's adventures. He's the greatest adventurous alive today. I especially liked that you got to know all about Steve's life and that gave me a feeling about the man before I started reading about his exciting and dangerous adventures. I can't believe he swam the English Chanel at 45. That's amazing! I think this book could make several movies. It needs to be in all libraries across the nation to inspire children and adults to seek their dreams and believe that anything is possible. It's a great read.

Chasing His Dreams

"Chasing The Wind" is an amazing autobiography. One of the most heart pounding Adventure / True Story ever told in our modern era. By Chasing the Wind, Steve Fossett is chasing his dreams, The Records Book :"Round the World" in flying, sailing and ballooning. Those thought we can only dare to dream...As he's living it passionately. This is like Jules Verne meeting with Jonathan Livingston the Seagull ( by Richard Bach ). To do so, not only Steve have to overcome many fears, many obstacles ; He also has to overcome the fierce force of nature. He did all that by digging deep inside in a very human & spiritual way : methodical & knowledges, preparation & perseverance, Leadership & Team Works ; For Him, there's no barrier of self-limitation in any how, only with a much calculate risks & learning from his mistake and from others expertises. He's not fighting against the nature, but working with it. The nature became his allies not enemies. He's doesn't see obstacles, but challenges. And that is very inspiring. Steve Fossett is our modern hero. He has raising the bar of human capacity, endurance & endearing dreams. And he's the only who can jump over it. Highly recommend this book. There are somes humorous passages that will make you feel like you were in the back seat. So enjoy the ride of a life time.