Books

[mknutson]

The following books will be moved to http://www.blincmagazine.com/reviews/
Please do not edit this page to add any books.

Books: The following books are either about BASE or they contain information that can make you a better BASE jumper.

Book of BASE

Matt Gerdes; (July, 2010):
http://www.base-book.com/ Coming in July 2010, The Great Book of BASE is the most complete, informative, and entertaining book ever published on the sport of BASE jumping.
If you are interested in BASE jumping, or want to learn more about this amazing sport, then you must own this book.
If you already are a BASE jumper, then the Great Book of BASE will be an invaluable reference and a source of stories, tips, and wisdom.
More than 270 pages of photos and information cover everything from BASE Ethics to Aerodynamics, all presented in a casual but informative format.

Confession of an Idiot

Chris 'Douggs' McDougall (MONTH 2010):
Confession of an idiot
http://www.basedreams.com
Confessions of an Idiot
a colourful tale of a life in freefall

'Douggs. He's the kind of insane that pushes the species forward and helps us evolve in new and unique ways.
Think of how crazy the first squirrel was that thought it could fly'
- Jeb Corliss
A glimpse into a life less ordinary, from one of the world's most prolific BASE jumpers and infamous party animals, 'Confessions of an Idiot' gives an insight into the world of hyper extreme sports where death lurks at every corner.
Douggs faces the challenge armed with a case of beer, a wry sense of humour and an attitude that catches the authorities flat-footed.

BASE 66

Jevto Dedijer; ISBN: 0595335101; (November 4, 2004):
BASE 66 is the true, nerve-wracking account of three young skydivers and their quest for membership in the most select extreme sports club on earth: The BASE club. In order to become a full-fledged member, Jevto Dedijer, Bernard Poirier, and Scott Elder had to parachute from the top of a building, an antenna tower, a bridge and a cliff, and survive to tell the story-a feat only some 800 adrenaline addicted people have succeeded in doing.

In BASE 66, Jevto Dedijer tells the tale of his hunger for the ultimate adrenaline rush. He and his companions shared several near death experiences while traveling across Europe with their parachutes and beer in Bernard's dented Renault 4.
They were pioneers in a sport so dangerous that several of their fellow BASE jumpers died in action.

Groundrush

Simon Jakeman. Jonathan Cape; ISBN: 0099232618; (July 1993):

The first book ever published about BASE jumping.
If you know more about this book, please leave a comment.

Gorilla Monsoon

John Long; ISBN: 093464103X; Falcon; (January 1, 1989):

A collection of short stories by adventurer John Long, only one of which is about BASE and also available on BASE WIKI. Nonetheless it’s an interesting book and certainly worth a read. Description from the book itself…

From Borneo and Yosemite, Baffin Island and Venezuela, John Long has experienced a world of adventure travel unusual for its intensity. A legendary performer from the world of rock climbing, he has tangled with deeply secluded and watery jungle caves, remote thawing iceflows, and solo climbs high over a desert hungry for his failure. In addition, Long has come to know a class of adventurers as avid as himself and been privy to record their stories. Wild and fresh, these adventures are written in a style as powerful, decisive, and engaging as Long himself.

The Parachute Manual, Volume I and II

Dan Poynter;

Volume I

;

The Parachute Manual, Volume I, by Dan Poynter. Covers all parachutes through 1984 plus historical information, "round" canopies and US military parachutes.

The Parachute Manual, A Technical Treatise on Aerodynamic Decelerators by Dan Poynter covers everything there is to know about the parachute: Packing, rigging, alterations, design, repairs, materials, regulations, manufacture, specifications, loft layout, rigging tools, all the personnel parachute assemblies and parts with change notices and much, much more. The Manual, known as the Bible to parachute riggers everywhere, is in use by all branches of the US Armed Services, the Forest Service and many foreign governments.

Volume II

;

The Parachute Manual, Volume II, by Dan Poynter. Covers all parachute since 1985 plus more on "square" ram-air canopies, sport piggyback harness/container systems, new materials and construction techniques.

The Parachute Manual, A Technical Treatise on Aerodynamic Decelerators by Dan Poynter covers everything there is to know about the parachute: Packing, rigging, alterations, design, repairs, materials, regulations, manufacture, specifications, loft layout, rigging tools, all the personnel parachute assemblies and parts with change notices and much, much more. The Manual, known as the Bible to parachute riggers everywhere, is in use by all branches of the US Armed Services, the Forest Service and many foreign governments.

Understanding the Sky

Dennis Pagen; Sport Aviation Publications; ISBN: 0936310103; (February 1992):
Buy this book. Read it, then keep it. You’ll want to read it again when you have around 100 BASE jumps, and then again around 500 jumps. Each time, it will become more useful.

Album of Fluid Motion

Milton Van Dyke; Parabolic Press, Inc.; ISBN: 0915760037; (May 1982):
The most valuable picture book I’ve read. You may not understand why it matters at first, but once you start jumping cliffs and buildings in wind, the basic concepts in this book become invaluable. Don’t worry about the technical jargon-just look at the pictures.

Being Extreme:

Thrills and Dangers in the World of High-Risk Sports; Bill Gutman, Shawn Frederick.; ISBN: 0806523530; Citadel Press (November, 2002):
Review and description from Amazon: Most books about high risk, adventure sports seem to focus on a single individual adventure. For this reason, Being Extreme was not only a pleasant surprise, but a highly informative book that gathers athletes from a number of these often death-defying pursuits under one roof to talk about their lives and their sports. To learn about sports such as BASE jumping, sky diving, big wave surfing, freestyle motocross, freestyle skiing and snowboarding, and mountain climbing into the “death zone” was both interesting and compelling. It was made even more fascinating by having the thrills and dangers of each sport described by the athletes themselves. The authors allow the reader to see these athletes as real people who seemingly have a different perspective on life than most of us. The book gets into the “why” of these sports and athletes many times over and will give readers a total understanding of the men and women who put their lives on the line every time they climb, jump, surf, or take up a new challenge. This is a book about sports that are increasing in popularity and one I would highly recommend for both its style and substance.

Alpine Climbing: Techniques to Take You Higher

Mark Houston, Kathy Cosley; Mountaineers Books; ISBN: 0898867495; (November, 2004):

Useful mostly if you plan on doing remote jumps involving alpine climbs. However, contains an excellent first chapter about risk theory that is easily applicable to BASE jumping too.


Todo, refactor and include:

The big umbrella: The history of the parachute from Da Vinci to Apollo

; (Unknown Binding)
Reissued as ‘The Silken Canopy’ by Airlife Publishing in the UK in 1997. Also check out “The Sky People” by Peter Hearn.



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