THE STORY OF THE PARATROOPS

This is an account of the evolution of parachuting from its nervous beginnings in 1797 when Andre Garnerin made a dizzying mile-and-a quarter jump over Paris, through the years when Parachutists risked their lives for the entertainment of thrill-hungry spectators. It continues on to World War II, in which, because of their vital work, both on the European and Pacific front, the paratroops finally were recognized by the military as the ""infantry of the clouds"". Photographically illustrated, the text tells how it feels to fall through space at vast speeds with only a bit of nylon between oneself and eternity, and explains in vigorous terms, the role the paratroops play in today's scheme of national defense.