Ballooning Books and Periodicals

Here is a list of books or periodicals that deal specifically with ballooning, both serious and fun. If you know of others that we've missed, please send me e-mail so it can be added it to the list. This list will be built mostly from reader contributions. Many thanks in advance.

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Quick Path: [ Chidlren's Books | Books - Fiction | Reference Books | Periodicals ]

Children's Books

• Norton, Mary, The Borrowers Aloft (publisher and date unknown). This story centres on a balloon ride. (from Robert Thomson)
• Coerr, Eleanor, The Big Balloon Race (New York, Harper & Row, 1981).
  Winning a balloon race is hard work.... Ariel stows away in her mother's beautiful gas-filled balloon as it lifts off for the big race of 1882. And that spells trouble almost all the way to the finish line!
• Calhoun Mary, Hot-Air Henry (New York, William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1986)
  When that sassy Siamese Henry stows away in a hot-air balloon and goes aloft alone, it is a fur-raising flight indeed. Followers of Henry's cross-country skiing adventure will be equally charmed by his mastery of the wild blue yonder.
• Adams, Adrienne, The Great Valentine's Day Balloon Race (New York, Aladdin Books, 1986)
  The dashing young rabbit of The Easter Egg Artists, Orson Abbott, becomes intrigued by ballooning and builds a balloon with the help of his friend Bonnie so that they can participate in the Valentine's Day balloon race.
• Paulsen, Gary, Full of Hot Air: launching, floating high, and landing (New York, Delacorte Press, June 1993)
  Gary Paulsen knows all about hot air ballooning, and he shares the information in witty high style. Illustrated with glorious color photographs taken by internationally known balloonist Mary Ann Heltshe, Full of Hot Air is as informative and exhilarating as it is amusing.
• Färber, Werner, Werner Färber erzählt vom Ballonfahren (Verlag F.Oetinger, Hamburg, 1993, 63 pages)
  [Deutsche] (Werner Färber tells about ballooning)
  This book tells the story of a young girl whose parents, both of whom are balloon pilots, plan a "birthday flight" for the girl and her friends. Through the story and many paintings, the book explains the basic physical principles of balloon flight in a manner suited for young children.

Books - Fiction

• Verne, Jules, Five Weeks in a Balloon.
• Poe, Edgar Allen, The Balloon-Hoax
  An account of the first balloon flight over the Atlantic Ocean in 1850. The entire text can be found via the link above.

