3 comments about A Journal for Christa: Christa McAuliffe, Teacher in Space.

1. This book is honest and touching. Rarely do we receive the privelege of being allowed into the heart of a mother who has lost a son or daughter. So much is learned from Corrigan's novel.



2. Unlike most books about Christa McAuliffe this one discuses Christa's life before the selection as teacher in space as well as after the selection process and it is written by the person who knew her like no one else, her mother. We learn of Christa's childhood and her spirt and joy that stayed with her during the course of her whole life. Nothing could take this away from her and with it she enriched and touched the lives of every student she had. Corrigan's book using letters and family history paints a touching portrait of Christa no one else could. Everyone should read this book and it will uplift you farther than you ever thought possible and give you a whole new out look on teachers and what the power they have to uplift. No matter what your backround is you will benefit from having read this book.



3. This book is written by the mother of the Late Christa McAullife.It was a wonderful book!Interesting and a inside look at the excitement they felt being chosen then the tradgedy they felt after the Loss of her.It basicly is a bio about Christa.

5 comments about Leap of Faith: An Astronaut's Journey into the Unknown.

1. In 'Leap of Faith,' Gordon Cooper adds his voice to the growing chorus of former military pilots and officers who have had direct experience with the alien presence, a presence the `Robertson Panel' has tried desperately to hide using the CIA's array of obedient "media assets." Though most of the old Cold Warriors fought the good fight to keep Americans ignorant about alien visitors, often right up until their deaths, quite a few have realized democracy doesn't function very well under such institutional self-deception. The lies have corrupted our government, weakened our economy, and spawned criminality in high places. If only America had a few thousand more voices like Cooper's!
   
   This book is, of course, much more than a tale of aliens and their craft. It is the story of an adventurer who went where no one had gone before, at a time when technology was barely adequate to get him there. That took intellect and guts. But in my mind, it is Cooper's unwillingness to knuckle under to NASA's oppressive secrecy rules that makes him stand out among the astronaut corps, most of whom have kept their mouths shut about NASA's most significant discoveries.
   
   Readers who have swallowed the official lie hook line and sinker may find it hard to accept the notion of aliens among us, but that is because they are deeply ignorant of our history. They were too young to remember when close-up `flying saucer' reports by commercial and military pilots filled the nation's newspapers. They don't recall when President Eisenhower tried to assure Americans, on the front page of the Dec. 16, 1954 'New York Times,' that the Earth was not being invaded by saucers from outer space. By 1953, the military machinery of censorship and propaganda began to torque down. Gradually, these stunning press accounts disappeared. The UFOs did not go away but press coverage did. That was good enough to fool a great many people.
   
   To be sure, there have been many leaks since. In 1988, Maurice Chatelein, the brilliant engineer who designed the Apollo communications and data-processing system, confided in his book 'Cosmic Ancestors,' that some of the Gemini and Apollo craft had been followed by "space vehicles of extraterrestrial origin." NASA, he said, kept this information very quiet. This was confirmed by Col. Philip J. Corso in 'The Day After Roswell' (pp. 128-129). And there have been other such voices, most unheeded by America's sheep-like news media.
   
   But you don't need to take their word for NASA's secrecy. Check out the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1203, Subpart B, which spells out the procedures for keeping sensitive NASA information Top Secret, Secret, and Restricted. Or consider that NASA plays a key role in administering the Invention Secrecy Act of 1951, under which thousands of innovations have been classified for "national security" reasons.
   
   NASA gets mighty nervous when UFO researchers get together to discuss space propulsion with its personnel, as they did in 1999. To make certain nothing classified got out, it sent Special Agent Keith Tate to monitor the event, as reported in the Oct. 8, 1999, San Francisco 'Examiner.'
   
   As for face-to-face meetings with aliens, RAF Air Marshall Peter Horsley, an aide to Britain's Prince Philip, reported just such an experience in his 1997 autobiography, 'Sounds from a Distant Room.' Horsley also reported that British pilots, too, have had their share of aerial close encounters.
   
   The gullible skeptics are being slowly dragged, kicking and screaming, toward the realization that they have been soundly hoodwinked by their own government. Is it so surprising that they lash out so emotionally at messengers like Gordon Cooper who bear such ego-shattering news?



2. Very good book as long as it deals with the space program, full of anecdotes. I learned a lot. (I have almost 150 books about the American Space Program). If you believe in UFO's then you will love all the book, if you don't you may be disappointed by some of Gordon Cooper's allegations.



