5 comments about Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut.

1. Of all the astronaut memoirs, this has to be one of the most candid, funny, and poetic. Mullane pulls no punches about the politics and BS inside NASA, so you see the Shuttle program warts and all--its dangers, costs, and deaths. But he's a true romantic at heart and a superb writer talking about flight and exploration, and there may no better communicator of the overwhelming beauty he experienced in earth orbit. Highly recommended.



2. I was first introduced to the world of Mike Mullane as a motivational speaker. My company brought him in to talk about "Countdown to Teamwork". His inspiring words about the normalization of deviance was a wake up call for me and prompted me to read his book. I appreciated his wit, humor and honesty. I hated him in parts and I loved him in other pats of the book. He entertained me with his analogies and tales of the space program. I will say, I now have an appreciation for NASA and it's astronauts I never had before. His powerful message comes out in this book also. Fantastic read!



3. What a great book, couldn't put it down. This is a rare look at life as an astronaut, the ups and downs, the emotion, fear, and problems with management. First time I've ever heard an astronaut say that most of them are absolutely scared to death sitting on the launch pad, knowing they're sitting in a machine that could kill them in a variety of horrible ways, all while their families are watching. What makes this a rare find among the countless books written by those inside the space program is the complete lack of bravado. Mike shares his fears, how it affected his family and the families of his fellow astronauts, and the shared view among astronauts of how NASA management put safety behind politics. Some reviewers have stated that he is critical of John Young, and he is critical of John Young as a manager and the way political games affected flight assignments. But he obviously agrees that John Young was a phenomenal astronaut, just a lousy manager. Frankly, from interviews I have seen with John Young he doesn't seem to be the managerial type. Nothing wrong with that, his place was in the cockpit, not behind a desk. And it seems apparent to me from the many books and programs on the space program that I have read and seen that the political aspect of flight assignments dates back to the earliest days of the space program. This book is the first that I have read that confirms that view. If you're looking for a book that talks about the shuttle or mission detail, then this isn't the book for you. If you want to know what life as an astronaut is like behind the scenes, than this is as good as any I have read.



4. I just finished this book, and its one of the best books in my collection of hundreds. This is no ordinary account of the extraordinary. The author gets quite personal in his recollections from his career with NASA as a space shuttle astronaut. We get a very colorful, honest and sometimes brutal account of high and low points from a life long quest to be a participant in the awesome adventure of space travel. The author successfully conveys the fear and stress not only that he felt, but of all of the astronauts' families each time they sat on the launch pad to launch or more often to scrub and have to do it all again until God gives them a break. The outrageous politics of the time is laid bare as well as Mullane's severe political correctness deficits and his eventual respect for his female peers - he didn't care much for extreme feminist Sally Ride. In addition to the astronaut stuff, Mullane also puts his own personal life under the microscope. We learn about his relationship with his father and the unusual challenges he faced. The authors wife also must have agreed to let him write about her own personal tragedy and how she stood as a firm foundation for his accomplishments - and his miraculous near miss while thinking with the wrong part of his anatomy and potentially screwing his family all up. This is not dry material. Really, everything is in this book. I have to admit, the author jerked a bit of emotion out of me regarding challenger. His insider viewpoint made me feel very badly for those astronauts that were killed and all that were close to them. I highly recommend this book, it is a very interesting read.



5. He describes the beauty of outer space quite well, and his love of flying was apparent. I was surprised to read that some of the astronauts, like Mullane, routinely behaved like immature frat boys, but appreciated his honesty. His commentary on NASA's management style was absorbing. He echoed some of the findings of Richard Feynmann, the physicist who participated in the Challenger disaster investigation. Both described dysfunctional management styles of NASA.

5 comments about Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys.

1. The reason I don't like this book is because of Mr Collins self serving remarks about he has had it with being asked what it was like in outer space.He makes the stupid remark about punching somebody in the gut for smoking a cigar.Maybe he shouldn't have signed up for the program if he doesn't want to talk about the experience that most people will never have.Also I don't like him saying that People who want autographs deserve a special place in hell.



2. I highly recommend this book for anyone who grew up in the 60's and 70's and followed the world of NASA in it's golden years. Mike Collins blends a first person look at his life at NASA with humor, inside information, and gives the reader a real inside look at what it took to become an astronaut. Collins puts you in the spacecraft, takes you through this trials and tribulations both at NASA and in his personal life. He gives the reader all of "the right stuff."



3. Hi, Mike! Great book! I know a friend of yours--a long time friend--Robert Morris. I am glad you wrote this book. It is very interesting. I was glad to read your perception on Apollo 11. I was so worried about you all alone in your orbit around the moon. But I am glad you enjoyed your journey.
   
   I really enjoyed this book and I can recommend it to anyone. I am one of 2 gals who were engineers on the
   SI-C Stage at Michoud. I will love Apollo for the rest of my life.
   
   Sara Howard, Author of "Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Moon" and "The Greatest Explosions in the Universe."



4. The 1960s were the golden era of the nascent American manned space program. Astronaut Michael Collins captures the spirit and details of this period in a highly informative and interesting book. His writing style reflects his high intelligence and sense of humor. Among the various topics covered are the astronauts' selection process, training, project assignments and various space missions. The "creme da la creme" calibre of the astronauts becomes obvious, as does the rigor of their training program. The challenges handled by each Gemini mission and how they paved the way for the Apollo moon-missions are described in vivid detail. Collins also has interesting observations about the diverse personalities of his fellow astronauts and some other figures. Of particular note are his comments about his two fellow Apollo 11 colleagues: Neil Armstrong (commander) and Buzz Aldrin. The historic first moon-landing mission is described. The book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of science, technology and space exploration --- laymen and experts alike.



5. I love this book. I learned so much about the Apollo program without realizing I was learning!! Mr. Collins makes it very real and VERY approachable. One of my favorite books of all time.

5 comments about Voices from the Moon: Apollo Astronauts Describe Their Lunar Experiences.

