Wings of Fire

Writer: A P J Abdul Kalam with Arun Tiwari
Genre: Autobiography

What happens when a former president of the world's largest democracy and a rocket scientist decides to pen down his life for us? We sit down in rapt attention and absorb every word and syllable that he lets out. A small book and an engaging one too!

The book starts with the life of Mr.Kalam as a child in Rameswaram. The characters in this section are some of my personal favourites because they seem so ordinary, as exactly as our neighbors and relatives. How this young lad from a small town village finds inspiration and takes on the space science program in the country can captivate every person to finish the book in one sitting. The space program spear headed by Vikram Sarabhai and carried forward by Prof. Dhawan has some great narrative and you personally miss being in the era when the country was indigenously making waves loud enough to let everyone notice.

The poems, lines that the writer uses in between the chapters are so very apt! Beautiful and long forgotten pieces most of them were :)

I am left wondering why I hadn’t read the book before. It’s a great book, especially for someone like me who as a kid would religiously follow the test fire of every missile from Sriharikota aired on Doordarshan.


p.s. Somehow this book also reminded me that I need to hunt down some un/official biography of Vikram Sarabhai. Any pointers would be appreciated



Update: Some poetic excerpts from the book -

For all your days prepare
And meet them ever alike
When you are the anvil, bear-
When you are the hammer, strike.

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Don't worry and fret, fainthearted,
The chances have just begun,
For the best jobs haven't been started,
The best work hasn't been done.