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Jump!

Inventions: Untold Stories of the Beautiful Era Collection

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Jump!

Written by: Daniel Engber
Narrated by: Amy McFadden
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In the first few years of the twentieth century, inventors discovered how to soar into the sky. This breathtaking true story is about two men who, on one fateful weekend, tried to show the world a way back down.

It was early February 1912, and Franz Reichelt, a Paris tailor, and Rodman Law, a self-described “professional jackass” from New York, were poised, respectively, on the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty, ready to deploy an experimental parachute. In bat wings and bundled linen, they were almost certain their contraptions would work. Here is the tale of their inspirations and their pluck - and what happened next.

Jump! is part of Inventions: Untold Stories of the Beautiful Era, a collection of incredible true stories from the belle epoque, an age of innovation, daring, bluster, and beauty when anything seemed possible. Each piece can be read, listened to, and marveled at in a single sitting.

©2019 Daniel Engber (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Engineering History & Culture Professionals & Academics Science Science & Technology Technology Innovation
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It’s funny, I never really thought about what it took to invent the parachute before. And of course there would be failures on the road to success. While not the type of device that anyone can grab to jump off a high building, if needed, like one inventor envisioned, parachutes do save many lives. While a story of a failed parachute always saddens me, I shall think more about the brave men who created them.

Parachutists have these people to thank

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Some of this was truly fascinating, and now I really needed to hear more about Rodman Law and his stunt career in the early movies.

interesting Career Parachutists

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