1. If you are expecting a plain old review.You might be surprised. First I think this is a delicious book. Andrew Chalkin has written some very good books. He can draw out great responses from our guys who sailed the deep black of space. I want to tell you that the Apollo Astronauts were NOT hired to be talk show hosts. They were hired because they had the smarts and quick reflexes of fighter pilots.
   
   Attention all reviewers: were you there? I find that many reviewers are trying to review a book whose subject matter
   occurred before they were born. If you don't like the writing or the pictures, that's fine. Please leave MY astronauts alone.
   I am a very rare woman aerospace engineer who worked on the Saturn V during Apollo. I knew some of what happened. Of course,
   we gals were not allowed in space. Our number one priority was to send our Astronauts to the Moon and bring them home safely.
   We met our goal with everyone whole and intact. What a rush!
   
   Read this book with joy. We AMERICANS achieved the greatest feat in the history of mankind and changed the world forever.
   
   Sara Howard, Author of Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Moon and The Biggest Explosions in the Universe



2. The pictures in this book are good.As are some of the interviews.However,some are disappointing to me personally.If you want to read some good quotes go to this link: [...] There arre some great quotes there.But all in all a good book.However, Terry Sunday is correct:The astronauts are test pilots who don't easily show emotion.Still it is worth a read and I am honored to own it.



3. Voices from the moon is a well designed and printed telling of the experience of moon travel. It does not attempt to be a full history of the Apollo program or an of any one astronaut's story in-depth. Instead it breaks down the mission profile into various stages and uses those to organize excerpts from Chaikin's interviews with the astronauts. The organization is thus similar to the movie In the Shadow of the Moon. That said, Pete Conrad, Dave Scott and Stu Roosa still come across in some depth.
   
   The black of space is the distinctive visual theme. White on black often leads to eye fatigue but in this case it's OK, probably because you're only reading a page or two of text at a time. The images are very well selected, scanned & printed.



4. "There are lots of good books about the Apollo moon missions, but this is one of the best you can have to get close to the real human experience of getting there, being there, and coming home."That hits the nail on the head.Totally agree.Outstanding product quality...I can't quit looking at those outstanding pictures and read the never before heard comments from the Moonwalkers over and over.
   Excellent Book!Worthy every dime.



5. Chaikin has done it again with this volume that focuses on the visual aspect of the manned missions. Really gives you an inside look at what you have seen for so long. He'll make you think about things that perhaps never occurred to you, such as how dirty the astronauts got on the moon! Be warned: for a coffee table book, it does contain the often profane and obscene language of the astronauts.

5 comments about The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space.

1. Another excellent Astronaut book. Eugene Cernan and Don Davis wrote a great book.
   
   We see Gene's happy early childhood. Gene is a good student and with financial difficulty gets to go to college and goes in the Navy and becomes a Naval Aviator. He eventually gets his wings of gold and is carrier landing qualified. He is so grateful for the financial help from his parents to go to college. Gene's father is so proud of Gene's accomplishments but passes away before Gene walks on the moon.
   
   He marries his sweetheart Barbara and they raise a fine family. Barbara was Gene's rock and put up with many lonely nights and stuck with him and supported his intense lifestyle a long time. Later after Gene retires and still does not spend much time at home Barbara has enough and they divorce. Later Gene meets Jan who will be his second wife and they have kids. They live on a 400 acre ranch and raise cattle and horses and enjoy life with the grand kids.
   
   I've read almost all the astronaut books. Very little is said about the astronaut Roger Chaffee who never got a space shot and was killed with Gus Grissom and Ed White with the Apollo 1 fire. In The Last Man On The Moon we learn a little more about Roger Chaffee who was Cernan's friend and neighbor.
   
   Gene gets into NASA and has a stellar career with a Gemini flight and the second US spacewalk. We learn that working in space is extremely difficult and if not done properly with rest and hand holds/footholds for leverage much exertion is used. No one knew what to expect and poor Gene had to fight a unwieldy umbilical life line/snake. Too much exertion, bulky spacesuit and fogging visor so he could barley see and he didn't even get to try the Air Force multimillion dollar jet pack and had to dump it. Valuable lessons learned and information for Buzz Aldrin to do a better spacewalk next time. Gene also goes around the moon and tests the LM with Tom Stafford and gets very close to the moon.Gene was also the back up commander for Alan Shepard's Apollo 14 flight and eventually becomes friends with the Ice Commander. Later on Apollo 17 he is the commander and does land on the moon with the scientist/LM pilot Jack Schmitt (Dr. Rock) with CM pilot Evans orbiting the moon.
   
   They actually had a small nuclear power device with them and the moon rover.( The nuclear device is extremely interesting. Read about DR. Zuberin's Mars Direct approach to get to Mars 5 stars and using a nuclear reactor on Mars) So many experiments and rock samples taken by Gene and Jack. A hugely successful mission. Gene writes his daughters initials in the moon dust( where it will last for centuries) and tells her he is going to bring home a moonbeam for her. He names a crater for his wife, one for his daughter and one for his father. Gene really loved his family.
   
   We see some of Gene's mistakes like crashing a helicopter he was joy riding too close to the water looking at bikini girls. Gene almost gets killed ( drowned and burned alive). A narrow escape. At least Gene was honest with Deke the head astronaut ( who wanted to cover Gene with a failed engine story) and tells him he screwed up. All is forgiven and he still gets to go up. Also a few weeks before his Apollo 17 moon landing shot Gene pulls a ligament playing softball and almost loses his chance to walk on the moon. Luckily the flight surgeon secretly helps Gene with ligament rehab and a prostate problem Gene had.
   
   Gene retires as a Navy Captain as he didn't want a desk job/Rear Admiral position and he was too senior to be a captain of an aircraft carrier. He also retires from NASA as he didn't want to get involved with the shuttle program.
   
   Gene tells us it was a shame that we didn't go back to the moon and eventually go to Mars but eventually we must and will. Its in the human spirit to explore. He hopes someday some of the young students in classrooms that he talks to will grow up and be astronauts to the Moon and Mars.
   
