BOOK REVIEW.
TITLE: WINGS OF FIRE; An Autobiography.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam with Arun Tiwari.
No. of PAGES: 180.
(Review by Sammy Frank)
This is the story of a boy who rose from a very humble coastal village in Tamil Nandu, Southern India to become one of the greatest architects of Indian Space mission. Indeed, Kalam was to become the president of India from 2002-2007.
The story is as simple as it is inspiring. The writer, Arun Tiwali has added quite a load of scientific jargon to the narrative, but that does not wither the richness of the story. It is a story of courage, determination, internal struggles of a very mortal man seeking to achieve beyond the limits mortals ever aspire to. It is a story of Agni, Akash, Trishul and Nag, the missiles that raised India’s repute to international reckoning as a missile power. This is a story of focus, hard work and ingenuity.
I have a feeling that more could have been narrated about Kalam than was captured in the book. Nevertheless it is a book that sheds enough light to one of the most brilliant leaders of our era. In my view, Dr. Kalam as an international figure has been under estimated.
I conclude this review with his words:
I have always been a religious person in the sense that I maintain a working relationship with God. I was always aware that the best work required more ability than I possessed and therefore I needed help that God only could give me. I made a true estimate of my own ability, then raised it by 50 percent and put myself in God’s own hands. In this partnership, I have always received all the power I needed, and in fact have actually felt it flowing through me. Today, I can affirm that the kingdom of God is within you in the form of this power, to help you achieve your goals and realize your dreams. (Page 49)
Kalam has lived a life free from the pursuit of worldly possessions. For most of his professional life, he lived in a single room of ten feet width and twelve feet length. He has no wife and no children of his own. He closes his narration on a somber note. “The blood line of my great grandfather Avul, my grandfather Pakir and my father Jainulabdeen may end with Abdu Kalam, but his grace will never end for it is eternal.”
©Sammy Frank is the pen name for Samuel Mwangi. He is a Chemistry teacher in Kenya. He is currently (March 2011) a student for Msc. Chemistry at The University of Mysore, India. All rights reserved.
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