Introduction
APJ Abdul Kalam is a renowned Indian scientist and 11th President of India (2002-2007). He is a recipient of India’s three highest civilian awards – Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna.
Wings of Fire is an autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam written jointly by Arun Tiwari and Abdul Kalam. It covers Kalam’s life before he became president of India and in 2013 another autobiography titled "My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions" was released.
Book Review: Wings of Fire
Wings of Fire ,the book has been very popular in India and has been translated into multiple languages.
It is the story of a boy from a humble background who went on to become a key player in Indian space research and missile programs/ISRO/DRDO and later became the president of India.
The book started with Kalam's early life, his education , his family and later about his work in space research and missile projects. So, it was initially interesting but ended with more technical information about his work. This might interest technically inclined readers but is sure to put off readers who purchased the book to get to know Kalam or to know his principles/thoughts.
I adored the underlying sections of "Wings of Fire" since it gives a clear picture of our nation during 1930-1950s. Kalam was born in Rameswaram, a southern town in Tamilnadu. The underlying sections gives a fascinating look at strict congruity which existed before India's partition, the famous Shiva temple, which made Rameswaram so sacred place to visit, was around 10 minutes walk from their home. Their region was overwhelmingly Muslim, yet there were many Hindu families as well, living friendly with their Muslim neighbors.
"The high priest of Rameswaram temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, was a very close friend of my father’s. One of the most vivid memories of my early childhood is of the two men, each in his traditional attire, discussing spiritual matters."
Kalam in younger years wanted to be an officer in air force, but he was unable to clear the interview. He met Swami Sivananda after this disappointment and I found his words to Kalam interesting and in a way prophetic,
"Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become an Air Force pilot. What you are destined to become is not revealed now but it is predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential to lead you to your destined path. Search, instead, for the true purpose of your existence. Become one with yourself, my son! Surrender yourself to the wish of God."
Dr.Kalam started his career in Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) and was involved in the design of a hovercraft. Later he moved to Indian Space Research which was the brain child of Vikram Sarabhai. In 1963, Kalam went to NASA facility in Maryland(USA) as part of a training program on sounding rocket launching techniques. There he came across a painting which depicted Tipu Sultan's rocket warfare against the British.
The book covers a great deal of "behind the scene" data and technical details on India's satellite and rocket program (SLV-3, Prithvi, Agni, Thrisul, Akash and Nag). Space and rocket programs are gigantic complex ventures and overseeing them is incredibly testing. The book gives a brief look at the participatory administration procedure adopted by Kalam, and yet it doesn't go into details.
Wings of fire covers Kalam's personal life only briefly which is strange for an autobiography. Kalam is a poet and is a huge fan of poems. The book contains many of his own poems and his favorite poems. Here is an example,
"Do not look at Agni
as an entity directed upward
to deter the ominous
or exhibit your might.
It is fire in the heart of an Indian.
Do not even give it
the form of a missile
as it clings to the
burning pride of this nation
and thus is bright."
Through Wings of Fire, we come across some brilliant people who worked behind Indian space research such as Vikram Sarabhai and Dr. Brahm Prakash. The book also contains about 24 photos and I found the ones from the early days of Indian space program very interesting. This alone is worth the price of the book!
One of the things that stands out throughout the book is Kalam’s positive thinking. He held many high ranking positions in various organizations. Yet in the book he rarely mentions anything about lethargy/corruption of bureaucracy or politicians. The secret to his success seems to be his ability to ignore negative things around him. The book also gives a clue to his popularity in India. Kalam is a simple, secular, inspiring humanitarian.
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