   I wont ruin the wonderful ending of this great book. Ill just say Gene is holding his grand daughter and both are commenting about the moon and there is a wonderful ending. Read it to find out.This was a very enjoyable book and Don Davis is to be commended telling Eugene Cernan's story and showing us Gene as a real human being with strengths, faults and weaknesses like we all have. Eugene Cernan a real American space hero.



2. This book is a great read, Cernan tells his stories so that you understand the workings of NASA and gives you insights into the people that he flew and trained with. This best book I've ever read about the subject.



3. Working in this area, I suspect that a lot of the complaints about this book are from still-living people who don't like what's said about them. Well, sorry. Maybe people's illusions about the early astronauts have been shattered a bit. Well they were human, after all.
   .
   Anyway, what do people not want is more of "The Right Stuff", where the authors embellish about their past and keep out stuff that might make them look bad. Come on, at least this guy tells it like it was. For example, yea their were politics in the Astronaut Office, and big-time. But if you read the book, you'll see that those same politics brought out the best in those people. They trained harder, were more focused, and, in some cases, it saved their lives. Also, the complaints that he author didn't like Harrison Schmidt - these test pilots had trained for decades to get to the point where they could pilot a space ship...and then a geologist walks in off the street. Well, guess what, that geologist became an excellent astronaut, and Cernan had enough class to admit he totally misjudged this guy. This is what I want to see in a biography (and I suspect that's the case with most readers), not some dribble about how the gods placed him here for us to worship. (It's actually a great book, but I figured that there are enough 5-star reviews that mine wouldn't help there.)



4. I've read the Andrew Chaikin book, Man on the Moon, about the Apollo program and thought that it told all the secrets of the space program - Apollo, in particular. And then I bought Last Man on the Moon and learned there were so many more behind the scenes actions and happenings that influenced history to unfold the way it did. After reading this book, I am more interested in even the Gemini and Mercury missions, finding that there was so much more to those missions than I ever knew. The risks taken and dangers faced were very real on almost every space mission we undertook. Cernan, as a veteran of Gemini and two Apollo flights, does a great job of making us realize how real it all was. He is particularly generous in his perspective on the wives of the space program and brings new insight into that aspect as well.
   
   It won't win any literary awards, but then it's not that kind of book. What it will do is put you in his place and in the middle of the height of the space program. He also does a good job of keeping things in perspective by occassionally reflecting on current events of the day, both cultural and political. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the space program leading up to and including Apollo. Cernan is candid (perhaps to a fault at times in his characterizations of other astronauts) but honest and that is what makes this book so appealing. He shows that the astronauts were real men, with real families, real strengths, real weaknesses and unique qualifications, dealing with real dangers, countless unknowns, dramatic risks, and unstoppable drive, initiative and motivation.
   
   Apollo 11 was not the beginning or even the pinnacle, as many tend to characterize it. Rather, it was, as Neil Armstrong implied, one of many steps. It was not the first step nor was it the last. And hopefully Cernan's own flight on Apollo 17 will not be the last steps for America's and the world's spirit of exploration and adventure.



5. I'm a big fan of Gene Cernan. I haven't met him, of course, but I find something interesting about his demeanor, when I see him on documentaries or news reports. He seems at peace with himself, exudes confidence but, not in a cocky way. Which is the way it should be. This book is a fun read, its not filled with technical mumbo jumbo, and moves along steady. A must for "Apollo geeks", maybe not so for aeronautical engineers.
   You pretty much get only the astronaut part of Cernan, he doesn't go into his personal life too much, not much melodrama, which is fine and I respect that because, these astronauts sacrificied family and friend in their quest for exploring. Almost all of them ended up divorced, a huge sacrifice. I couldn't have done it.
   I, as a father of two girls, was touched by his expression of love for his daughter (on the moon itself). Terrific!
   Also, Cernan comes across as a regular guy and not some brainiac we can't relate to, or talks down to you. He could be your neighbor, your softball team mate. And this from a man who walked on the moon ('nuff said), met with presidents and celebrities continously. I was a bit surprised to read his opinions on Buzz Aldrin (second man on the moon), I never knew that those opinions existed.
   
   Cernan went after his dream, "full throtle", and... reached the heavens. Thanks Geno!

5 comments about Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon.

1. This was the first biography and first book pertaining to actual space information, I ever read. I had high expectations with a new love for science and space I thought what better way to feed my curiosity then a book on one of the first men on the moon. I was disappointed that he had a mere two-three chapters about the space flight and almost a ten year span after that about his depression/alcoholism. After a while I thought, "What the hell is this?" Clearly I had made a bad choice,it was upsetting to know that someone who accomplished so much was so weak emotionally. I guess I was looking for something a little more influential.



2. Buzz bares his soul in this book. That takes courage. He talks about his journey from the moon up until the present. I guess all you critics live a perfect life and never make mistakes. Buzz is entitled to his. He did walk on the moon after all. So what about a few technical mistakes he might have made?
   
   I am a rare woman aerospace engineer who worked on the Saturn V. There were 400,000 workers and we did not work for NASA. I am amazed
   at the criticism you all are spewing out. I say, leave him alone. Guess what? I was there!!! Were any of you???
   
   Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Moon and
   
   The Biggest Explosions in the Universe



3. This book starts off with a vivid description of the first moon landing in July 1969, including a recounting of all the terrifying glitches. Aldrin felt the odds of being able to pull off the landing were only 50-50. Obviously, an aborted mission was not tantamount to death, but this does give some indication of the extraordinary level of risk and daring involved. Also riveting is Aldrin's description of his aerial combat missions in Korea. But 90% of the book does not deal with these exciting heroic adventures. Rather the book really deals with Aldrin's struggle with depression, alcoholism, and with adjusting to ordinary life.
   
