--- product_id: 17306401 title: "Bird Dream: Adventures at the Extremes of Human Flight" price: "VT11331" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 11 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/17306401-bird-dream-adventures-at-the-extremes-of-human-flight store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # Bird Dream: Adventures at the Extremes of Human Flight **Price:** VT11331 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Bird Dream: Adventures at the Extremes of Human Flight - **How much does it cost?** VT11331 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/17306401-bird-dream-adventures-at-the-extremes-of-human-flight) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description PEN / ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing (2015 LONGLIST) “[P]erversely entertaining... In a truly intoxicating read that was hard to put down, Matt Higgins has managed to make real a world about as far removed from daily life as it gets.” -- Daily Beast "Matt Higgins cracks open this astonishingly dangerous sport and captures the spectacular adrenaline surges it delivers." -- The Wall Street Journal "[R]iveting... a must-read. A highflying, electrifying story." -- Kirkus (STARRED) A heart-stopping narrative of risk and courage, Bird Dream tells the story of the remarkable men and women who pioneered the latest advances in aerial exploration—from skydiving to BASE jumping to wingsuit flying—and made history with their daring. By the end of the twentieth century BASE jumping was the most dangerous of all the extreme sports, with thrill-seeking jumpers parachuting from bridges, mountains, radio towers, and even skyscrapers. Despite numerous fatalities and legal skirmishes, BASE jumpers like Jeb Corliss of California thought they had discovered the ultimate rush. But all this changed for Corliss in 1999, when, high in the mountains of northern Italy, he and other jumpers watched in wonder as a stranger—wearing a cunning new jumpsuit featuring “wings” between the arms and legs—leaped from a ledge and then actually flew from the vertiginous cliffs. Drawing on intimate access to Corliss and other top pilots from around the globe, Bird Dream tracks the evolution of the wingsuit movement through the larger than life characters who, in an age of viral video, forced the sport onto the world stage. Their exploits—which entranced millions of fans along the way—defied imagination. They were flying; not like the Wright brothers, but the way we do in our dreams. Some dared to dream of going further yet, to a day when a wingsuit pilot might fly, and land, all without a parachute. A growing number of wingsuit pilots began plotting ways in which a human being might leap from the sky and land. A half dozen groups around the world were dedicated to this quest for a “wingsuit landing,” conjuring the pursuit of nations that once inspired the race to first summit Everest. Given his fame as a stuntman, the brash, publicity-hungry Corliss remained the popular favorite to claim the first landing. Yet Bird Dream also tracks the path of another man, Gary Connery—a forty-two-year-old Englishman—who was quietly plotting to beat Corliss at his own game. Accompanied by an international cast of wingsuit devotees—including a Finnish magician, a parachute tester from Brazil, an Australian computer programmer, a gruff hang-gliding champion-turned-aeronautical engineer, a French skydiving champion, and a South African costume designer—Corliss and Connery raced to leap into the unknown, a contest that would lead to triumph for one and nearly cost the other his life. Based on five years of firsthand reporting and original interviews, Bird Dream is the work of journalist Matt Higgins, who traveled the world alongside these extraordinary men and women as they jumped and flew in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Offering a behind-the-scenes take on some of the most spectacular and disastrous events of the wingsuit movement, Higgins’s Bird Dream is a riveting, adrenaline-fueled adventure at the very edge of human experience. Review: Breathtaking and thrilling - Who are these guys who dream of flying and what compels them to defy death in their pursuit of that dream? Are they crazy and irresponsible or dedicated admirable athletes? These questions went around in my head as I read Bird Dream and tried to figure out what makes these guys tick. Technically and psychologically well researched, Bird Dream is a breathtaking adventure, intense and dramatic of two men, Jeb Corliss and Gary Connery, who race against each other to be the first to fly in a wingsuit and land without a parachute. Along the way we learn about the adrenaline fueled subculture of BASE jumpers and wingsuit flyers from all over the world and witness both the gritty and the sublime of the sport, from death and bodily destruction to majestic soaring through natural landscapes. The author's research enlightens and his detailed, almost poetic descriptions make this an immensely readable book on many levels. Thoroughly enjoyable, highly recommended to anyone who loves rip roaring thrills and/or a thought provoking study of what inspires great dreams. Review: Good read - But somewhat repetitious...in describing the flight scenarios and the people doing the flying. Way too much ink spent on entitled nimrod Jeb Corliss. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #8,199,383 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #579 in Extreme Sports (Books) #1,325 in Expeditions & Discoveries World History (Books) #7,092 in Sports Biographies (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 64 Reviews | ## Images ![Bird Dream: Adventures at the Extremes of Human Flight - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71nNQ3XrkeL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Breathtaking and thrilling *by P***Y on August 8, 2014* Who are these guys who dream of flying and what compels them to defy death in their pursuit of that dream? Are they crazy and irresponsible or dedicated admirable athletes? These questions went around in my head as I read Bird Dream and tried to figure out what makes these guys tick. Technically and psychologically well researched, Bird Dream is a breathtaking adventure, intense and dramatic of two men, Jeb Corliss and Gary Connery, who race against each other to be the first to fly in a wingsuit and land without a parachute. Along the way we learn about the adrenaline fueled subculture of BASE jumpers and wingsuit flyers from all over the world and witness both the gritty and the sublime of the sport, from death and bodily destruction to majestic soaring through natural landscapes. The author's research enlightens and his detailed, almost poetic descriptions make this an immensely readable book on many levels. Thoroughly enjoyable, highly recommended to anyone who loves rip roaring thrills and/or a thought provoking study of what inspires great dreams. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good read *by S***S on October 11, 2017* But somewhat repetitious...in describing the flight scenarios and the people doing the flying. Way too much ink spent on entitled nimrod Jeb Corliss. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A GREAT READ. CHOOSE BIRD DREAMS AS MY SUMMER READ ... *by M***S on September 16, 2014* A GREAT READ. CHOOSE BIRD DREAMS AS MY SUMMER READ AND WAS QUICKLY DRAWN INTO THE WORLD OF BASE JUMPERS, AND WINGSUIT PILOTS. THE AUTHOR, MATT HIGGINS IS A GREAT STORY TELLER. HIS ABILITY TO TO EXPLAIN THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THIS EXTREME SPORT, INTRODUCING THE READER TO THE MEMBERS OF THIS SELECT COMMUNITY AND WHAT MAKES THEM "TICK" AND THEN TAKING YOU TO THE EDGE OF A MOUNTAIN IN SOME FAR AWAY PLACE ANXIOUSLY AWAITING ANOTHER FLIGHT. THAN THE AUTHOR DREW ME INTO THE SUSPENSE OF THE QUEST TO LAND WITHOUT A PARACHUTE, I KEPT READING ON CHEERING ON A FELLOW AMERICAN WHILE ADMIRING THE BRIT'S EFFORTS. BIRD DREAMS IS A GREAT READ, A STORY I NEEDED TO FINISH BUT SAD THAT STORY HAD COME TO AN END. HIGGINS WRITING STYLE MAKES FOR AN EASY AND ENJOYABLE READ AND I WILL DEFINETLY KEEP HIM ON MY READING LIST --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/17306401-bird-dream-adventures-at-the-extremes-of-human-flight](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/17306401-bird-dream-adventures-at-the-extremes-of-human-flight) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-06-05*