3. This work has produced a rather hefty array of responses from Amazon readers, many of whom are stridently opposed to Cooper's career-long pursuit of the secrets of UFO's and other mysterious new technologies, and others who see in the Mercury astronaut a hero of what now appears to be a cause losing steam. Our focus here is on the book, however. For as several reviewers have correctly observed, this is a tale of two Gordo's, one battling the unknowns of space, and the other battling the knowns of the NASA/military industrial complex.
   
   Unfortunately, neither tale is particularly compelling. The account of the astronaut's career, coming as it did in 2000, was the tail of the dog in a string of early astronaut autobiographies as the pioneers rushed to beat the Grim Reaper with their version of events. As to the second, Cooper's extensive research and observations about UFO's are not as deliciously crazy as some would like us to believe, either. In fact, some of his conjectures about alien propulsion systems and the like are rather fascinating to the layman.
   
   While Cooper has been a busy man since leaving NASA thirty-something years ago, it would seem that something he neglected to do is read what others around the space program were writing in those three decades, and specifically what they were writing about him. One Amazon reader in this sequence of reviews reports to having collected 150 such volumes himself. The general consensus of post-Apollo writers seems to be that Cooper's years with NASA are somewhat enigmatic. One of the original seven Mercury astronauts, he was the last one to fly, a statement of sorts about how the NASA hierarchy regarded him. [Oddly, NASA's "the best shall be first" policy in Mercury resulted in Cooper's complex and spectacularly successful Faith 7 two-day marathon, the last flight in the Mercury series.]
   
   Cooper and Pete Conrad would fly the Gemini 5 mission in the summer of 1965 to test fuel cells, endurance and, as the author observes wryly, defecation technique. But after Gemini 5, Cooper becomes an invisible man. He was designated to the back-up crews of three future flights, the last of which, Apollo 13, he turned down as a political slight.
   
   So why did the hero of Faith 7 fall out of favor in succeeding years? This is the question most readers today would probably bring to the book. The author himself never does soul-searching about his own role in why his space career stalled. Instead he boils his dilemma down to two words: Al Shepard. Cooper believes that Shepard, embittered by his health problems and eager to get back into rotation, used his influence with Deke Slayton, then assigning crews, to keep the Mercury hero under the radar. Cooper's distrust of Shepard appears to date back to his Faith 7 days in 1963 when he asked Wally Schirra to privately tail Shepard, then Cooper's back-up, during pre-flight training.
   
   Cooper cites the Shepard/Slayton cabal as symptomatic of the increasing bureaucracy of NASA, the military, and the federal government. He notes, for example, his complaint in a conversation with President Lyndon Johnson that his photography from Gemini 5 had been seized and classified. Johnson coolly informed him that he, the president, had given the order. It is important for the reader to observe keenly Cooper's misadventures with government entities, for they are of one weave with his later criticisms of government cover-up in the reporting of UFO sightings and general hostility toward individuals like himself at the outer margins of technology, from this world or another.
   
   If Cooper feels that he was blackballed by Shepard and Slayton, what can we say of astronauts Jim Lovell, Frank Borman, Gene Cernan, and Pete Conrad, to name several whose careers thrived under the Slaton-Shepard regime? Lovell, in fact, flew four space missions [two Gemini, two Apollo] after Cooper's Gemini 5, and he is living proof that the "evil duo" was not completely adverse to the emergence of "stars" in the astronaut corps.
   
   No, the answer to Cooper's dilemma is more personal, and probably reflects nagging doubts in NASA about Cooper's manageability and application to the growing complexity of the space business. In this Cooper was hardly alone. Nearly all of the original Mercury Seven had difficulty adjusting to a bigger astronaut corps, greater bureaucracy, public relations, politics, and the general idea of "teamwork." It is no accident that Schirra and Shepard, the two Mercury veterans to fly Apollo, each chose all rookie teams. [Walt Cunningham of Apollo 7 would refer to Schirra as "the cock of the walk."] Schirra himself found the new NASA so discomfiting that he passed on a sure moon landing assignment and retired.
   
   Because Cooper does not really address his own career difficulties with insight, the charges of some historians that Cooper did not train or apply himself sufficiently will still be left to hang out there in the foreseeable future. This is regrettable, because Cooper, like his colleague Scotty Carpenter, was one of the true multidimensional human beings of the early space program. And I give him a great deal of credit for his respect of John Glenn and others for whom timing and luck made them national heroes.
   