   Aldrin is chilling in his description of the self destructiveness and self loathing that accompanies depression and is unsparing in his recounting of alcoholism. He does admit to being a self-centered diva and a drunk, which is disappointing to those who idolized the great astronauts of the 1960s. But his ability to overcome alcoholism and his strategies for adjusting to depressive episodes does show a different kind of heroism that is inspiring.
   
   The need to tell the long story of addiction and recovery is worthwhile. I was more interested in the astronaut and air force stories when I picked up the book, but in the end Aldrin has rendered a great service by discussing these issues with candor and sensitivity.
   
   The book does suffer from TMI when it comes to Aldrin's love life. And Aldrin has been a celebrity for too long and sometimes lapses into name-dropping and some Hollywood phony-baloney.
   
   I was interested in Aldrin's ideas for space travel. He is a big fan of the private sector and sees space tourism and a space lottery (i.e., the winner gets to go into space) as a viable funding source. I'm not convinced of that. Tourism can be a good funding source, but manned space travel is not going to work unless there can be some other commercial exploitation -- whether self sustaining settlements or else the ability to mine resources or harvest power that will pay for the exploration. Otherwise, I think we do need to shift our focus to unmanned exploration.
   
   On the whole, this is a very good and inspiring book.



4. I was excited when I started to read this book. That mood quickly disappeared after the first 50-odd pages. Although an autobiography is an individual's story in his/her own language, there has to be some narrative in it. Otherwise the reader loses interest, which is what happens with this book.
   
   To put it succinctly, Buzz Aldrin seems to be full of himself - verging on being narcissistic. The book is full of name-dropping, egotistical statements! Considering that the book is full of technical errors, it is not even useful to read from the space science angle. This gentleman is God incarnate - he claims himself to be the best space scientist, the "most visible face of all the astronauts that walked the moon", holds his own against professionals on a race track, can call or drop in on kings and queens the world over, can stump the best film directors, authors, chemists (Buckminster Fuller), the list goes on and on, ad nauseam. No prizes for guessing the name he assigns to his trans-planetary transport system prototype - Aldrin Mars Cycler!!
   
   And try as I might, I can't come to empathize with his "depression". I wanted to see how one could handle depression or help other depressed people. Note to self, and suggestion to anyone who is depressed, "Avoid reading this book". Mahatma Gandhi once said,"Whenever you are too proud that you have achieved the greatest thing in your life, look up - you will find someone standing above you. Also, when you think you are the only one with the most troubles, look around you and you will find many who don't even have what you have." Case in point - if you have been to the moon and back, are known the world over, have a great family and kids, what the heck are you depressed about? Stop being a spoilt kid and start growing up. Perhaps he should have involved himself with a genuine social cause in this country or on a global scale. There are plenty of problems the world over that can use a champion with a famous face.
   
   One thing that is inexcusable in my opinion is Aldrin's treatment of his first wife. She doesn't even get a mention in the final Acknowledgments! And this when she put up with him almost all his life stoically, and refused to give up on him when he was down.
   
   All in all, the book was a waste of time and insufferable pain! Avoid it if you can.



5. You know how younger people today comment on things in that off-handed ironic way, "It is what it is..."?
   
   Well, Magnificient Desolation, by iconic space hero Buzz Aldrin, is the opposite. It is what it isn't. OK, so it isn't great literature. It isn't great science. It isn't even great autobiography.
   
   But it IS a finally-feel-good story about a man who soared to the heights--who could soar higher than to the Moon?--then plunged to the depths--can you imagine the Second Man To Walk On The Moon and a car salesman in Beverly Hills being the same man? Buzz is back! Buzz at 80 is Dancing With The Stars! What a way to enter your Golden Years: marry a beautiful Arizonan heiress who loves all that you are, especially your unique iconic aura, and can finance it for you? Lois marries Superman: way to go, Buzz!
   
   But let's be serious for a moment. Who doesn't love the idea of Buzz Alrin? What baby boomer doesn't remember being glued to the black and white live images--from the freakin' Moon, man!--of Neil and Buzz stepping down of the LEM's ladder. "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!" I can still remember Buzz bunny hopping around like a youngster in the 1/6th gravity of the Moon. Too cool.
   
   And then he descended into Hell. Having grown up with alcoholism, I can appreciate the despair that Buzz encountered, literally crashing back on Earth. But he has recovered. For successfully completing this even more difficult mission in his personal life, he deserves another medal.
   
   It must be fun being Buzz Aldrin these days. Promote yourself, your moonwak and your, well, unusual ideas on your eponymous website. Attend Hollywood parties in your military tuxedo and sash, which still fit you. Speed down the open highway out West in your convertible sports car while holding hands with your beautiful babe wife Lois. He's paid some dues. He's racked some miles, and not just to the Moon and back. He's old enough to know and appreciate all that he has always been, and now can be happy for all that he has. Let Buzz be Buzz. You gotta love Buzz. Read his book. Enjoy him while we still have him. He is one of a kind.

5 comments about First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong.

1. A neighbor of mine has ties to him and his family. Remarkable. Of course we loved Neil and all the men of Apollo 11. I think this is a very interesting biography of Neil and I mourned at his family's tragedies. Yes, this book is long and very detailed. It has to be. Neil is in the history books. As we travel to the stars, Neil will have led the way.
   I read many books about Apollo and I am truly amazed at the vitriolic screaming from some vary nasty people. Why?
   This is done for almost ALL the 7,500 books on Amazon about Apollo. Are these people trying to prove that they are smarter than the rest of us? The more you look at books about Apollo the more you should enjoy. Every author does his best and means well.
   
   Enjoy this book there may be no more about Apollo. I recommend this one.
   