Books - Reference

• Smith, Anthony, Throw out two hands (publisher and date unknown). Smith's true account of how he organised a gas balloon safari in Kenya. Smith also presented a series of chat shows on UK BBC Radio, where he took his guest on a balloon trip for the interview. (from Robert Thomson)
• Waligunda, Bob and Larry Sheehan, The Great American Balloon Book (Prentice Hall, 1962)
  Good basic overview of ballooning, somewhat dated by todays standards. Forward by Ben Abruzzo.
• Schmitthenner, Hansjörg, Die Luftfahrer - Geschichte und Abenteuer des Fliegens (Domino-Verlag Muenchen 1966, 112 pages, with some black/white pictures)
  [Deutsche] (The Aeronauts - History and Adventure of Flying)
  This book is an easy, descriptive introduction into the history of ballooning for children - not too young (and adults, of course).
• The Romance of Ballooning, The Story of the Early Aeronauts. (Viking Press, 1971)
  History of ballooning and aeronauts with many historical drawings (most B&W with some color).
• McCarry, Charles and Little Brown, Double Eagle (1979).
  Story of the Double Eagle and Double Eagle II flights.
• Saint-Fond de Faujas, Beschreibung der Versuche mit der Luftkugel (Physik-Verlag, Weinheim, 1982, 383 pages with 7 figures and 11 plates).
  [Deutsche] (Description of the experiments with the "ball of air")
  A classic book of ballooning history and techniques. This is a facsimile printing of the original book. Description of the many experiments done in 1783.
• Busemeyer, Karl-Ludwid, RC-Luftschiffe und Ballone (Neckar-Verlag GmbH, Villingen-Schwenningen, 1982)
  [Deutsche] (Remote control air ships and balloons)
  Probably the first German book about this topic.
• Crouch, Tom D., The Eagle Aloft, Two Centuries of Ballooning in America (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1983)
  Very complete history of ballooning, 700+ pages, with numerous references.
• Stoffregen-Bueller, Michael, Himmelfahrten - Die Anfänge der Aeronautik (Physik-Verlag, Weinheim, 1983, 411 pages with 73 pictures)
  [Deutsche] (Riding to the sky/Riding in heaven)
  An ambitious history of ballooning, with many details and exact references to the original source material.
• Bechtel, Arthur Vom Zauber alter Flugmaschinen - Die Frühzeit des Fliegens mit über 100 großteils farbigen Abbildungen früher Flugapparate (Bücher GmbH, Bayreuth, 1983, 80 pages)
  [Deutsche] (About the magic charm of the early flying machines - The early times of flying with more than 100 mainly color pictures of the early flying machines)
  Includes balloons, zeppelins, and aircrafts.
• Riha, Karl (Hrsg./Editor) Reisen im Luftmeer - Ein Lesebuch zur Geschichte der Ballonfahrt von 1783 (und frueher) bis zur Gegenwart (Carl Hanser Verlag, 1983, 380 pages, with pictures)
  [Deutsche] (Traveling in the ocean of air - A reader about the history of ballooning from 1783 (and earlier) through today)
  This book is a compilation of important literary texts which deal with ballooning (Goethe, Verne, Kleist, and many others).
• Malcolm Forbes: Around the World on Hot Air and Two Wheels. (Simon and Schuster, 1985)
  Interesting account of Forbes "Friendship Tours" and special shapes. Forbes was definitely one of the worlds best known balloonists, given his fondness for special shapes. Interesting accounts and pictures of Forbes' flight across America (numerous hops) with pictures of him crashing into cars on takeoff due to false lift, his unsuccessful attempt at a transatlantic crossing in 1975, and spectacular photos of the Sphinx balloon having a structural failure at 2400 ft. with Forbes on board.
• Horr, Wolfgang, RC-Heissluftballone (Verlag für Technik und Handwerk, Baden-Baden, 1985)
  [Deutsche] (Remote control hot air balloons).
  Not as detailed as the 1993 book by Jahnke.
• Kirschner, Edwin, Aerospace Balloons (Aero Publishers, 1985).
  Lots of history of scientific balloons with some sport ballooning thrown in.
• Kaiser, Reinhard (Hrsg./Editor) Wir sind jetzt Bürger des Himmels! Bilder & Berichte von den Ballonfahrten der Herren Glaisher, Flammarion, Fonvielle & Tissandier im Mitteleuropaeischen Luftmeer. (Greno Verlag, Noerdlingen, 1986, 128 pages, big format).
  [Deutsche] (Now we are citizens of heaven! Pictures and reports of the balloon rides of the gentlemen Mr. Glaisher, Flammarion, Fonvielle & Tissander in the Middle European Air Sea/Ocean).
• Heller, Andre Himmelszeichen - Flying Sculptures (Heyne Verlag München, 1986, 87 pages)
  [Deutsche/English]
  A photo book with some text (in English AND German!) about the fantastic balloon sculptures of Andre Heller.
• Cameron, Don, Ballooning Handbook (Pelham Books Ltd., London, 1986 (1.edition: 1980), 174 pages)
  Figures, photos, and tables.
• Reinicke, Helmut, Aufstieg & Revolution - Über die Beförderung irdischer Freiheitsneigungen durch Ballonfahrt und Luftschwimmkunst (Transit Verlag Berlin, 1988, 136 pages with some black/white pictures)
