Wings of Fire: An Autobiography is the life story of Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, showing how a boy from a small town in Rameswaram becomes India’s “Missile Man” and later the President, through hard work, faith, and service to the country.

The book begins with Kalam’s childhood in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, in a poor but close-knit Muslim family. His father is a boat owner and imam, known for honesty and simplicity, and his mother is caring and deeply religious. The young Kalam sells newspapers to support the family while going to school, grows up amid strong Hindu–Muslim friendship, and learns early lessons in discipline, humility, and respect for all religions. Teachers and family members encourage his interest in mathematics and science, planting the idea that education can lift him beyond his circumstances.

As he grows, Kalam studies physics and then aerospace engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology, where he faces money problems and self-doubt but is pushed by strict professors to think big and work precisely. After graduating, he trains at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore, learning about aircraft engines, and dreams of becoming a pilot. When he fails to get into the Indian Air Force, he is devastated, but a meeting with spiritual teacher Swami Sivananda helps him accept failure and focus on serving in other ways. He then joins the Defence Ministry’s technical department and later the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The middle part of the book covers his crucial years at ISRO, where he leads teams working on India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3). Kalam describes visits to NASA and other US facilities that expand his vision of what India can achieve. Back home, early launch attempts fail, causing public criticism and deep disappointment in the team, but the scientists analyze their mistakes and try again. Eventually, the successful SLV-3 launch places the Rohini satellite into orbit, marking a turning point for Indian space science and for Kalam personally as a capable leader of large, complex missions.

Later, Kalam moves to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and becomes the key figure in India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, overseeing missiles like Agni and Prithvi. These chapters show political pressures, technology embargoes, and resource constraints that India faces, but also the determination of Indian scientists to achieve self-reliance in defence technology. He highlights the importance of teamwork, the mentoring he receives from leaders like Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan, and Brahm Prakash, and his own efforts to inspire young engineers to believe in a stronger India.

Throughout the autobiography, Kalam interweaves technical achievements with reflections on spirituality, ethics, and leadership. He believes that science and faith can coexist, and often quotes the Quran, Bhagavad Gita, and other spiritual texts. He emphasizes that failures are steps toward success if one has the courage to learn from them, and that great dreams turn into reality only through sustained effort. The book ends with his vision of India as a developed, confident nation built by educated, value-driven youth who dare to dream big and give “wings” to the inner fire present in every person.

Wings of Fire An Autobiography