   Sara Howard, Author of Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Moon and The Biggest Explosions in the Universe



2. James Hanson's "First Man" is an exhaustably complete biography of the life of Neil Armstrong from birth through his later, post-NASA, life. While filled with wonderful stories and tidbits from his life, the stacks and stacks of utter minutia really bog the book down and what led, I feel, to the book being published at almost 800 pages. It is very difficult to get into a good flow of reading when you are constantly being bombarded by inconsequential things from Armstrong's life that make you say "who cares". To expand on the Editorial Review note that his Navy Fighter Squadron in Korea fires off 49,299 rounds of ammunition, the author also goes into minute detail about the day-to-day fighter sweeps and operations of Armstrong and the rest of the squadron. Were there constant action, he might be forgiven, but the author goes on and on and on, page after page after page about NOTHING - albeit with exciting tales of daring do sprinkled throughout. It's just too much - statistical overload to the nth degree.
   
   As an afficienado of the manned space program, I own and have read just about every autobiography out there of the major players from NASA's glory years. As such, I can honestly tell you that I know all the facts when it comes to our exploits during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo days. However, I am not "panning" the book because "I've read it all" and am therefore bored of the subject. I always enjoy reading about the space program from another perspective and am constantly picking up new space program books to devour. I wanted this book to be really good because I've never read a decent biography of Neil Armstrong. While this is a decent biography and the author has obviously devoted much time to the subject matter and his research, my opinion is his editor did him a disservice by not helping him cut the book down to help readability. After reading this, I think that the book is something that Neil Armstrong himself would love - and maybe that's the point - but not all of us are as much interested in the gory details as he is. To each his own.



3. This is the third biography I've read from the Apollo program (The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space and Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys) and each one, truly, has offered different insight than the others. Unlike the other two, which were autobiographies, First Man is a biography.
   
   What's Good:
   Detailed and new insight into the space program and the life and training of an astronaut, both before and after his time as an astronaut. The author did well relating Armstrong's pre-Apollo life and tying it all together so the reader could fully appreciate how one life experience benefited others. Unlike the Collins and Cernan books, First Man delved more into the technology and engineering aspects, but not so much as to make it unreadable or academic. One of the more interesting parts was how Armstrong dealt with the sudden celebrity that began when he was announced as the commander of Apollo 11 and continues even today. He shows throughout his life that he was not a hero, in the sense of one who goes above and beyond the call of duty. He was, rather, the consumate engineer and worker. He did what he was told, he excelled at it, and he offered what he could, in the true spirit of a test pilot, to make it better. His modesty is genuine and indicative of his work ethic and character, both as an individual and as an astronaut.
   
   What's Not so Good:
   This book was written by a history professor and many parts of the books seemed to say "Look how thorough my research was!" The book could easily have been much shorter without the unecessary detail provided by the author. My biggest problems with the book were two-fold: (1) The author admits towards the end that even the title of the book is antithetical to who and what Neil Armstrong is and was. Armstrong has always been a man of confident modesty who never saw himself as anyone special, but rather a member of a very special venture. To spend over 600 pages building the man up to something that the subject himself would resist is contradictory to the man about which he is writing. (2) I felt that author regarded Armstrong's crewmate, Buzz Aldrin, condescendingly and disrespectfully, while at the same time building up Armstrong into a near deity. Aldrin and Armstrong (and even Collins) were all very disparate personalities, and attempting to make any comparison is weak at best. From the way the author recounts the Apollo 11 mission and training, Aldrin comes across as a liability, buffoonish, immature, petty and highly individualistic. To be fair, though, not all the treatment of Aldrin was like this - some good insight was rendered regarding his personal demons, battles and strugles, but very little showed any significant contribution that Aldrin made to the Apollo 11 program - as though he was merely riding in the side-car of a motorcycle. I also found the issue of who took photographs of whom to be a particularly petty argument to be made by the author.
   
   All in all, however, I enjoyed the book. Having been born in 1969, I missed they heyday of the Apollo and US Space programs. It is truly fascinating to all-but experience what it was like to be so intimately involved in the space program of the 60s. I would definitely recommend the book.



4. This book has got to be one of the best written Astronaut books. Mr Hansen did a great job. Its a thick long book but reads well.
   
   I wasn't interested In Neil Armstrong's ancestry so the first two chapters to me were not interesting. After that the book is great and gets better and better. I'll just say a little on the book. Its much much more detailed with more interesting facts. We all know he was the first man on the Moon but he was very quite about it compared to Buzz Aldrin.You never hear anything from Neil Armstrong. Basically he had a job to do and he did it.
   
   We see Neil's early days as a child and the religious influence from his mother. Neil was always a thinking person who would think about a problem first if he could rather than a spontaneous reaction type of person.
   
   We see his love of reading, learning and building model planes at a young age leading to his wanting to fly. We see him saving for lessons to get his private pilot license before he can drive a car. Then we see him going to college to get an engineering degree and tied into the US Navy. He is a good student but not straight A. After completing college he fulfills his contract with the Navy and becomes a fighter pilot and is with the Screaming Eagles fighter squadron on the Essex aircraft carrier during the Korean War. Neil has many hours of combat experience and is highly decorated.
   
   He becomes a jet test pilot and an experimental test pilot. He flies many many different high speed jets including the rocket plane the X15 and becomes a member of the 100,000 ft. plus club going well over mach 2. So many extreme challenges and dangerous assignments. He almost gets killed a few times and escapes death by seconds. He even flies once with Chuck Yeager and gets his jet stuck in the mud at a lake bed. Kind of embarrassing.
   
   He is selected into NASA and goes up on Gemini V111 and survives a bad tumbling of the Gemini spacecraft after docking with another spacecraft.
   
   My heart went out to Neil, Janet his wife and family when their 2 year old baby daughter dies of a brain tumor. Both Neil and Janet are crushed but somehow Neil continues with NASA. Also their home goes up in flames and Ed White their neighbor helps them get out of their burning house. Poor Ed White later dies in the Apollo 1 fire.
   
   Neil is so level headed, the thinking persons astronaut and the sort of low key, non flaming personality that can get along with anyone. He goes through so much training and training. Finally he is selected by Deke Slayton the head astronaut to be the commander of Apollo 11 and be the first man on the Moon. Buzz Aldrin with a PHD from MIT wants to be the first man on the moon and INMO makes an a** of himself trying to persuade anyone who will listen why he should be first. The higher ups in NASA say no way we want Aldrin to be the first man on the moon as the first man will be a legend for a thousand years like Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic. They wanted a level headed, non assuming mild mannered personality to be the first man on the moon. Armstrong is to be first man.
   
