3 Review(s)

Reach For The Skies is a personal account of the history of aviation by Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group. Summary Of The Book Reach For The Skies by Richard Branson is the story of his interactions and experiences with some of the most adventurous names in the history of aviation and flight. Branson himself is an accomplished aviator. The book discusses the Wright brothers and the Montgolfiers, who were defining figures in the early attempts at aviation. It also describes some of the lesser known adventurists such as Tony Jannus, who Branson claims to have piloted the first scheduled commercial flight in the year 1914. Branson also introduces readers to Leo Valentin (or ‘bird man’) who is known to have jumped from a height of 9,000 feet, with wooden wings. Branson also talks of his close friendship with businessman-adventurist Steve Fossett, who disappeared in the year 2007. He had earlier written an article in Time magazine about Steve Fossett. Among other enchanting true stories that Branson tells is the story of how a pilot named Marty Jensen flew with a caged lion near his cockpit. When the flight crashed into a ravine, Jensen was left alone with the lion for company. Many facts on aviation, hitherto unheard of, have also been included. One of the constant themes being pursued is how some aviators went on to do the impossible. Reach For The Skies is rich with such tales of adventure and valor. It describes how these great aviators played various roles and were labelled inventors, visionaries, dreamers, and even crackpots, for the sheer daredevilry of their attempts. About Richard Branson Richard Branson is an English business tycoon who founded the Virgin Group. His autobiography, Losing My Virginity: How I’ve Survived, Had Fun, And Made A Fortune Doing Business My Way, went on to become a bestseller. Branson has also written books like Screw It, Let’s Do It, Business Stripped Bare, and Screw Business As Usual. Owning as many as four hundred companies under the umbrella of his Virgin group, Branson was noted by Forbes magazine as the fourth richest citizen in the United Kingdom in 2012. His journey in the world of business began when he was just sixteen years old. At twenty-two, he launched an audio-record mail order business which flourished into a records store brand known as Virgin Records. As the Virgin brand grew, Branson went on to set up an airline called Virgin Atlantic Airways.