The Rocketbelt Caper by Paul Brown
When three friends set out on a quest to build a real-life Buck Rogers-style flying machine, their obsession with the Rocketbelt 2000, or "Pretty Bird", shattered their friendship and set in motion an astonishing chain of events involving theft, deception, assault, a bizarre kidnapping, a ten million dollar lawsuit and a horrifically brutal murder. From sci-fi to reality, this is the true story of the amazing rocketbelt.
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The Rocketbelt
The rocket-powered backpack was popularised in fiction by Buck Rogers and James Bond, but was developed for real for the US Army in the 1960s. The book's opening reveals its secret history. Read an extract (PDF).
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The Caper
When three friends built their own rocketbelt, the project spiralled wildly out of control. The book investigates the murder of Joe Wright and the whereabouts of the missing Rocketbelt 2000. Preview the book at Google Book Search.
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Press & Media
The book is based on my 2003 JACK magazine feature (PDF). More recently, I've written about rocketbelts for The Guardian. Web coverage for the book can be found via this Google Search.
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Rocketbelt Movies
A movie version of The Rocketbelt Caper is in the pipeline. In the meantime, check out my YouTube playlist of Rocketbelt videos, featuring amazing real footage of rocketbelts in flight.
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The Book
 The Rocketbelt Caper
A True Tale of Invention, Obsession and Murder
by Paul Brown
Non-Fiction Paperback
Tonto Press UK £8.99
ISBN 9780955218378
Want a signed copy? Please me.
'We finished the rocketbelt, and from then on there was murder, kidnapping, and all kinds of other stuff' - Brad Barker
'A delight to read... Recommended.'
- Popular Science UK
'Reads like good movie material.'
- BBC Focus
'Begins with a brief history of rocketbelts that's probably the best ever in print.'
- Beam Jockey
'This book is a must have.' - Airwalker Society of Rocketbelt Enthusiasts
Also: Canada / France / Germany / Japan
and Worldwide direct from the publisher.
Trouble getting hold of a copy? me.
I'm happy to ship signed copies worldwide.
 The Test Run
In 2005 I sold 250 copies of an early draft to rocketbelt fans, receiving strong reviews and attracting the interest of movie producers. The test run is out of print.
Rocketbelt fans should check out Peter Gijsberts' website www.rocketbelt.nl.
For further info please me.
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