   Given Cooper's colorful space career, his subsequent employment by Disney, among others, comes as little surprise. The intrepid pilot of Faith 7 became--how can I put it?--a magnet for scientific entrepreneurs, some of remarkable brilliance, some eccentrics, and some undecipherable. Cooper apparently never lost touch with his astronaut friends, but he certainly picked up new ones along the way, including the mysterious clairvoyant and purveyor of character Valerie Ransone who seems to have preoccupied his personal and scientific attentions for a period in the 1980's. Perhaps if he had met Valerie in 1965, it would be Gordon Cooper making that giant leap for mankind.



4. I too was first confused by Coopers reference to the Saturn VIII. After reading other books about Chris Kraft and Werner Von Braun, it dawned on me that he was referring to the Nova rocket that was on the drawing boards in the early sixties by Werner Von Braun. See the Wikipedea for more information. The Nova rocket was conceptualized before the powers that be decided on the LOR (Lunar Orbit Rendevous). Everybody, including Von Braun thought the best approach was the direct ascent, which was to land a rocket vertically and blast off from the moon and return home. The other option explored was (EOR) or Earth Orbit and Rendevous, where the componets for direct ascent were to be launched individually and assembled in earth orbit, then on to the moon. The winner, LOR, was scoffed, but through perseverance, it won out as the quickest way to get to the moon with the lightest payload. Therefore, the Nova (Coopers Saturn VIII) was never needed.
   
   I'll admit this threw me for a while too. It was worded as if it existed. It never existed beyond the conceptual level. Wikipedia has a picture showing it having a 50' diameter first stage and 8 engines while the Saturn V had a 33' diameter first stage and 5 engines. The height would have been just 10' taller than the Saturn V. It would have been a beast at lift off.
   
   I thought the UFO reference's a little far fetched, and I've read that the confication of film after the gemini lauch was improbable. Cooper says the film was developed right there on the recovery ship and I've heard this was never the procedure. Maybe he's right and their is a conspiracy after all!



5. Over the past few years I have rediscovered my fascination with the 1960s space race by reading several books by or about people connected with NASA back in those glory days. After reading "Leap of Faith" I have now read biographies of all the Mercury Seven astronauts. The good news is that Gordon Cooper's book is easily one of the most interesting. The bad news is that I don't exactly mean that as a compliment.
   
   For about two thirds of this book Cooper recounts his days with NASA and here he is, pardon the expression, on solid ground. The passages feel a bit rushed and his interpretation of events differ from other viewpoints you may have read, but he's Gordon Cooper and he's earned the right to have his say.
   
   Unfortunately, the NASA days are only part of Cooper's life story and it's the remaining one third of the book where he drives himself into the ditch. I knew from other sources that Cooper firmly believes flying saucers have visited the Earth and our government has conspired to keep the truth from us. I don't believe this myself, but again, he's Gordon Cooper and he has earned my respect. I was willing to listen to what he had to say.
   
   A few UFO stories would have been fine, but Cooper shoots himself in the foot and destroys whatever credibility he had when he recounts his relationship with Valerie Ransone who he met in the late 70s. Ransone claimed to receive telepathic messages from space aliens and wanted to use the knowledge she was gaining to start something called the Advanced Technology Group. Of course, this group needed some funding to get itself going.
   
   Rarely, if ever, have I read a book before where something becomes painfully obvious to the reader but of which the author remains blissfully unaware. Ransone begins to use Cooper for his name and prestige to obtain money for what is nothing more than a huge scam. Cooper never seems to catch on. His viewpoint always seems to be "It might be true, therefore it is true."
   
   The lowest point in this silliness comes when Ransone announces that the aliens are coming to Earth to give Cooper a ride in one of their saucers. Cooper, as gullible as can be, prepares for his expectant UFO flight just as he had for any of his NASA missions. It comes as absolutely no surprise, to anyone but Cooper I guess, when shortly before the flight the aliens are forced to cancel. Apparently there was a political squabble over this proposed flight back on the homeworld. Darn the luck.
   
   One is left to wonder if Cooper really believed all this nonsense or if he was just including it as a way to make his book stand out and sell a few more copies. Either way, it's a pretty poor way for a true American hero to act.

5 comments about The Unbroken Chain: Apogee Books Space Series 20 (Apogee Books Space Series).

1. Once I started reading the book, I couldn't put it down. I know Bob Crippen and to read about the jokes they played on each other to break the monotony up was great. Guenter did a great job with this book. For any Space History buff this is a great addtion to the library.



2. I worked as an engineer on the Gemini and Apollo projects, with McDonnell in St. Louis and at the Cape, working for Boeing on Apollos 8 through 13. Guenter's stories brought back many similar memories.