   We see the landing. Neil gets out first followed by Buzz. Neil's famous statement from the moon " A small step for man and a giant leap for mankind". Neil may have forgot to put the a between for and man. This statement will last a thousand years. Both Neil and Buzz do experiments and collect rock and dust samples. Neil takes pictures of Buzz but both get distracted from a talk with President Nixon and later Buzz forgets to take pictures of Neil on the moon. The only picture of Neil Armstrong on the moon is the one with Neil in the faceplate of Buzz. NO PICTURES....terrible. They do have video of Neil stepping on the moon and Neil in the shadows.
   
   Someone puts a wreath on President Kennedy's tomb saying " Mr President the Eagle has landed". I shed a tear on that one.
   
   Its explained why the flag looks like its blowing. Of course there is no air on the moon. Some conspiracy idiots still think we never landed on the moon. Its explained Neil and Buzz could not get the mast for the flag fully extended and the flag straight out and as a result the flag was partially bent and looks like its blowing. Plus they have a lot of problems getting the flag mast to stay deep enough in the fine moon dust.
   
   They almost forget to leave a disk with Earth leaders signatures and best wishes, and another memento of the two Russian Cosmonauts that died and Gus Grissom, Ed White and Chaffee who perished on Apollo 1, but in the last minutes they do leave it. One of the last things Buzz sees out the window as they leave the moon is the flag falling down.
   
   We see Mike Collins the Columbia pilot who waits in lunar orbit for Neil and Buzz to launch from the moon and rendezvous with the Columbia. Collins can't land and save them. If the Eagle doesn't lift off and get into lunar orbit Neil and Buzz are dead men.
   
   Such courage and determination by Neil, Buzz and Mike Collins. All heroes. There is much more great passages later on in the book as well as excellent pictures. This has got to be one of the best astronaut books. Mr Hansen did a great job. I learned so much about Neil Armstrong and the other astronauts, ground control members and about Neil's family. An enjoyable, exciting learning experience. Excellent book 5 stars.



5. The author provides exhaustive details on Armstrong's life. The book goes back I think five generations of Neil's ancestors. The book provides details on every mission he flew in Korea and almost every test flight. Every crash or near miss is extensively analyzed. Extensive quotes from fellow pilots on the accidents and Neil's own viewpoint are presented. The details in the first few hundred pages or so are mind numbing. The jargon and acronyms are extensive and saturate the text. I can understand that this is an authorized biography, but it is very dry in spots.
   
   However, for me, the books picks up steam when Armstrong joins the Apollo program. How the author tells the story of the moon landing is somewhat straight forward. The book meanders some, but I would encourage skimming over paragraphs so you can get Neil's quotes. I've found details here that I could find nowhere else.
   
   The author's style is readable. The jargon is intrusive, but I could muddle my way through. I strongly recommend the book. I don't think another book will be written where the author has so much access to the reclusive Armstrong, Armstrong's family and the other astronauts.

5 comments about The Way of the Explorer, Revised Edition.

1. 
   Apollo 14 astronaut and moon-walker Edgar Mitchell has written a uniquely challenging book in which he explores the nature of reality, the universe and human consciousness and lays out a new paradigm of understanding from his life experience combined with years of research as founder and head of The Institute of Noetic Sciences.
   
   "The Way of the Explorer" is not all easy reading, particularly for someone not schooled in the complexities of particle physics, quantum theory and informed discussion about the zero-point field. If you have read "The Holographic Universe" by Michael Talbot, then you'll be in roughly the same territory here but whereas Talbot's book is racy and populist, Dr. Mitchell's is a deeper and more demanding read, more radical and original.
   
   This review is of the third, updated edition published in 2006 which includes a number of minor revisions and is slightly extended from the earlier editions. The book is co-authored by Dwight Williams but it is not clear what parts he wrote or co-wrote.
   
   The first part is a brief autobiography of Dr. Mitchell's life story up to and including involvement in the Apollo missions, and a fascinating and detailed description of his trip to The Moon in Apollo 14. It's generally known that experiments in ESP and telepathy were carried out by NASA on this particular Moon mission, and Dr. Mitchell relates the details of how this was done. On the return trip to Earth from the Moon, Mitchell experienced a kind of epiphany, a spiritual awakening reported by many of the Apollo astronauts on seeing the Earth as a small but vulnerable jewel in space from great distance: "Certain truths seemed brilliantly clear, truths that became suddenly obscured within the atmosphere of the Earth. In space it seemed so obvious that the processes of the universe are innately and harmoniously connected."
   
   In common with most of the astronauts, Edgar Mitchell is a smart guy. He has degrees in astrophysics and aeronautics. On leaving NASA he began researching into "two critical flaws in traditional thought structures - evolution and intentionality, which tended to distort the western view of reality...(I wanted) to discover if determinism and epiphenomenalism were clearly outdated ideas." Well, now the reader knows what's ahead: not feather-light reading.
   
   Dr. Mitchell's contribution to the fundamental discourse is his "dyadic theory" of reality: that the universe incorporates intention, and continuously evolves from conscious interactions. The idea bridges science and religion and explains why, to the mystic, everything in creation seems alive and connected. This goes against classical creationism, determinism or the soulless intellectualism of "natural selection" and presents far more interesting and deeper possibilities than the simplistic narratives offered by either conventional religions or prevailing materialist scientific models.
   
   In exploring the idea of the brain as a "quantum hologram" with both particle (physical, local) and wave (spiritual, universal, non-local) aspects Dr. Mitchell extends the holographic universe theory to offer an explanation for spiritual and paranormal experiences and for example the accurate perception of places and objects at distance through frequency resonance as in remote viewing. Under Dr. Mitchell's direction, the Institute of Noetic Sciences did experimental work with OBEs, lucid dreams, telepathy and telekinesis in laboratory-controlled conditions. One of their long-term experimental subjects was Uri Geller.
   
