Sonic Wind: The Story of John Paul Stapp and How a Renegade Doctor Became the Fastest Man on Earth

by Craig Ryan

The untold story of an eccentric, scientific visionary whose death-defying research has saved millions of lives. Sixty years ago, cars and airplanes were still deathtraps waiting to happen. Today, both are safer than ever, thanks in part to one pioneering air force doctor’s research on seatbelts and ejection seats. The exploits of John Paul Stapp (1910–1999) come to thrilling life in this biography of a Renaissance man who was once blasted―faster than a .45 caliber bullet―across the desert in his Sonic Wind rocket sled, only to be slammed to a stop in barely a second. The experiment put him on the cover of Time magazine and allowed his swashbuckling team to gather the data needed to revolutionize automobile and aircraft design. But Stapp didn’t stop there. From the legendary high-altitude balloon tests that ensued to the ferocious battles for car safety legislation, Craig Ryan’s book is as much a history of America’s transition into the Jet Age as it is a biography of the man who got us there safely. 8 pages of illustrations

Genres: History, Biography, Science, Nonfiction, American History, 20th Century, Aviation

432 pages, Hardcover

First published July 20, 2015

Reviews

[Garrett Getschow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I put this book down for a few years because parts can be dry, but I’m glad to have picked it back up. John Paul Stapp may be the least known person to have saved so many lives. Sacrificing his own body through grueling experiments, he developed safety harnesses that would be used for pilots, astronauts and eventually in automobiles.

This book chronicles his experiments, hardships dealing with Air Force bureaucracy, a dry sense of humor, and his own perspectives on life that are both unique and everlasting:

“To me death is the last friend that gives us a way out of all the accumulated pain and disability that life has to offer after all the food we can accomplish has been done. It is unfortunate that we are taught to fear it. In it all living things become equal. Through it we live again more perfectly. It is our bridge to eternity... with so much evil rampant in the world, it can ill afford to lose such good men. Such lives and examples are foundation of civilization.”
-John Paul Stapp

[Hlsmlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

My delusions of adequacy were completely obliterated in reading this book. People like Stapp are often called overachievers, but that's not quite adequate. Stapp's life story shows him to be brilliant and driven, having many talents and interests, but above all, focussed. It seems contradictory that someone with such independence and creativity could flourish in a military environment, and yet that happened. Add to that his ability to inspire subordinates and win the respect of peers. A final irony is that in spite of his seminal and significant contributions, he is largely unknown today.

[William Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The incredible story of John Paul Stapp, a man who likely has touched most people on earth through his achievements yet has lived in the world of anonymity. Having read Operation Paperclip and the biography of Chuck Yager, this helps triangulate a lot of my learnings from this period of time. Stapp was an innovator and someone who learned to push the limits of man, becoming the “fastest man on earth”, placing himself on a rocket sled and achieving a top speed of 639 mph and subjecting himself to massive deceleration in a matter of feet, thereby submitting himself to G-forces of 45G’s, all in the name of science. Seatbelts, ejection seats, high altitude safety systems, astronaut protocols, car crash safety requirements - these are some of the things he was a lead investigator of and from which we all benefit today.

[Greg Hansen]

My main interest was the ballooning experiments in the early space program, but Ryan is probably more known for his impact experiments with rocket sleds in which, despite assigned by the Air Force to do exactly that, had to scrounge and take an ask-forgiveness-later approach. And his obsession with aircraft and vehicle safety, which the rocket sled experiments studied. The automobile industry sure worked hard to discourage seatbelt laws.

[Eileen Bjorkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written and compelling story about a little-known part of history. I've been stationed at both Edwards AFB and Holloman AFB and can attest to the accuracy of the research that went into the book. I've read all of Craig Ryan's books and have enjoyed all of them!

[Harshad Kuntey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very readable book. This book hold specially interest for me because of my background in vehicle accidents but the author's language makers it easy for the layman to follow the engineering aspects of Stapp's work. The language is also easy and the story moves at a good pace.

[Neil Wigner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Wonderful history of much of aerospace and medical research.

