Jerry Bird:The Making of a Skydiving Legend, just released in a special edition jacketed hardcover distributed through Ingram and Amazon.

This sports biography/memoir features transcripts of an oral history recorded by Sam Alexander, a former teammate on Jerry Bird’s All Stars, and longtime friend Raylene West. Filmmaker Chris Johnston created the cover with his photograph of Jerry and a historical photo taken by Carl Boenish and given to Jerry.

As editor, I researched and complied many articles printed about skydiver Bird, who was at one time, the most famous skydiver in the world. I solicited contributions from his peers, and historical photographs.

Bob Russell and I met skydiving, back in the early 1980s. Bob had met Jerry and had once jumped with him at The Gulch (Casa Grande, Arizona). I got to meet Jerry in 2022 when Bob and I and our production team interviewed him at Skydive City, Zephyrhills. Florida.

Besides parachuting, the book contains many cultural references from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. The skydiving or drop zone (DZ) culture was—and is—worldwide.

Skydiving brings people from all nationalities and creeds together in freefall and camaraderie to build something bigger than themselves. The sky is big enough for us all and gravity is nonpartisan and does not discriminate.

Thanks to the many contributors, including John Brandon Bird, Jerry’s son.