   "The Way of the Explorer" is good, challenging stuff but I emphasise that parts of it do not make easy reading. Intelligence and persistence are needed by the reader to follow the narrative and distil the meaning. Is the book worth the effort? Yes, definitely. It offers an expanded understanding of consciousness and reality, and is unusually (for this field) scientifically grounded. From me, four stars rather than five simply because parts of the book are difficult to digest, but my struggle with these passages may be due to lack of brain-power: having met Dr. Mitchell several times face-to-face I freely admit to being not intellectually in his league.



2. In February 1971 Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell sensed the deliberate plan in the creation of the cosmos and space: for over thirty years he would explore the mystery of human consciousness, leaving NASA to form the Institute of Noetic Sciences and researching a theory that could explain consciousness and science alike. His memoir comes to life in THE WAY OF THE EXPLORER: AN APOLLO ASTRONAUT'S JOURNEY THROUGH THE MATERIAL AND MYSTICAL WORLDS, which appears in a revised edition to appeal to new audiences.



3. I would tell anyone up front that this is a very in depth book. It covers a lot of truly amazing subject matter, from placing healers in scientific laboratory environments to understanding our place in the universe. I was impressed with not only the personal experiences told throughout but also with the differing aspects of how our cultures view the same experiences. It was fairly technical in parts, so be prepared to be challenged while reading it. I wasn't very familiar with many of the concepts discussed but the author did a good job of managing the information.



4. What I admire most about Ed Mitchell isn't his voyage to the moon. While that extraordinary feat places him in one of history's most exclusive brotherhoods, it was only the beginning of an ongoing journey of questions and greater questions. Someone else in his position might have spent the remainder of his life resting on his laurels. Mitchell tackles huge questions with a scientist's rigor and a seeker's open heart.



5. Dr. Mitchell asks the same questions as all seekers, and rightly connects the search for knowledge about self with the search for an understanding of the universe. He begins his book with a short personal history, bringing the reader up to a description of his incredible journey to the moon. As a US Apollo astronaut, he walked on the lumar surface. During the journey back to earth, he experienced a sudden insight about the nature of reality, an understanding that came from an unknown source. The experience most resembled the reports of mystics, who generally ascribe a religious meaning to it. Mitchell has spent the years since that journey searching for a way to understand the experience, a way to bring together the disparate ways of knowing, the way of science and the way of religion.

   While it is fascinating to read his descriptions of the view of earth from space and to know that seeing our beautiful mother earth from that vantage point could trigger such insights, what Mitchell describes is an experience many, many people have, as he later came to realize. It is the experience of "knowing without knowing how you know." Sometimes the knowing concerns the nature of reality, as when you get the sense of the unity of all things, and sometimes it is a psychic insight, as in knowing someone has just died. Sometimes it is the amazing synchronicities that happen when you cease to believe they cannot happen.

   This source of knowledge is real, so how does it work? There is no accepted scientific answer. At least there wasn't until Mitchell took on the task and gave us his dyadic theory of reality. It is an interesting explanation. The universe, in this view, evolved not just from energy but always incorporated intention. Consciousness is inherent in the universe and that is why, in the mystical experience, everything seems alive. There is no difference between the consciousness of my aloe plant on the windowsill, my cat who purrs beside me, and me. We use consciousness differently perhaps, but my plant grows better when I love it and want it to grow, I somehow know when my cat is outside the front door and wants to come in, and I use my consciousness to read books and learn more about my world. But the me that is sitting here looking out at everything else is victim of an illusion. It is only through working at techniques to shut out externals that it is possible to gain some realization of the unity, or to put it another way, to access the web that connects everything and that is the actual source of the knowledge that comes to us in these "mystical" experiences.

   Dr. Mitchell's book takes us into heavy material, not always easy to grasp, and sometimes possessing its own assumptions. He seems intent on eliminating religious metaphors completely, as if providing an explanation that "works" means there is no longer a use for the concept of God. I have to agree with him that the long-standing practice of representatives of religious organizations of dismissing anything without a scientific explanation as "a miracle of God" (or sometimes as "the work of the devil") has retarded our ability to scrutinize any actual process at work. Likewise, it isn't helpful when scientists simply dismiss anything that doesn't fit their current understanding of reality -- Uri Geller must be a fraud because science can't explain how he bends those spoons. And since Uri is not a saintly person, it must not be "a miracle."

   Because "God" is used to cover everything for which there is no scientific explanation does not invalidate the concept of a supreme presence, just as science is not useless even though it is intolerant of alternate explanations. It seems to me Mitchell neglects the idea of "purpose" just as he does not accept reincarnation, suggesting the past lives remembered are the result of accessing the universal web, the holographic record of everything (much like Edgar Cayce's "Akashic Record"). Could this be just a semantic difference, if we are all part of the same consciousness? While Mitchell's concepts "fit" the essentially religious experiences of those who believe in the immortality of the soul, it does not encompass the soul's purpose of perfecting itself through lifetimes of spiritual growth.

   As I read this book, I found Mitchell has read the same authors I've read, and he mentions the same cast of characters with whom seekers are familiar, whether they write from a research, mystical or physics point of view. His desire to reconcile science and religion is the same desire many of us share. The journey inward is as worthwhile as the journey to other planets. Our yearning to know who we are can only be satisfied when we truly achieve the synthesis Dr. Mitchell seeks. You'll have to read and decide if Mitchell, as an explorer extraordinaire, has found the answer.

4 comments about Chariots for Apollo.

1. Formatting is bad. No photos..., but they give you captions! Talk about salt in the wound! Save your money toward buying the REAL book in print.



2. The Kindle edition, which I triend on the Android reader, is missing the many illustrations of the original book.



3. I did not see any formatting issues with this ebook. well written and very detailed and concise. Very good value and well worth the price.



