What is the main message of Falling Upwards?

The main message of Falling Upwards is that we can learn and grow from embracing the challenges and failures in our lives.

How long does it take to read Falling Upwards?

The reading time for Falling Upwards varies depending on the reader's pace. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Who is the author of Falling Upwards?

The author of Falling Upwards is Richard Holmes.

Science

Falling Upwards Book Summary - Falling Upwards Book explained in key points

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Falling Upwards summary

Name: Falling Upwards
Rating: 4.1 (14 reviews)
Author: Richard Holmes

Richard Holmes

How We Took to The Air

4.1 (14 ratings)

19 mins

Brief summary

Falling Upwards by Richard Holmes is a historical non-fiction book exploring the pioneers of hot-air balloon flights in the 19th century, their ambitions, struggles and impact in shaping modern science and society.

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Change & Evolution Alternative Perspectives

Table of Contents

Falling Upwards
Summary of 8 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 8

What’s in it for me? Take a breath of that high, clear air and be inspired.

These days, it’s not unusual for people to board an airplane and take to the sky. The food may be bland and the legroom limited, but flying from one place to another is otherwise pretty uncomplicated.

However, humanity’s first experiments with flight were more than complicated; they were life-threatening. Balloons and balloonist were on the cutting edge. It was the early days of modern scientific discovery, and the voyages of these captains of the skies often resulted in death.

The history of ballooning is an inspiring one. Sure, these days you’re more likely to associate hot-air balloons with the Pixar movie Up or with slightly eccentric hobbyists than with real adventure or feats of daring. But in their heyday, balloons weren’t just inspirational in the abstract; they really impacted the world around them.

It’s even more incredible when you consider that the basics of balloon technology not only gave rise to new forms of literature, but enabled people to escape totalitarian regimes in the twentieth century. These blinks will help you find inspiration in a technology that has long been dismissed as irrelevant.

You’ll also learn

why you should name your balloon after an English queen;
which earthbound mode of transport killed off ballooning; and
what kind of hat to wear if you want to look like a nineteenth-century balloonist.

Ballooning is not for the faint of heart.

It there’s one characteristic still associated with ballooning, it’s eccentricity. After all, it’s hardly a common pastime. But piloting a hot-air balloon is by no means a whimsical whooshing amid the clouds. Getting airborne and flying off into the sky is risky, even to this day.

In 2008, a Brazilian priest and experienced balloonist, Father Adelir Antonio de Carli, had an idea. He wanted to raise money for the poor. His means were unconventional: ballooning for charity. He strapped himself into a chair lashed to hundreds of colored helium balloons and started his ascent.

At first, all went well. Father Adelir climbed to 19,000 feet. But then his GPS navigator failed and he lost radio contact. The wind drove him out to sea. A rescue party was dispatched, but to no avail. In July, the remains of Father Adelir's body were found floating about 100 kilometers off the Brazilian coast. In all likelihood, some of the helium balloons had burst at high altitude. Father Adelir would have descended gently to the ocean, where sharks swam waiting for him.

And, of course, what’s risky now was dangerous in the past, too. In fact, even Father Adelir’s charity balloon flight wasn’t the first of its kind. In 1875, Major John Money took to the skies in his balloon in England for the local Norwich and Norfolk hospital.

The major’s experience was similar to the priest’s. The launch was pitch-perfect. Once in the air, however, the balloon was caught by a gust and pulled out to sea.

Thankfully, however, Major Money survived. When the rapidly deflating balloon sank to sea level, he cut off the weighty basket and hoisted himself into the balloon hoop. Like a modern day kite surfer, he was dragged through the water. Hours later, a rescue boat found him. Needless to say, the donations to the hospital were substantial.

Balloons can be used to make daring escapes, though sometimes multiple attempts are needed.

The sheer simplicity of a hot-air balloon’s design means that even the most enthusiastic amateur can build one. That’s especially true if your motivation for flight is driven by a need to escape.

In 1978, two families living in the East German countryside attempted to escape to the West using a balloon. Peter Strelzyk and Günter Wetzel, both handymen, decided to attempt to construct their very own balloon in a hidden attic.

Shortly after they were invented, hot-air balloons enjoyed a brief period of military glory.

In 1783, the first successful hot-air balloon flew over Paris. It was manned by Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Francois Laurent d’Arlandes. And soon enough, the French realized that their balloons might also be useful as strategic military weapons.

In June of 1794, at the Battle of Fleurus, the French faced down a coalition of armies drawn from across Europe. A French balloon, piloted by Captain Charles Coutelle, ascended above the battlefield.

Sophie Blanchard delighted crowds in the early nineteenth century with her ballooning antics.

In their heyday, the popularity of balloons wasn’t limited to military affairs. In nineteenth century France, air balloons were used in aerial shows. Acrobats, for instance, performed daring parachute jumps, throwing themselves from balloon baskets.

Of all these performers, the bravest and most celebrated of all was a woman named Sophie Blanchard. She was born in the French port of La Rochelle, in 1778, and later encountered the famous balloonist Jean-Pierre Blanchard, whom she went on to marry.

The growth of the railways relegated ballooning to a purely recreational activity.

By 1830, balloons were no longer a novelty. And earlier hopes of global balloon navigation had been dashed.

At a stroke, the growth of railways put an end to that dream.

The romance of ballooning helped create the first science fiction of the modern era.

As the nineteenth century progressed, ballooning continued to capture the popular imagination.

Charles Green’s crossing of the English Channel, for instance, was an inspiration to many. Such feats of prowess even galvanized the creation of a new form of literature: science fiction.

In 1871, Paris was encircled by Prussian forces, and balloons gave hope to the besieged French.

We’ve already seen how balloons made escape from East Germany possible, but that wasn’t the first time such a daring escape had been made.

Over a century earlier, the French army in Paris found itself in a similar dilemma.

In the face of rapid technological advance, ballooning’s impending decline was clear.

By the end of the nineteenth century, it was plain that the impact of the industrial revolution was monumental. Technology had advanced rapidly, and it was obvious that powered flight would be the next great step for air travel.

For generations prior, people had tried to take to the skies by imitating birds. They’d affixed wings to their arms and jumped to their deaths. But it was only after the structure of birds’ wings was understood that flight became a real possibility.

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What is Falling Upwards about?

Falling Upwards (2014) details the surprisingly rich history of hot-air balloons. It begins with the first successful human attempts to take to the air using balloons and goes on to chronicle their clandestine role in escape attempts and military ventures. From daring balloonists from the golden age of ballooning to the literature they inspired, it’s all covered here.

Falling Upwards Review

Falling Upwards (2013) is a captivating exploration of humanity's fascination with flight and the incredible tales of early aviation pioneers. Here's why this book is worth reading:

With vivid storytelling and meticulous research, it brings to life the exhilarating adventures and daring feats of the early aviators.
Through well-crafted narratives and personal accounts, it offers a unique perspective on the social and cultural impact of aviation on society.
The book sheds light on the unyielding human spirit that drove these pioneers to conquer the skies, making it a truly inspiring read.

Best quote from Falling Upwards

Someone asked me what is the use of a balloon? I replied, whats the use of a newborn baby? – Benjamin Franklin

—Richard Holmes

Who should read Falling Upwards?

Anyone with a taste for exploration and invention
Science enthusiasts
Historians of science

About the Author

Richard Holmes is a prize-winning author, best known for his nonfiction book The Age of Wonder, which details scientific development at the end of the eighteenth century. He has also written numerous celebrated biographies, including a life of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

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