   I can personally attest to Guenter's reputation at the Cape as the "Pad Führer"; nobody wanted to cross him! He was truly a legend in his own time.

   Unfortunately, my enjoyment of the book was hampered by many technical and historical errors. However, most readers will not be aware of these and will enjoy it.




3. While I agree that a chapter about Guenter's pre-NASA life really would have been a Good Thing, this book is fabulous.

   I have read about 10 memoirs/books on apollo/gemini/mercury. This stands out in the following ways:

   - very good at getting the feel of the human beings and personalities, and a feel for Guenter himself.

   - wonderful humor and jokes scattered across.

   - details on pre-flight launch pad testing and procedures that are hard to find elsewhere.




4. As an engineer who grew up on the back gate of NASA-JSC, I really enjoyed reading Guenter's Story. I enjoyed the easy to read format, the larger print, and the funny stories that Guenter tied in, especially the one on the CB radio out in the Mojave desert where the operator on the receiving end asked Guenter, "what's your handle?" Guenther replied, "Col. Klink." The operator said, "you've got that accent down pat. You sound just like him!"

   Seriously, the one thing that strikes me about several books out about the early days of the space race are the long hours, dedication, and committment that many engineers, scientists, technicians, and astronauts put in to reach the nation's goal of getting to the moon before 1970. Guenter described in detail the operations of the former McDonnell Corporation, and more companies today NEED to be organized the way James McDonnell (Mr. Mac) was back in the old days where things got DONE. The old McDonnell Corporation ran efficiently, and with very little (if any) beaurocratic "B.S." Mr. Mac would appoint someone in McDonnell to have full authority over one area and make decisions independently (this was Guenter Wendt), and he gave that single person control over the budget (the petty cash fund was sometimes used for sandwiches and coffee when Guenter and his crew were working late nights). Mr. Mac put QUITE A BIT OF TRUST IN HIS EMPLOYEES!! Mr. Mac would send them to school (Guenter took engineering classes in St. Louis), and Mr. Mac would even invite the astronauts over to his home for dinner (Guenter did the same thing - astronauts would go out on his boat or sleep on his couch). Mr. Mac was a man who treated his employees with respect and trust. He helped them learn and invested in them.

   It was great to read a different story from a man involved in the early days of space flight. Guenter Wendt was a good leader, he would jump through hoops to get things done (such as the flag at the back entrance of the cape), and I loved the story about the painting that went on at Edwards AFB. There are other stories about problem solving, and getting around the beaurocratic "BS".

   The epilogue gives insights for the public on getting back into space more aggressively. Congress-take these into consideration. Smaller projects from private investments, such as the X-Prize projects, is a good start. Let's go back now. I'm game for designing a nuclear powered rocket, a smaller shuttle, or a single stage to orbit launch vehicle.

   Thanks for your insights, Mr. Guenter Wendt. More engineers and administrators are needed like you and James McDonnell (Mr. Mac) more than ever today.




5. Memoirs are in vogue for the pioneers of the space age. In the last few years memoirs have appeared by astronauts Gene Cernan, John Glenn, Gordon Cooper, Wally Schirra, Alan Bean, Deke Slayton, Alan Shepard, Gene Cernan, Jim Lovell, Apollo flight directors Gene Kranz and Chris Kraft, Marshall Space Flight Center engineer Homer Hickam, Jr., and Lunar Module designer Tom Kelly. This is another memoir from the heroic era of human space flight, but one from a unique vantagepoint. Guenter Wendt was the legendary "pad leader" for all of the human space launches from the first Mercury mission in 1961 through the last Apollo flights.

   German born, with a rich accent that remains to the present, as a McDonnell and later North American Rockwell employee Guenter Wendt held responsibility for capsule test, checkout, and launch operations at America's spaceport at Cape Canaveral, Florida. In that capacity he crossed paths with every astronaut and many of NASA's senior officials in a career that ended with his retirement in 1989. This memoir, co-written with Russell Still, is filled with dozens of such stories about those interactions-some classic, many never revealed before, a few embarrassing, even more humorous-about the astronauts, technicians, engineers and other officials Wendt interacted with for three decades.