4. Despite the price, this ebook has a lot of format problems, line breaks and strange numbers between text ando so.

5 comments about Into That Silent Sea: Trailblazers of the Space Era, 1961-1965 (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of S).

1. I've read almost all the astronaut books. Just read In The Shadow of the Moon by Francis French. 5 star... what a great writer. That book made me buy Into That Silent Sea also by Francis French and Colin Burgess.
   
   The authors tell that they are going to tell about the makings of the men and women in that period and try as best as they can for complete accuracy. I appreciate that.
   
   I learned many stories and tidbits about the astronauts from themselves and others (mothers, nurses (Dee O' Hara) and fellow workers/astronauts .The writing style is superb and reads like the smell and taste of a superb quality wine. Great pictures too.
   
   Both the astronauts and the cosmonauts are presented as well as for me an unknown wannabe group of female "astronauts" that got the massive Lovelace medical testing but because of NASA's requirement of being a jet test pilot (there were no women jet test pilots back then) and having a college engineering degree or equivalent were never selected.
   
   A number of great selections of the Soviet first man in space Gagarin, Cosmonaut Cherman Titov, the duel launches of Cosmonaut Nikolayev and Popovich are superbly written. We learn about their childhoods and growing up and a little about their military carriers.The first female in space Soviet Cosmonaut Valentina Tershkova and Valery Bykovsky are mentioned too. My favorite Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov has a chapter too. Much is learned about their childhoods and the hard life they had to endure. A superb writing part on some of the major soviets to enter space in this period.
   
   There are great chapters on Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom ( explaining in detail he did not blow the hatch on Liberty Bell),John Glenn and his flight with what was thought to have a damaged heat shield, Scott Carpenter ( learned more about the problems he had on his Mercury flight and why it was not totally his fault). I really appreciated the part about Scott Carpenter and his deep sea lab and saturation diving experiences as well as his horse riding in Australia while stationed on a communication outpost for NASA ( I ride horses and was a certified rescue diver).Scott Carpenter saves the life of a "free diver" while Carpenter and Glenn are recreational diving but John Glenn gets the credit in the papers as he is the nation's super hero spaceman. There is a chapter about the 2 Wally's (Wally Schirra and the female great pilot Wally Funk who wanted to be an astronaut. Gordon Cooper has a chapter too.Deke Donald Slayton is mentioned too.
   
   This is a great book with many stories and tidbits you may have not heard about. Also I do believe the authors did try for as much accuracy as possible. Just look at the reviews...almost everyone gave 5 stars. Me too....5 stars plus...a great book. This to me should be a must read matched set In The Shadow of the Moon and Into That Silent Sea. Both top notch and the very best!



2. Burgess and French's superb book captures not just the details of our first ventures into space, but more important, the spirit of a time that we will see but once. These authors have done history a great service, giving us with immediacy of the people, of their authentic feelings and of the dangers they face. Future readers owe a debt to these authors. These books will be read in our Martian coloinies.



3. Finally a book that leaves most of the technical aspects out and focuses on the astronauts involved in both the Soviet and American Space Programs. The authors spent the time researching each astronaut to not only tell you about his journey into space but also about how he came to be a spacefarer.
   
   This is a good book not only for the space enthusiast but also those who just want to know about the people who went into space.



4. As a society we recognize the importance of saving our historic artifacts. We take great care of the physical pieces of history because we want to share our accomplishments with future generations. But what about the intangible historic evidence, the human stories of how we left Earth, how do we preserve that?
   
   "Into that Silent Sea" offers us that which a museum piece can not. This book does an excellent job chronicling the early years of both the American and Russian space agencies, but it is much more. Through research and personal interviews French & Burgess offer us access to personal thoughts and impressions of space travel from the women and men who were there and had the experience that we will not. French & Burgess employ masterful storytelling affording us a glimpse into the human spirit and determination that was needed to make it to the Moon helping to preserve this intangible side of history.
   
   You need not be a space buff or historian to enjoy reading this book, for it is engaging from beginning to end-you won't want to put it down!



5. This is a great addition to your space library, if you are interested in the early space program. Also add "Apollo Moon Missions, the Unsung Heroes." It is excellent also, filling in interesting details that other space program books leave out.

4 comments about Destination Moon: The spiritual and scientific voyage of the eight man to walk on the moon.

1. The compelling little book "Destination: Moon," was written by the Lunar module pilot (Apollo 15) Jim Irwin from the perspective of one of the few men to walk on the lunar surface. Irwin provides a real life account of his pre-mission report and a livid description of the mission to the Moon itself.
   
   This fascinating volume is endorsed by:
   
   - Dave Hunt
   - Ken Ham
   - The Berean Call
   
   As the author glories in the magnificence and splendor of the universe created by the Lord God, one discovers what this space explorer witnessed personally. Herein is an alluring book of science and faith and makes an outstanding gift for children or adults.
   "Destination Moon" additionally contains wonderful photos and powerful information on the USA's space program.
   The Necessary Existence of God: The Proof of Christianity Through Presuppositional Apologetics



2. Ordered the book, it came, it was everything that I expected. and the price was right. I'll keep on buying from this company.



3. Interesting chronology of James Irwin's life, and the meaning for it that God gave him. Wonderful to see a scientist/astronaut have a Christian view of this unique place we have in the universe. Thanks, James!



4. Jim Irwin was the Lunar Module Pilot on the Apollo 15 mission to the moon and became the eight man to walk on the moon. Prior to this book, he had written two others books (To Rule the Night and More than Earthlings) about his adventures in space; however unlike this book, these books were geared for the adult audience.

   In this book, the author, writing in the first person, describes his life from slightly before the time he applied to be an astronaut, his selection as an astronaut, his training and his eventual trip to and from the moon. There was a fair amount of material dedicated to the training needed to be an astronaut and moon walker, more than I've seen in the usual astronaut biographies. The book also includes many photographs in both color and black and white, to help the reader understand Jim Irwin's life and times at NASA.