Synopses & Reviews
He is one of the very few people to have walked on the Moonandmdash;and the only one of those to also pilot the space shuttle. He flew six missions in three different programsandmdash;more than any other human. He served with NASA for more than four decades. His peers called him the andldquo;astronautandrsquo;s astronaut.andrdquo; Recruited at the same time as Neil Armstrong and other aeronautical pioneers, John Youngandrsquo;s career, accomplishments, and longevity within the space program are simply unmatched.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Enthusiasts of space exploration have long waited for Young to tell the story of his two Gemini flights, his two Apollo missions, the first-ever Space Shuttle flight, and the first Spacelab mission. Forever Young delivers all that and more: Youngandrsquo;s personal journey from engineering graduate to fighter pilot, to test pilot, to astronaut, to high NASA official, to clear-headed predictor of the fate of Planet Earth.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Young provides an antidote to the typical memoir that celebrates astronaut bravado and successes while at the same time contributing to the NASA mystique. With the assistance of internationally distinguished aerospace historian James Hansen, he recounts the great episodes of his amazing flying career in fascinating detail and with wry humor. He portrays astronauts as ordinary human beings and NASA as an institution with the same ups and downs as other major bureaucracies.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Young, a consummate engineer, provides insights into not only his historic lunar walk and storied career as a shuttle pilot, but also into such space events as the Apollo-Soyuz joint mission and the Challenger and Columbia disasters. In recent years, Young has become well-known for his prognostications about the future of our planet, believing it is only a matter of time before a massive asteroid hits Earth, and in this volume he suggests ways to prevent it.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Long after his compatriots retired from space exploration or moved on to other occupations, Young remained in Houston, acting as a senior technical advisor, where he helped plan and design future missions, trying to make space flight safer for those who would follow in his illustrious footsteps.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Forever Young is one of the last memoirs produced by an early American astronaut, yet the first written by a chief of the NASA astronaut corps. Youngandrsquo;s experiences and candor make this book indispensable to everyone interested in the U.S. space program.
and#160;John W. Young, retired astronaut and former NASA executive, has received more than eighty major awards for his career in aerospace, including six honorary doctorates. James R. Hansen is professor of history and former director of the Honors College at Auburn University. He has been associated with the NASA History Program for the past thirty-one years and is the author of First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong and coauthor of Truth, Lies, and O-Rings: Inside the Space Shuttle andldquo;Challengerandrdquo; Disaster.
Review
and#8220;Learn about the excitement, the awe, the thrills, the suspense, and the experiences unique to the astronauts in the shuttle program. Clay blends his personal stories with his professional challenges. I am especially impressed with his persistence in applying for the astronaut program: Clayand#8217;s experience will be motivation for anyone to never give up!and#8221;and#8212;Eileen Collins, retired NASA astronaut and USAF colonel and the first female pilot and commander of a space shuttle
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Review
and#8220;Clayand#8217;s great example shows that a small-town kid can achieve big dreams. I canand#8217;t think of anything bigger than being an astronaut. This book leaves nothing out of Clayand#8217;s journey to becoming one of the lucky and blessed few who get to experience Godand#8217;s handiwork from the darkness of space. Itand#8217;s funny, entertaining, and well worth the read.and#8221;and#8212;Dan Whitney (Larry the Cable Guy), stand-up comedian and actor
Review
andldquo;Clay has truly had an exciting life full of adventure and challenges. He tackles each moment in life with ambition and optimism. His life stories can inspire each of us to reach further, dig deeper, and fly higher. From his days growing up in Nebraska and his family life to his time on the International Space Station, Clay proves that life is what you make of it.andrdquo;andmdash;Curt Tomasevicz, Olympic gold medalist and fellow Nebraskan
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Review
andquot;Anderson provides a focused picture of how a fiercely dedicated individual became a spaceman.andquot;andmdash;Publishers Weekly
Review
andldquo;Clayton Andersonandrsquo;s new book will serve as a textbook on character, patriotism, and inspiration. Finally, a book especially for young people that defines what it means to become a true American idol. Claytonandrsquo;s life brings definition to the words andlsquo;gentleman,andrsquo; andlsquo;teacher,andrsquo; and andlsquo;coach,andrsquo; as well as andlsquo;brave,andrsquo; andlsquo;honest,andrsquo; and andlsquo;hard working.andrsquo; This book will not only be a good read, it will become a must read! The book adds value to the American Space Program and provides credibility to the phrase andlsquo;the sky is the limitandrsquo; when you combine persistence with effort.andrdquo;andmdash;Allen J. Beermann, executive director of the Nebraska Press Association and former secretary of stateand#160;
