|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HELP | |
|
  $7.95 List price:
TRADE PAPER, USED
Ships in 1 to 3 days
More copies of this ISBN:First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrongby James R. Hansen
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:On July 20, 1969, the world stood still to watch thirty-eight-year-old American astronaut Neil A. Armstrong become the first person ever to step on the surface of another heavenly body. Perhaps no words in human history became better known than those few he uttered at that historic moment. Upon his return to Earth, Armstrong was honored and celebrated for his monumental achievement. He was also — as James R. Hansen reveals in this fascinating and important authorized biography — misunderstood. Armstrong's accomplishments as an engineer, a test pilot, and an astronaut have long been a matter of record, but Hansen's unprecedented access to private documents and unpublished sources and his interviews with more than 125 subjects (including more than fifty hours with Armstrong himself) yield this first in-depth analysis of an elusive American celebrity still renowned the world over. In a riveting narrative filled with revelations, Hansen vividly re-creates Armstrong's career in flying, from his seventy-eight combat missions as a naval aviator flying over North Korea to his formative transatmospheric flights in the rocket-powered X-15 to his piloting Gemini VIII to the first-ever docking in space. These milestones made it seem, as Armstrong's mother, Viola, memorably put it, as if from the very moment he was born — farther back still — that our son was somehow destined for the Apollo 11 mission. For a pilot who cared more about flying to the Moon than he did about walking on it, Hansen asserts, Armstrong's storied vocation exacted a dear personal toll, paid in kind by his wife and children. For the thirty-six years since the Moon landing, rumors have swirled around Armstrong concerning his dreams of space travel, his religious beliefs, and his private life. In a penetrating exploration of American hero worship, Hansen addresses the complex legacy of the First Man, as an astronaut and as an individual. In First Man, the personal, technological, epic, and iconic blend to form the portrait of a great but reluctant hero who will forever be known as history's most famous space traveler. Review:"To understand Armstrong on his own terms is to see a large truth of our time....A compelling and nuanced portrait of the astronaut." James Tobin, Chicago Tribune Review:"A lot of us have been waiting for a long time for a book like this one, and it was well worth the wait....Will likely stand as the definitive biography of Neil Armstrong." Tom D. Crouch, senior curator, Aeronautics, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution Review:"A fine authorized biography brimming with groundbreaking research, fresh anecdotes and fair-minded analysis....Hansen should be commended for decoding the enigmatic Armstrong; a space hero short on words but sky-high on Midwestern integrity." Douglas Brinkley, The New York Times Book Review Review:"Historian James Hansen relates in intricate detail the tragedy, mishaps, and successes of the first man on the moon. He expertly combines the saga of Armstrong with the historical background of America's introduction to the Age of Space and corrects some of the myths surrounding Neil's journey from novice aviator to commanding the first lunar landing. An excellent book to arouse the memories of armchair astronauts." Captain James A. Lovell, commander, Apollo 13 Review:"If you think you know everything about Neil Armstrong and America's historic mission...First Man contributes a host of fascinating new insights into the nature of the spacefaring enterprise itself. A book for all time." Walter Cronkite Review:"This impressively documented and engagingly written biography will stand the test of time." Library Journal Review:"Hansen's big biography does a good job of showing how and why Armstrong has entered the history books." Kirkus Reviews Synopsis:In the first and only definitive, authorized biography of the first man to walk on the moon, Hansen chronicles the life of Armstrong, from the heights of honor and recognition earned as a naval aviator, test pilot, and astronaut to the personal price Armstrong paid for his dedication to his vocation. About the AuthorHansen, a former NASA historian, teaches the history of flight and the history of science and technology at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. He holds a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. Table of ContentsContents Prologue: The Launch Part One: An American Genesis Chapter 1 The Strong of Arm Chapter 2 The Strong of Spirit Part Two: Tranquility Base Chapter 3 First Child Chapter 4 The Virtues of Smallville6 Chapter 5 Truth in the Air Chapter 6 Aeronautical Engineering 101 Part Three: Wings of Gold Chapter 7 Class 5-49 Chapter 8 Fighter Squadron 51 Chapter 9 Fate Is the Hunter Chapter 10 The Ordeal of Eagles Part Four: The Real Right Stuff Chapter 11 The Research Pilot Chapter 12 Above the High Desert Chapter 13 At the Edge of Space Chapter 14 The Worst Loss Chapter 15 Higher Resolve Chapter 16 I've Got a Secret Part Five: No Man Is an Island Chapter 17 Training Days Chapter 18 In Line for Command Chapter 19 Gemini VIII Chapter 20 The Astronaut's Wife Chapter 21 For All America Part Six: Apollo Chapter 22 Out of the Ashes Chapter 23 Wingless on Luna Chapter 24 Amiable Strangers Chapter 25 First Out Chapter 26 Dialectics of a Moon Mission Part Seven: One Giant Leap Chapter 27 Outward Bound Chapter 28 The Landing Chapter 29 One Small Step Chapter 30 Return to Earth Chapter 31 For All Mankind Part Eight: Dark Side of the Moon Chapter 32 Standing Ground Chapter 33 To Engineer Is Human Chapter 34 The Astronaut as Icon Chapter 35 Into the Heartland Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
Other books you might like
Related Aisles
| ||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Don't Miss