  [Deutsche] (Ascent & Revolution - About the promotion/transportation of the terrestrial affection towards freedom by balloon flights and the art of swimmming in the air)
  From the blurb: It was not by chance that flying balloons became popular exactly during the time of the French revolution. It symbolized the ascent from terrestrial misery and, thereby, promised happiness and freedom.
• Norwood, Amogene, Taming the Gentle Giant
  (Land O'Sky Aeronautics, 1988). Study guide for student pilots.
• Nigg, Joe and Ed Dosien, The Great Balloon Fiesta (Free Flight Press, 1989)
  Photography by Ed Dosien and text by Joe Nigg. A beautiful coffee table book, illustrating a year of balloon meets across the country. Also has interviews with Jean-Paul Frachon, Ed Yost, Don Piccard and Sid Cutter. Illustrates pictorially a balloon flight from inflation to landing.
• Wirth, Dick, Ballooning - The Complete Guide to Riding the Winds (New York, Random House, 1991)
  The complete fully illustrated guide to the world of hot-air ballooning.
• Wieshoff, Jürgen, Ballonfahren - Ein fröhliches Wörterbuch für Ballonpiloten und "Erdferkel", begeisterte Passagiere sowie alle Grafen der Lüfte (Tomus Verlag, München 1992, 96 pages, with caricatures)
  [Deutsche] (Balloon Rides - A funny dictionary for balloon pilots and "earth pigs", enthusiastic passengers and all earls of the air)
  Funny (non)sense definitions of everything from A to Z which has to do with ballooning.
• Gstrein, Norbert O2 (Suhrkamp Verlag, 1993, 171 pages)
  [Deutsche] (O2 - Oxygen)
  An ambitious literary novel about the ascent of Auguste Piccard into the stratosphere in May 1931. The balloon ascent is taken by the author as an occasion to portray the customs and morals of that time in Germany and Tirol (Austria).
• Jahnke, Klaus-Dieter Ferngesteürte Heissluftballone - Geschichte, Bau und Betrieb (Verlag für Technik und Handwerk, Baden-Baden, 1993, 111 pages).
  [Deutsche] (Remote control hot air balloons - History, construction and operation)
  This book gives a good, detailed overview about the necessary know-how for the construction of a remote control hot air model balloon. Many technical details, explanatory pictures, and figures are included. Also included are the addresses of where to buy the technical parts, etc. (for Europe) and, to help facilitate cutting of envelope fabric, a computer program written in QBASIC that will calculate fabric shape.
• Wider, Paul, Menschen und Ballone - Dokumentation zur Geschichte der Ballonluftfahrt in Süddeutschland und der deutsprechenden Schweiz (Bechtle Verlag, Esslingen, 1993, 320 pages with some pictures and figures)
  [Deutsche] (Man and balloons - Documentation about the history of ballooning in Southern Germany and German speaking Switzerland)
  The author is member of the "Ballonsportgruppe Stuttgart" and was a very active gas balloon pilot. As the cities of Augsburg and Friedrichshafen are located within the geographical range described by the book the history of gas ballons and the "Zeppelins" is included.
• Ryan, Craig, The Pre-Astronauts: Manned Ballooning on the Threshold of Space (The Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD USA, 1995, 368 pages with 21 photographs)
  Click on the link above to see the full description of this new book from Criag Ryan!
• Hillerman, Anne, Ride the wind, USA to Africa (Rio Grande Pub., Santa Fe, 1995, 172 pages with illustrations)
  SUBJECTS: Abruzzo, Richard. Bradley, Troy. Ballooning--Atlantic Ocean. Transatlantic flights.

Periodicals

• BallonSport Magazin
  [Deutsche] (Balloon Sport Magazine)
  formerly: Der Freiballon aktuell - The free balloon - latest news,
  Bi-monthly magazine - editor: Deutscher Freiballonsport-Verband e.V. (German Association of free balloon sports - the umbrella organization for all German balloon clubs...). On the average with 50-60 pages, color photos. Sections are:
  • important juridical information for balloon pilots,
  • technical news (equipment etc.)
  • reports of nice/important/record or other flights
  • announcement and reports of national and international events
  • classified
  • special topics (like ballooning in The Alpes, flights in great height or other)
  
  and more... everything dealing with the world of ballooning...
• der adler
  [Deutsche] (the eagle)
  Monthly magazine; editor: Baden-Würtembergischer Luftfahrtverband e.V. (Association for aviation in Baden-Württemberg)
  Dealing 95% with gliding (with motor and without) and remote control gliders, paragliding, parachute sports. Ballooning is only a little section.

A source in the USA for out of print balloon books and some reproduction of historic balloon books is:

• Valhalla Aerostation
  P.O. Box 24
  Glens Falls, NY 12801 USA
• Phone: 1-518-793-8262

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