Review
andldquo;This is
The Right Stuff for a new generation. Clayton Anderson is an astronaut for the rest of us; a regular guy from a small Midwestern town who set the bar high for himself and never lost sight of a lofty goalandmdash;even when most of us would have given up. As it turns out, it is not so much about having andlsquo;the right stuffandrsquo; as it is about never doubting yourself and never settling for less.andrdquo;andmdash;Miles Oandrsquo;Brien, award-winning science journalist for PBS, the National Science Foundation, and CNN
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Review
andldquo;Thereandrsquo;s nothing ordinary about Clayton Anderson. Heandrsquo;s spent his life (on and off this planet) defying gravity and the odds. From the cornfields of Nebraska to the edges of our planetandrsquo;s pull, Anderson has achieved whatever heandrsquo;s dreamed. In his memoir,
The Ordinary Spaceman, Anderson weaves an incredible life story of heart and heroism and gives the reader a seat in the copilotandrsquo;s chair.andrdquo;andmdash;Tom Abrahams, best-selling author of the Allegiance series and award-winning television journalistand#160;
and#160;and#160;
Review
andquot;Clayton Anderson is no ordinary astronaut, and this is no ordinary book. It is an uncompromisingly honest rendering of a challenging and fulfilling life by someone with a singular dream and the moxie to pursue it to success.andquot;andmdash;Roger Lemkpe, Lincoln Journal Star
Review
andquot;Andersonand#39;s down to Earth account of the astronautand#39;s life may help more of us to connect with the professionand#39;s forward looking significanceandmdash;a welcome addition to the outreach successes of Hollywoodand#39;s Box Office and NASAand#39;s social media salvos.andquot;andmdash;Mark Carreau, Aviation Week Network
Review
andquot;He may have been an ordinary spaceman, but The Ordinary Spaceman demonstrates he is certainly not ordinary.andquot;andmdash;Jeff Foust, Space Review
Synopsis
He walked on the Moon. He flew six space missions in three different programsandmdash;more than any other human. He served with NASA for more than four decades. His peers called him the andldquo;astronautandrsquo;s astronaut.andrdquo;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Enthusiasts of space exploration have long waited for John Young to tell the story of his two Gemini flights, his two Apollo missions, the first-ever Space Shuttle flight, and the first Spacelab mission. Forever Young delivers all that and more: Youngandrsquo;s personal journey from engineering graduate to fighter pilot, to test pilot, to astronaut, to high NASA official, to clear-headed predictor of the fate of Planet Earth.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Young, with the assistance of internationally distinguished aerospace historian James Hansen, recounts the great episodes of his amazing flying career in fascinating detail and with wry humor. He portrays astronauts as ordinary human beings and NASA as an institution with the same ups and downs as other major bureaucracies. He frankly discusses the risks of space travel, including what went wrong with the Challenger and Columbia shuttles.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Forever Young is one of the last memoirs produced by an early American astronaut. It is the first memoir written by a chief of the NASA astronaut corps. Youngandrsquo;s experiences and candor make this book indispensable to everyone interested in the U.S. space program.
Synopsis
Whatand#8217;s it like to travel at more than 850 MPH, riding in a supersonic T-38 twin turbojet engine airplane? What happens when the space station toilet breaks? How do astronauts and#8220;take out the trashand#8221; on a spacewalk, tightly encapsulated in a space suit with just a few layers of fabric and Kevlar between them and the unforgiving vacuum of outer space?
The Ordinary Spaceman puts you in the flight suit of U.S. astronaut Clayton C. Anderson and takes you on the journey of this small-town boy from Nebraska who spent 167 days living and working on the International Space Station, including more than forty hours of space walks. Having applied to NASA fifteen times over fifteen years to become an astronaut before his ultimate selection, Anderson offers a unique perspective on his life as a veteran space flier, one characterized by humility and perseverance.
From the application process to launch aboard the space shuttle Atlantis, from serving as a family escort for the ill-fated Columbia crew in 2003 to his own daily strugglesand#8212;family separation, competitive battles to win coveted flight assignments, the stress of a highly visible job, and the ever-present risk of having to make the ultimate sacrificeand#8212;Anderson shares the full range of his experiences. With a mix of levity and gravitas, Anderson gives an authentic view of the highs and the lows, the triumphs and the tragedies of life as a NASA astronaut.
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About the Author
Clayton C. Anderson retired in 2013 after a thirty-year career with NASA and two missions to the International Space Station. He currently lives in Houston with his wife and two children.and#160;Nevada Barr is an award-winning novelist and the best-selling author of the Anna Pigeon series.