   Wendt describes in this book a relentless pursuit of excellence, safety, and security both for his team and the mission under his care. Astronauts respectfully called him "Pad Fuhrer," a term not always used with affection. Wendt's emphasis on successfully completing the mission, ensuring the safety of the astronauts, and creatively sidestepping bureaucracy earned the admiration of many. His determined approach to the work, and the way in which he took personal responsibility for what happened on his launch pad became legendary along Florida' Space Coast. Many astronauts recall how Wendt strapped them into their capsules, shook their hands, offered words of support, and closed the hatch, the last person seen before their trip into space. In those moments, they were thankful for his abrasive attention to detail and his forceful leadership on the launch pad.

   Wendt's memoir is replete with good-natured stories, and some that are not so good-natured, many of which are the stuff of legend. It should come as no surprise to anyone that many astronauts had a wild, devil-may-care side to their personalities. From Gus Grissom's sexual peccadilloes to Alan Shepard's practical jokes to John Glenn's stuffed shirt persona that wasn't, Wendt adds several wild new chapters to the antics of the astronauts.

4 comments about Waystation to the Stars.

1. One wife of an Apollo Astronaut once said, "If you think it's hard being an astronaut, you should be his wife." In this book the viewpoint of Colin Foal, a RAF pilot with a distinguished career in his own right, shows the view of the Foale Clan here in the US and England whlie son and NASA Astronaut Michael Foal spends 4 months on the Mir Space Station. During his stay, astronaut Foale contends with an onboard collision, power failures and the workings of Mir, built for 5 years in space and still going on. On earth the Foale family contends with the media quick to point out the problems of the weary station without recognizing the achievements made by Foale and his Russian crewmates. A great read to gain insight into living on the Mir and how the family at home copes with the perils of spaceflight.



2. One wife of an Apollo Astronaut once said, "If you think it's hard being an astronaut, you should be his wife." In this book the viewpoint of Colin Foal, a RAF pilot with a distinguished career in his own right, shows the view of the Foale Clan here in the US and England whlie son and NASA Astronaut Michael Foal spends 4 months on the Mir Space Station. During his stay, astronaut Foale contends with an onboard collision, power failures and the workings of Mir, built for 5 years in space and still going on. On earth the Foale family contends with the media quick to point out the problems of the weary station without recognizing the achievements made by Foale and his Russian crewmates. A great read to gain insight into living on the Mir and how the family at home copes with the perils of spaceflight.



3. As a Brit, and having followed Mike Foales exploits at NASA this book just adds to the hope that some things really are possible, no matter how hard they may seem. But the beauty of it is simply that through this book, he seems just a normal guy, just like any of us. It doesn't swamp you with the science, but shows the human side to the challenges we face, and makes you smile through little things like him reminding his wife to pay the bills whilst he's on the Mir and promising to put the rubbish out again once he's back.

   Having read "Dragonfly" I was worried that it would be a re-hash, but I can say that it most certainly is not. The tone is different (no doubt because it is written by his father) and it adds a far greater insight into what the crew experienced.

   It was definitely "un-put-downable" and I've even re-read the book which, trust me, I rarely do. Definitely the best by a long way in comparison with "Dragonfly" and Linenger's new offering.




4. This is the story of Michael Foale's stay aboard Mir, as related by his father Colin. It would be hard to find a more enthusiastic and joyful astronaut than Michael, even though his life had been touched by tragedy he seems to have enjoyed every moment of what was an eventful and dangerous mission aboard Mir. Fire, collision, computer failure - the spacecraft was a basket case, but Michael was unfailingly cheerful as he helped patch it up as well as keep in contact with a multitude of correspondents by e-mail.

   His father tells Michael's story as well as that of his family and he share's his son's delight in life. This is a remarkable story of what could so easily have been a tale of bitter disappointment.

   Reccomended reading for those interested in the US-Russian space alliance in general and Mir in particular.

5 comments about Amelia Earhart's Daughters: The Wild And Glorious Story Of American Women Aviators From World War II To The Dawn Of The Space Age.

1. The stories of women innovators always excite, but the story told by Haynsworth and Toomey is inspirational. More than a feel-good book, however, this book ranks as the best historical text I've read since "The Rape of Europa." Amelia Earhart's Daughters should make its way into all high-school reading lists. The stories of these unknown angels are vital components of the story of women in the 20th Century.



2. I picked up this book on a friend's recommendation and with few expectations. I had had no interest in aviation, am a tremulous airplane passenger, and when my fourth grade class assembled to watch the histoic moon landing, I had more interest in one small boy next to me than I did in one small step for man. Not anymore. Haynsworth's and Toomey's gripping narrative style and rigorous scholarship provide what few history books do, page-turning excitement. This book conveys the miraculous wonder that spectators must have experienced at early barn-storming events: breathless amazement at mankind flying high and fast beyond the clouds and straight into the impossible. From contraptions of wood and wire, barely recognizable as planes, to 6.2 million pound machines hurtling through the air at speeds of 6,000 miles an hour, Amelia Earhart's Daughters presents the great scope of the history of women in aviation. Walk, run, hell, fly to your nearest bookstore and pick up this book, you'll be glad you did and grateful to these pioneer women aviators and the authors for letting you share the ride.



