Hang Gliding Spectacular contains 70-odd tales from around the world on what this magical game of ours is all about. Loosely headed under engaging themes such as Outrunning the dogcatcher and Old dogs, new tricks, the mostly American authors (there are two from the UK) cover every aspect of flying, and every possible emotion. Many of the contributions are from regular pilots with no great claim to fame except their love of hang gliding and their desire to write it down; others are from known US names like Larry Fleming, Tiky Mashy, Mark Vaughn and (of course) Davis Straub. All of them will echo some experience of your own, and all have the end result of making you want to just get up there again. It's not a book you'll want to read right through from end to end in a linear fashion; more something to keep by your bedside or in your car and dip into when you need another hit. It's difficult to pick favourites, but one or two of these accounts, like Larry Fleming's Cloud racing, a tale of pushing just a little too hard in the Owens, and Doug Johnson's The day the Spud Club was formed, about the taking of the Chelan Butte distance record, are examples of all that is fine about the all-on-your-ownsome endeavour that is XC flying.