Buy used: $17.96
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE delivery April 29 - May 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery April 27 - 29
Used: Very Good | Details
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comment: Nice clean copy with no highlighting or writing. We take pride in our accurate descriptions. Satisfaction Guaranteed.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Wings of Madness: Alberto Santos-Dumont and the Invention of Flight Paperback – June 16, 2004

4.4 out of 5 stars 64

Now in paperback, an "unforgettably good book [told] with compassion and sympathy" (Simon Winchester, New York Times) about an eccentric aviator and the thrilling early days of flight.

>From Paul Hoffman, the acclaimed author of The Man Who Loved Only Numbers, comes this engaging true story of the man who was once hailed worldwide as the conqueror of the air -- Alberto Santos-Dumont. Because the Wright brothers worked in secrecy, word of their first flights had not reached Europe when Santos-Dumont took to the skies in 1906. The dashing and impeccably dressed aeronaut stunned and delighted Paris, barhopping around the city in a one-man dirigible he invented, circling above crowds and crashing into rooftops.

Yet Santos-Dumont was a frenzied genius tortured by the weight of his own creation. Wings of Madness is a riveting, brilliantly told story of this tormented man who helped to usher in the modern age and who epitomized the increasingly tortured spirit of the twentieth century -- it is elegant, fascinating, and deeply moving.


The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A compelling and touching account." -- Christian Science Monitor

"As Hoffman so brilliantly tells the story . . . Santos-Dumot truly was a man like few others . . . a delight." --
Simon Winchester, New York Times

"Thorough and impressive . . . stylish and well-paced." --
Los Angeles Times

"[Hoffman's] compassionate and colorful account . . . is likely to stand as the definitive biography of this . . . aeronautical pioneer." --
San Francisco Chronicle

About the Author

Paul Hoffman was president of Encyclopedia Britannica and editor-in-chief of Discover. and is the author of The Man Who Loved Only Numbers and The Wings of Madness. He is the winner of the first National Magazine Award for Feature Writing, and his work has appeared in the New Yorker, Time, and Atlantic Monthly. He lives in Woodstock, NY.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hyperion (June 16, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0786885718
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0786885718
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 8 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1 x 7.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 64

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Paul Hoffman
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
64 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2022
Hoffman does an excellent job painting an unbiased version of events. Santos-dumomt is one of the most influential individuals of all time, yet his name has largely been forgotten outside of Brazil. This book does a wonderful job illustrating, his many successes, is unique sense of style and personality, and his demise.

It does a solid job illustrating how his influence largely democratized flight and his role in contributing to modern technologies in the sphere of aviation and also horology.

A wonderful read, I couldn’t put it down.
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024
This is one of a small number of Alberto Santos-Dumont biographies that is written in English. It is reasonably well done. I bought the book with hopes to learn more about the Santos-Dumont No18 hydroplane - a boat that he built in 1907. Unfortunately, the author didn't write much on this SD project and unfortunately has mistaken the boat for a float plane. This does in turn raise concerns about fact checking on other topics within the book. I honestly did not expect this from Hoffman after being acquainted with his book on Erdos.
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2004
The beauty of this book is that reading it, you will feel going back in time, participating in the life and adventures of Mr. Santos Dumont.
The author did a very good work in presenting not only history, but recreating the personality of Alberto Santos Dumont, a man that is totally focused on his inventions.
As I read the book I found many reasons to think that Mr. Steven Spielberg would have material for a very good film....Santos Dumont was quite a man, great imagination, and a truly courageous person.

Hoffman descriptions of the way inventors in the end of the XIX century risked their lives, to develop and use the new technologies of their time, provides a good framework to understand Santos Dumont behavior, risking his life on many experiments for the good of mankind.
My perspective as to where Santos Dumont should be placed in aviation history differs from most Brazilians. The airplane was the product of several inventions done by different people, each one contributing with a piece of the puzzle. There is room for the accomplishments of many inovators, like Otto Lillienthal, the Wright Brothers, Alberto Santos Dumont, Glenn Curtiss... and many others.
I think Hoffman gives a balanced view of aviation history and Santos Dumont accomplishments.
The book is worth reading and you will enjoy it.
9 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2020
Today we take airplanes for granted, seldom bothering to wonder at the marvel of flight. Paul Hoffman’s book is more than just the story of an eccentric man who pushed the boundaries of his time. Hoffman vividly portrays a world intrigued by a concept many yearned for, but most felt was forever out of their reach. We have forgotten what it was like to live confined to the mere surface of our planet. Through Wings of Madness I glimpsed the exhilaration people must have felt as they watched manned flight become possible. Such enthusiasm for the future was an inspiration. This book is an engaging reminder of how far we have come.
One person found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2014
This book gave to Santos Dumont the real importance that he has, showing that he wasn't just a crazy man whose his dream was to fly, but showed how his genius contributed to the aviation evolution. My criticism to the author is regarding to the first pages that contextualize the beginning of Brazil's history as a country. Reading of historical facts demands attention, and woefully I found an important and basic date, that can be easily found in any world historical book. The brazilian independence from Portugal occurred in 7th september 1822 and D. Pedro I was crowned the first brazilian emperor on 10th December 1822, and not on 1st December 1821 as informed by the author (p.11).
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2016
Hoffman, after telling us about the unusual genius of the mathematician Paul Erdos, choose another unique and special genius, Alberto Santos-Dumont. The text is able to hook the reader as he narrates Santos-Dumont persistent efforts to solve the many problems posed by his work with balloons, how to steer them and latter with the heavier than air machines. He also highlights Petit Santos vanity in the pursuit of all the public competitions avaliable along with his generosity with the poor and his willingness to spread his knowledge without any commercial interest in sharp contrast with the intentions of the other champions of flight, the Wright brothers. His extensive research turns the book into a immensely valuable testimony about the glory and tragedy of Santos-Dumont's life.
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2008
I read the Dover edition of Santos-Dumont's own biography, "My Airships," when I was a teenager and have been fascinated by the man and his remarkable airships ever since. This book gives a much fuller description of his life and times than his own book does, but most of what was not included in his own book is rather sad. It's clear that he was on the brink of mental illness for much of his life, and much of the recognition that he craved was snatched away from him by circumstances beyond his control. "My Airships" is full of the joy of adventure and discovery. It is a dreamer's testament to his dream. This book is more down to earth - more information, less dream. Choose which you want to read. Santos-Dumont's own book also gives more technical information about his airships and how they worked.

Oh, and Hyperion Press should be flayed for the horrible fake cover picture they photoshopped for this book. To decorate a carefully researched history book with a ridiculous lie is an insult to the author and the readers.
3 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2013
What a story. Dumont was a great man. Not always understood. What a dreamer of aviation. Thank God we have had people like him promote flight as he did in his day. He just didn't expect aircraft to be used in war. He loved the simple form of flight and how it could work peacefully for us. Readers will enjoy the story. I have. Its a must in aviation history. Thanks.Sincerely, Rick L.

Top reviews from other countries

Nando Cuca
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on this very curious and resourceful man.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2016
Great account of this amazing mad. Love the way it's written, with lots of suspense and humour. Also packed with great facts about the turn-of-the-century.