Product Description

A former member of the British Parachute Regiment, Tom Read was preparing to freefall more than 23 miles in order to become the first person to break the sound barrier unassisted. This autobiography is the story of his descent into madness and his attempts to find his way out again.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44661 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 348 pages

Review
An amazing and thought-provoking book. It charts the true story of Tom Read's journey from his days in the SAS, via an attempt at the world record for sky-diving from the edge of space, to madness and a bid to kill the person he believes is controlling his mind - his girlfriend. The frightening aspect of this book is that, as Read descends slowly into paranoia and depression, the reader realizes that they could be reading about their own life. Even those we perceive to be the strongest and fittest members of our society are susceptible to the vagaries of life. (Kirkus UK)

MAIL ON SUNDAY
*'Extraordinary'

CAMERON SPENCE author of SABRE SQUADRON
* 'An incredible story: funny, sad and as breathtaking as a high altitude sky dive'

Customer Reviews

from basic wales and knackercracker to angels wings
I had the pleasure to serve with Nish in Para Reg and he always was 100% dependable.I'm sorry I wasn't there for you Charlie when it really mattered.This book is as near to the truth as you will ever get without experiencing the thrill of Halos and PX4's.
Churchill once spoke about the ultimate sacrifice being made.Charlie Bruce made it.
Keep the ripcord in your mouth Nish,the next drink will be on me.
I was proud to personally know this man and the book is a must read choice.
Ernie

A fascinating but deeply moving tribute
I remember when this book first appeared in the shops a few years ago. It was at a time when books by ex-SAS soldiers were flooding the shelves of most bookstores with their eye-catching covers and macho appeal. 'Freefall' seemed to be different in that an ex-member of the SAS was admitting to have succumbed to mental disorder, to have broken down as it is so often described. Here was a man who was not afraid of admitting that something had gone wrong, that he could no longer cope. The honesty shocked me.
And yet, amidst the deluge of special forces' books, I put the book aside, unable to face another round of SAS heroics.
It wasn't until I read about Tom's death earlier this year that my interest was reawakened. And as soon as I started reading 'Freefall' I was utterly absorbed by Tom's narration. It was a book that I carried everywhere for the week, reading snippets whenever I could, or seeking out opportunities to lie back and read for longer periods.
I have to say that my admiration for Tom grew and grew as his mental and physical toughness became more and more evident. From the proving grounds of Para selection and the individual torment of SAS selection, to the gut-wrenching fear of covert operations, Tom demonstrated a remarkable, and indeed a formidable, ability to fight for success whatever the cost.
And at the same time here was an intelligent man whose sense of reason and humanity were quietly being eroded, crippling his judgement and mental prowess. Until finally the erosion was complete.
I was moved to tears reading this book. His apparent recovery at the end of the book is cast into the most tragic of all lights given his ulitmate farewell to the world.
What a courageous, cast-iron spirit. What honesty. What an extraordinary man. Thank you Tom for showing us, for proving to us, that it is not weak to be honest.

Brutally honest
This book was of particular interest to me because I have been living with manic depression for the last 8 years and am also a skydiver (although definitely not in Tom's league). So it was very interesting for me to read about Tom Read's 'breakdown' and recovery.

Reading the book it struck me again and again that the author is a man who thrives on the challenges, the journey rather than the destination. From a skydiving point of view, the 'go low' story in the book (while he was with the Red Devils) was annoying since it is this kind of macho idiotic behaviour that leads to bounces and gives the sport a bad name. But then again, it did happen, it is his book and he got to decide what to include.

I hope people reading the book do not come to the conclusion that skydiving = mentally unstable. In my case skydiving is an important part of my life that helps keep my feet flat on the ground (pun intended) - along with regular check-ups of course. I would rather have one year of Tom Read's life (well preferably not the year when he had his problems) than 40 years of cardigans and anoraks - watching tv and worrying about mortgages. Tom Read is living his life - he is the pilot not the passenger.

I would recommend this book to anyone who skydives and anyone who has Bipolar (or their friends or family). It is a very selfish disease that takes you through a very personal hell. Hopefully people reading Tom's book will get some insight into this and realize that it is a chemical imbalance that causes the manic highs and lows, nobody chooses to suffer from manic depression (trust me on that one). The fact that Tom might never break Joe Kittinger's record is totally arbitrary - he has overcome a challenge much bigger. For this I admire him immensely and hope that should he ever suffer another manic episode he is wise enough to get professional help immediately (even if it does mean normalizing drugs).

I am going to keep my copy of Freefall with me this summer, because I hope that I will bump into the author sooner or later, maybe at Netheravon, maybe at Empuria Brava (you spelt it wrong in the book Tom). And if I do bump into the author I am hoping for an autograph and who knows, maybe even a 2-way? (I'll pay for his ticket of course!)

Blue skies!