[Daniel Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring

[Alphonse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book about an amazing person. It is baffling to me that John Paul Stapp it not a household name. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected to read about a guy riding a rocket sled, and instead got an entire Zelig story about Stapp. Some of it is hearsay and conjecture, but that doesn't stop it from being a good read. There's a lot more here than just "Stapp rode a rocket sled to test the effects of acceleration on the human body". I'm not quite done with the book yet (about 85% through it), but I'm really going to miss it when I'm done.

[J.R. Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Craig Ryan has woven the true story of an American hero through the rollicking history of the late Twentieth Century. Dr. John Paul Stapp proved that human beings were capable of enduring massive G-forces by strapping himself into a rocket sled and undergoing incredible acceleration and deceleration. He and his team used the data collected during these runs to improve the safety of pilots everywhere. He designed the escape system that modern jet pilots still employ.

Arguably, Dr. Stapp saved more lives than any man who ever lived. Without him, seat belts would not be standard equipment in automobiles. Ryan chronicles Stapp's campaign to make that happen, fighting the American auto industry at every turn.

Ryan tells the story in an easy matter-of-fact voice and a flair that keeps pages turning effortlessly. His research is impeccable and thoroughly documented. "Sonic Wind: The Story of John Paul Stapp and How a Renegade Doctor Became the Fastest Man on Earth," is a must-read for aviation history buffs and anyone who is interested in how we arrived in 2015 with safer air and ground travel. It is a quintessential American story. With this book, Craig Ryan has cemented his stature as the preeminent Aviation History writer of his generation.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sonic Wind: The Story of John Paul Stapp and How a Renegade Doctor Became the Fastest Man on Earth is the story of a pioneer in aviation and automotive safety.

In the early military jet era, and even in WW II propeller planes, there wasn't a lot of thought given to pilot safety because it was thought that the human body could not withstand the G forces that are encountered in the sudden, violent deceleration of a crash. Col. Dr. John Paul Stapp proved that the human body could be subjected to astounding G forces through a series of rocket sled tests in which he was the test subject.

Full disclosure: I won a free copy of an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Stapp's research is fascinating - he strapped himself to a rocket sled that slammed to a stop to test whether humans can survive extreme g-forces - but he was a military man in mid-century America. As a result, the book is a mix of unbelievable self-experimentation and an unremarkable personal life. It's written well enough, but it feels stuck between plumbing the depths of his research and trying to make a compelling story out of a man who was by all means compelling, but very much defined by his devotion to work.

[Frederic · Rating 5 out of 5]

At one time people thought that traveling at faster than 20 mph on a train would cause women's organs to rupture. Before J P Stapp experiments it was thought that death from auto crashes was not preventable. The forces of deceleration would kill even if the passenger was belted in. He proved that properly restrained you could survive crashes at incredible speeds.
His work saved thousands of military pilots and personnel. And when his results were used in the automobile millions were saved. But it took years of work to development the technology and then convince the auto makers to use it.

[George Poppenwimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free as a Goodreads Giveaway.

As an Air Force veteran and aviation buff, I knew a little about the nuts and bolts of of John Stapp's record breaking rocket sled rides. But I found this to be an engaging story not only about his life but his other achievements in other areas such as automotive safety.

It was detailed but very readable and seemed to be very well researched. For anyone wanting to know more about the pioneering days of jet aviation, this really is well worth reading.

[Susan Csoke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Franklin Stapp was twenty eight years old in January of 1910 when he left his hometown of Burnet in the Texas Hill Country. His wife Mary Louise was pregnant with their first child. They were both Missionary Baptists. It took them two weeks to travel. First by train to New York to board a ship to South America, where they would begin their lives anew. Where Captain Stapp would become a renegade doctor...THANK YOU GOODREADS FIRSTREADS FOR THIS FREE BOOK!!!

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.

This a very thorough, well-researched, and well-written biography of a fascinating man. The book covers his childhood and family and then launches into all the details of his work and how his interests, research, and experiments evolved. Anyone interested in his life or experiments should read this.

[Rebecca Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Col. John Paul Stapp was a genius in many areas and a determined scientist. He was a pioneer in the space program and was the catalyst in automotive safety and pilot safety.

[Tim Martin]

excellent book about an unusual man