FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK — iUniverse, Inc., has published JUST WIND, a non-fiction book that recounts the astonishing inside stories of two of the most dangerous and sophisticated long-distance ballooning voyages ever tried.
JUST WIND takes readers behind hangar doors to reveal the humor and frustrations, triumphs and tragedy of two dramatic high-altitude balloon expeditions, placing in context the high-stakes competition to be the first across the Atlantic Ocean, and then first around the world non-stop.
“For any reader awakened to the heady thrill of long-distance ballooning, this book is a must,” writes Malcolm W. Browne of The New York Times. “Bill Armstrong’s JUST WIND brilliantly chronicles two of ballooning’s magnificent failures. His insider’s perspective endows this book with rare technical details and insights into the sometimes bitter human conflicts that often characterize big-league ballooning.”
JUST WIND is “the definitive and detailed inside story of two aerial expeditions and the men and women behind those dreams … a book for those who care about expanding aerial frontiers and humans working to overcome challenges,” says Bob Downing of the Akron Beacon Journal.
"JUST WIND is a must read for any student of lighter-than-air flight for its historic value alone," says Glen Moyer, editor of BALLOONING magazine, calling it "a well-written, factual account of two remarkable ballooning expeditions" that "opens a window into the souls of these two adventurers."
"As an experienced balloonist himself, Bill Armstrong brings unique credentials to the telling of these sagas. He successfully combines a strong factual account of events with his personal observations on the motives and methods of those who sought to make ballooning history. JUST WIND fills an important gap in the chronicle of balloon history in America, and I highly recommend it,” says Eric Brothers, editor, Buoyant Flight.
Balloonists Tom Gatch in 1974 and Larry Newman in the early 1990s led ambitious projects that nearly earned them a place in aviation history. They both used pressurized balloons, a dangerous and sophisticated type of aircraft, and sought to harness the swift wind of the jet stream to carry them forward.
Independent and self-financed, Gatch ascended solo from Harrisburg, Pa. in 1974. Newman, by contrast, led the heavily financed and marketed Earthwinds project in the 1990s. JUST WIND portrays intriguing characters ranging from top corporate executives to Soviet cosmonauts, American astronauts, Hollywood celebrities, small-town contractors and nomadic adventurers. The unlikely events unfold—and unravel—from Los Angeles to Moscow, and high above the Nevada desert.
Read excerpts from both stories
About the author
William G. Armstrong Jr., an award-winning writer and editor, served as spokesman for Col. Gatch and then two decades later for Newman. A former vice president and director of the Balloon Federation of America; president of The Lighter-Than-Air Society; president of the Balloon Flyers of Akron, and founding director of the Northeast Ohio Balloon Pilots Association, he owns a distance record in gas ballooning. He lives in Greenwich, Conn.
JUST WIND is available through iUniverse.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, Waldenbooks.com and from selected bookstores. Ask for JUST WIND, ISBN 0-595-28705-0. $23.95. 364 pages. The book may also be ordered toll-free by calling 877-823-9235.
Media Contact:
Sound Communications / 9 Madeline Ave. / Westport, Conn. 06880
Phone: (203)682-4583