3. This is a good book. I liked the people in it and the stories were interesting. There was a lot of stuff here I never knew before.



4. Hainsworth and Toomey have done an excellent job in creating an overview of women as pilots and the special challenges they met in WWII through the Mercury Astronaut testing program. Their research is sound, the writing is easy to digest. They do credit to two groups of women who have been often kept from the history books.



5. This book seems more intent on making a case that women were overlooked as pilots rather than on telling their story. None of the women come to life; rather than presenting fresh information, this book recycles anecdotes and headlines into a narrative. The listing of the names and backgrounds of the women who participated in the WASPs and in the astronaut training program resembles nothing as much as a litany of saints, with no fleshing out of them as real people. And the author applies today's standards retroactively and asks "why" rather than explains the reasons for the prevailing attitude of the times, and in one MAJOR instance the author presents discredited information as truth.
   
   Jackie Cochran was not an orphan, and she grew up with her biological family; she invented the story of being an orphan for Life Magazine. And she didn't pick the name "Cochran" at random; Cochran was the name of her first husband. This error is made all the more egregious by the way the author makes the mystery of Jackie's origin a lynchpin of her story, stating that the letter informing her who her parents were remained sealed until her husband's death, whereupon it was burned! The author obviously did no original research, but simply repeated the standard story.
   
   There is a real story about women aviators in the 20th century, but this isn't where to look to find it. What must have really happened is faintly visible between the lines, despite the author's attempts to simplify the story and give it a soft golden glow. These women deserve better.

5 comments about One Giant Leap: Neil Armstrong's Stellar American Journey.

1. The book cover tells us that Wagener was a journalist for 30 years. This book makes me wonder what kind of journalist he was. The book is full of inaccuracies. Some examples: he calls cosmonaut Alexi Leonov Alexi Leonor; he states that Christa McAuliffe was selected as the Teacher in Space because she won a "Why I Want to Go Into Space" essay. (cheapening her hard work and ultimate sacrifice); he writes the shuttle's solid rocket boosters fall into the ocean and are never used again even though they are recovered, refurbished, and reused. There is no documentation for statements he makes that contradict other records. This is poorly written and researched book. I have told my wife, who is the director of our local library, not to waste money buying the book. I won't donate my copy to the library. Ignore the book and read the books written by those who were a part of the effort of going to the moon.



2. What a terrible biography! Leon Wagener's book is full of inaccuracies, is based upon "interviews" conducted with those tied to Armstrong that many of the interviewees claim never occurred, and is yet another shameful example of a writer with marginal talent propagating the same tired, FALSE urban legends about the first man on the Moon that have been circulating for decades. I look forward to the day when Mr. Armstrong will allow a true writer to accurately and justly tell his remarkable story. Leon Wagoner should stick to his day job as a writer for Star Magazine!



3. If you want to know about Neil Armstrong - the real man, not the man conjured up in some author's mind - read "First Man" by James Hansen. Hansen actually sat down for 50+ hours of interviews with Armstrong himself.
   
   As they say - "from the horse's mouth".



4. I found this book similar to modern movies that are all special effects and no substance. Almost everything is told in an over dramatic way. The author tries to build excitement by creating it himself, rather than just telling the story. This book pales in comparison with astronaut Michael Collin's excellent autobiography, "Carrying the Fire".



5. The author seems to have prided himself on his research and cites where he gets most of his information right in the text. This style disrupts the story telling, at least for me. But all in all, the book did a good job of telling the story of Neil Armstrong - the first man on the moon. I have not read any other biographies of Armstrong, but compared with biographies of other astronauts this book is fair.

No comments about From Laika With Love.

3 comments about Light This Candle: The Life and Times of Alan Shepard.

1. 
   The hardback version of this book was an extremely entertaining read, but was unfortunately marred by many basic factual errors. It is good to see that the author took the time to fix the major ones for this paperback edition - it is a much better read for it.



2. I found this bio to be well written, and informative on not only Shepard, but also the Mercury Seven and the beginnings of NASA. It charts the mans abilities, and also his shortcomings, and well evokes the period of the space race. I thoroughly enjoyed it, highly recommend it and recommend the From Earth to the Moon miniseries as a good companion piece.



