Joe Strong and his wings of steel or, A young acrobat in the cloudsVance BarnumOmniClassics · Literature
Joe Strong and his wings of steel or, A young acrobat in the clouds
Vance BarnumA circus performer's ambition to fly with mechanical wings joins inventive experimentation to the demands of spectacular entertainment.
Progress is saved in this browser
About the book
Joe Strong wants an aerial act more unusual than an ordinary airplane flight. At a circus-equipment factory he develops a wearable machine with thin steel wings, powered by motors and storage batteries. His friends admire his ingenuity while worrying that his appetite for novelty will expose him to unacceptable risks. Financing the experiments introduces another difficulty, since the apparatus consumes money faster than it proves its usefulness. The novel moves between circus work, testing, and increasingly ambitious opportunities for flight. Joe's mechanical confidence belongs to the story's imaginative adventure world rather than a practical account of aviation engineering. Its central tension is the performer's need to offer something astonishing while still answering the concerns of people who care about his safety.
- Invention and spectacle
- Risk and responsibility
- Ambition and friendship
Why read it
The circus setting gives Joe a specific reason to seek an unconventional flying machine: novelty is part of his livelihood.
English Hearst's International Library text with the 1916 copyright