Joe Strong and his wings of steel: or, A young acrobat in the clouds

About this book

The story is a juvenile adventure that follows the inventive circus performer Joe Strong as he attempts to turn his daring imagination into a real flying contraption. The opening scene places Joe in a workshop with two fellow performers, describing in meticulous detail a metal‑and‑leather “cage” supporting bat‑shaped steel wings that are to be powered by new storage batteries and vibrating motors. Their dialogue reveals Joe’s ambition to glide like a bird, the practical concerns of lift versus descent, and the financial strain of building such a novelty. The narrative then shifts to a brief recap of Joe’s earlier escapades, magician’s apprentice, trapeze artist, “boy fish,” and motorcycle high‑wire act, providing context for his current project and hinting at the personal stakes tied to an inheritance from his mother’s English estate.

Written in the brisk, descriptive prose of early twentieth‑century American dime‑novels, the book mixes technical exposition with lively banter among circus characters. Its tone is adventurous yet grounded, reflecting the period’s fascination with invention and aerial feats. Readers who enjoy fast‑moving, mechanically detailed tales of youthful ingenuity, especially those with a taste for historic circus settings, will find this novel engaging.

Opening lines

The two visitors came closer to the queer apparatus. They saw a sort of cage, made of metal and of leather thongs. On either side of this cage extended a bat-like wing of thin curved steel, as thin almost, according to Joe, as a sheet of paper. But the wing was braced and reinforced by spreading ribs of metal, as the bones of a bat’s wing hold that membrane extended. …

Keep reading free · chapter 1 needs no account