3. If you are one of the older generation who lived through the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, this is a well written, well researched book on Alan Shephard. Shephard and Grissom are two of my all-time heroes. It was a good read, as this talented author's always are!

5 comments about High Calling: The Courageous Life and Faith of Space Shuttle Columbia Commander Rick Husband.

1. Very meaningful personal testimony to a most important event in our Nation's history.
   Should be read by everyone.



2. The book High Calling is good. I recommend that if you enjoy real life novels you buy this book. It is about the astronaut Rick Husband and his wife Evelyn Husband. I liked it for that reason. Also, it gets to the point without too much detail but it has enough. It was also interesting how it told about all of the procedures that astronauts do and how their lives are. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about real people in real situations. Another good thing is that the book is spiritual and tells people who read it to become more spiritual.



3. I was surprised how really good this book was. As well as telling you tons of fascinating info about NASA and lots of interesting detail about the work of the astronauts, the reader is given an intimate look into what their families are put through. I highly recommend it.



4. I read this book and re-read it several times. Evelyn Husband did an excellent job describing the life of Rick Husband in this book. Some folks accuse her of being preachy, but what those folks need to know is that faith and religion is such a big part of Rick Husband's (and his family's) life that if she hadn't written it all, it would not have accurately portrayed the life that Rick Husband lived. This book changed my life in many more ways that not even people closest to me ever had. This book changed me from a nominal believer to a dedicated believer. This book helped me set my priorities correct in my life. It showed me the value of dedication, hard work, faith, and determination. In fact, this book has become my "Bible". After reading this book, Rick Husband and his family have and will always have a very special place in my heart.



5. The Courage and Faith that Commander Husband exhibited in his life is to be admired! My 15 year old grandaughter wanted this for Christmas and she shared it with me. The title really tells you about his life: "High Calling".

5 comments about Two Sides of the Moon: Our Story of the Cold War Space Race.

1. I bought this book just a month ago while in a business trip and I must admit that my first impression was that the book was a sort of commercial best-seller, rather hollywood-like. So I was not expecting serious really serious content. But the more I read, the more I came to the conclussion it was a really good book.
   
   I had not the kind of tech-focused expectations of Thomas Moody (see useful review above), but I think it is serious enough for the non-tech or specialized public, whithout been arcane. It's rigorous and at the same time, very readable. A real page-turner.
   
   I think that the book is worth the money. Provides a smart picture not only of space race but also of cold war in a wider sense, from a special and interesting point of view.
   
   Overall, the point with the book is that it is based on two different careers and lives, wich brings a richer depiction of the evolution, both professional and personal of this two outstanding men, astronaut and cosmonaut, at the same time that their respective space programs in Soviet Union and USA.
   
   My congratulations to the authors, the journalist, editors and all people involved in the project. A very well balanced approach on how to present the story and how to narrate it. They've got a great result.
   
   I really enjoyed this book.



2. From all reports, the Cold War was competition between America and Russia to see who could get to the moon and win the "Space Race." Actually, it was who could design and manufacture nuclear arms to blast the other country off into space. So, this book has an odd coupling: an old Soviet astronaut, the first man to "walk in space," and a younger NASA Apollo commander who piloted Gemini 8. I watched all of those missions faithfully until the fatal explosion; after that, it was too traumatic to hear those words, "Go with throttle up."
   
   Alexei Leonov starts with "Temperatures drop to below -50 deg. C in the small village of Listvyanka, Central Sibreia, USSR, where I was born on 30 May 1934." When he was four years old, his father was declared a subversive during the Stalin purge, so they lost everything and had to live in one room with eleven occupants.
   
   David Scott came from a military family, born at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, USA. Before his father became a "fighter pilot," he had an administrative job in a Hollywood film studio in California. David followed in the footsteps of his dad, acted as a technical advisre on the film, 'Apollo 13.'
   
   These two military "commanders" from warring countries have nothing in common, except the moondance in space, as it is more an illusion. Their experiences were not even close. Granted, Leonov was the first man to "walk in space," securing a place in history. Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon in actuality; he was the commander of Apollo 11. After spending three days on the moon, David Scott became the seventh to hop around up there collecting souvenirs.
   
   The photo sections speak a lot louder than the words. I'm not sure the average American citizen is ready to be reminded of all the personal terror and pain we endured for so long by their bullying and threats. The title should be called 'Opposite Sides on Earth," opponents to the end. You would think that, by now, USA would realize that trusting one's former enemy can backfire even in defeat.



