In the winter of 1996/97 Richard Branson attempts the Last Great Adventure -- the only unattempted feat left to mankind.Accompanied by the brilliant balloonist Per Lindstrand, and British adventurer Rory McCarthy, Richard takes on strong international opposition to be the first to circumnavigate the earth. It is an extremely dangerous journey, subject not only to the whims of the powerful jet streams and international politics -- in September 1995 two American balloonists were shot down and killed in Russian airspace. This is a risk-laden, personal quest to conquer the Earth's elements.Written with exclusive access to the three adventurers and all the resources of the Virgin Global Challenger project, this book captures the pressure of building the world's biggest balloon, the frustration of being beaten by the weather in 1995/96, the exhilaration of the lift-off and the drama of the flight itself. Stunning images from the official photographers and digital grabs from onboard cameras illustrate every stage of this epic, intrepid flight and the strange beauty of the Earth from 35,000 feet.
- ISBN10 1852274891
- ISBN13 9781852274894
- Publish Date 18 February 1997
- Publish Status Unknown
- Out of Print 24 May 2007
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Virgin Books
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 144
- Language English