3. "Two Sides of the Moon" is a fascinating addition to the library of any space historian, whether casual or professional. The book, written by American Astronaut Dave Scott and Soviet Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, focuses on personal and professional struggles set within the political framework of the 1960s (and early 1970s) cold war.
   
   Although I would have preferred more technical detail in the book, I still enjoyed it very much though more from the human interest angle. I liked the technique of alternating narratives from the American and Soviet points of view: the book was skillfully written to reveal the emotions and perceptions of both sides of the space race during key points in the race to the moon (Sputnik, the Apollo 1 fire, Apollo 11, etc.) I found both authors to be likable and appreciated their willingness to share credit with people unknown to the general public, from important organizational keys like Bill Tindall's famous (within NASA, anyway) Data Priority Meetings (and their resultant "Tindallgrams," page 194,) to the awe with which Leonov held Sergei Korolev, the Soviet Chief Designer, whose death all but dashed Soviet attempts to land on the moon prior to the Americans.
   
   The book has an upbeat and optimistic tone, and is good-natured throughout. I enjoyed the behind the scenes trivia the pair provided. Did you know that the first animals to achieve circumlunar flight were a pair of Steppe Tortoises on the Soviet Zond-5 mission? The were recovered safe (but probably confused) in the Indian Ocean on September 17, 1968. Little known facts like this made this book a treasure for readers who traditionally focus on the more technical aspects of the missions.
   
   The book boasts an excellent Foreword by Neil Armstrong, Scott's commander from Gemini 8. Scott gives Armstrong ceaseless praise for his judgment during the emergency they shared, and it seems clear that Armstrong holds Scott in equally high esteem.
   
   The book is a great telling of a compelling tale. I particularly found the travails of Leonov's youth to be astounding, and admire him more after reading this book for overcoming them to become one of the great names in spaceflight. Likewise, Scott is a high achiever and role model for generations of spacefarers for generations to come. I recommend this book highly.



4. "Two Sides of the Moon" is a fascinating addition to the library of any space historian, whether casual or professional. The book, written by American Astronaut Dave Scott and Soviet Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, focuses on personal and professional struggles set within the political framework of the 1960s (and early 1970s) cold war.
   
   Although I would have preferred more technical detail in the book, I still enjoyed it very much though more from the human interest angle. I liked the technique of alternating narratives from the American and Soviet points of view: the book was skillfully written to reveal the emotions and perceptions of both sides of the space race during key points in the race to the moon (Sputnik, the Apollo 1 fire, Apollo 11, etc.) I found both authors to be likable and appreciated their willingness to share credit with people unknown to the general public, from important organizational keys like Bill Tindall's famous (within NASA, anyway) Data Priority Meetings (and their resultant "Tindallgrams,") to the awe with which Leonov held Sergei Korolev, the Soviet Chief Designer, whose death all but dashed Soviet attempts to land on the moon prior to the Americans.
   
   The book has an upbeat and optimistic tone, and is good-natured throughout. I enjoyed the behind the scenes trivia the pair provided. Did you know that the first animals to achieve circumlunar flight were a pair of Steppe Tortoises on the Soviet Zond-5 mission? The were recovered safe (but probably confused) in the Indian Ocean on September 17, 1968. Little known facts like this made this book a treasure for readers who traditionally focus on the more technical aspects of the missions.
   
   The book boasts an excellent Foreword by Neil Armstrong, Scott's commander from Gemini 8. Scott gives Armstrong ceaseless praise for his judgment during the emergency they shared, and it seems clear that Armstrong holds Scott in equally high esteem.
   
   The book is a great telling of a compelling tale. I particularly found the travails of Leonov's youth to be astounding, and admire him more after reading this book for overcoming them to become one of the great names in spaceflight. Likewise, Scott is a high achiever and role model for generations of spacefarers for generations to come. I recommend this book highly.



5. Very interesting concept of getting both perspectives on the space race but there are some errors in this book. One is so great I am amazed that no one else has mentioned it. On page 39, Leonov states that he met Ernest Hemingway in Cuba... in 1965... Hemingway died in 1961. Is this a simple typo? Or imperfect memory? In either case, there is only a very small window of opportunity for the two of them to meet as described in the book. Hemingway left Cuba in 1960, shortly after the revolution. Presumably, a Soviet cosmonaut would not be visiting Cuba before the revolution. If the meeting took place it could have only been sometime in 1960. This should have been caught in the editing stage.