In the Shadow of the Moon: A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969 (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of S) by Francis French, Colin Burgess Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of In the Shadow of the Moon: A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969 (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of S)
Book Review: a must read
Summary: 5 Stars
Hats off to Messers French and Burgess for another tour de force. Their unvarnished and yet affectionate portraits of lesser known atronauts such as Donn Eisele are not only compelling, but also an important addition to the historical record that serve as a reminder that the space race was more than a technological contest: it was first and foremost a human endeavour. IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON is a story rich with the personalities behind the Gemini missions -- their frailties, egos, infidelities, and astonishing courage and accomplishment. French and Burgess dish up these characters in a taut chronicle that never flags yet remains sober and serious in tone. They are to be congratulated for a very fine work, and their stellar reviews are richly deserved. Book Review: A window-seat on the way to the moon
Summary: 5 Stars
It has been almost 50 years since mankind first
slipped the bonds of earth to explore the heavens.
Since then, space exploration has given us some of the
most spectacular and memorable moments in history from
the first moon-landing on Apollo 11 to the drama of Apollo 13 and the devastation of the Challenger and Columbia disasters. The material already written on these programmes would likely stretch from here to the
moon, and many would be forgiven for assuming that there's nothing new to write on the subject. However, authors Francis French and Colin Burgess have found a new angle and made a most worthy contribution to the
history of our greatest adventure.
What separates "In the Shadow of the Moon" from many other books on the space programme is that it focuses on the men and women who made it all possible. This is a people's history of space and examines that magnificent race from the perspective of those who lived it and did it: whether running the programmes or riding the rockets. Through their genuine interest in the subject matter, Burgess and French won the trust of the astronauts, cosmonauts and the lesser-known or forgotten space pioneers who toiled behind the scenes. The reward for their dedication and sincerity were stories that in many cases have never been told before and provide a fresh perspective on the early days of spaceflight. The end
result is a book that ranks amongst the very best written on the subject.
Not only does this book provide a most welcome perspective on a truly remarkable endeavour, but it is also extremely well written and thoroughly readable. This book transports you to a time when the two great superpowers were competing for control of the ultimate high ground while the rest of the world watched in awe and perhaps bewilderment. It proves that while the men and women who rode these rockets were indeed the best, bravest and brightest of that or any other time, they were also mere humans with their own foibles, insecurities, peculiarities and
curiosities.
If you want a truly human history of spaceflight, this book is amongst the very best available.
Book Review: Another great space history
Summary: 5 Stars
In a follow-on to their excellent Into That Silent Sea, French and Burgess have again come up with another gem. This book covers the 10 Gemini flights and the 5 Apollo missions up through the touchdown of Apollo 11, the first landing. Also included are details of some of the Soviet missions that occurred during the period. In addition, the book includes probably the best description of the Apollo I fire that I have read.
I went to work for McDonnell on the Gemini right out of college in 1965 and got to know the program rather well. I then went on to work on Apollo at Kennedy. So it is usually with some trepidation that I pick up a new space history book, as it seems many authors seem to think they can just go to the library, gather their facts and slap a book together, often without benefit of any proofreading or fact checking. Not so with French and Burgess. With the exception of a few almost insignificant items, this book is about as accurate as any I've read. The list of interviewees reads like a "Who's Who" of the space program. These interviews have allowed them to present a fresh perspective on the missions and it is written in a most enjoyable style. I was truly sorry when I came to the end.
My only complaint about the book is that I was hoping for the full story of the Apollo 11 mission, rather than ending with the landing. We can hope that their next effort in the series will continue the story of 11 and the remaining missions.
Book Review: Another great book
Summary: 5 Stars
Another great book on the Golden years of Spaceflight . Francis and Colin really have the "right stuff". Their insight and facts of the events are spot on and they have made the telling of each flight just as interesting and exciting as the previous one. Not an easy chore. I had forgotten how perilous the EVA's were and they brought back such vivid memories of them. Both "Into the Silent Sea" and "In The Shadow of the Moon" are terrific reads and a great way to "experience it all". I owe the authors a debt of gratitude for writing and accurately documenting these historical flights.Book Review: A Document to the Testament of Human Space Flight...
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the book you have been looking for.
This is a fantastic book, accounting the details and nuances of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts and their missions. Mr. Francis French and co-author Colin Burgess has taken just another telling of human space flight and created a new track - infused in it the personal thoughts, sentiments and reflections of ordinary men doing extra-ordinary feats. One does not quickly skim through this document, but instead slowly take in what the astronauts are telling us.
The authors gained the confidence and respect from the astronauts to share with them data, information and personal experiences not found anywhere else. I found myself lost in reading about the never before known aspects of the pioneers of the Mercury and Gemini programs - testing never before used technology and crews sharing their often near disastrous incidents. This is where man learned how to fly in space, with the Gemini capsule being the most maneuverable craft...even by todays standards. Questions we often asked ourselves about conditions in the crew cabin, conflicts with NASA administration or more private (and sometimes embarrassing), events/incidents are answered in this work.
I had the honor to interview Mr. French while he was Chicago, and he brought new insights and narration to the book and companion film. Sharing with me his own experiences in researching, interviewing and documenting forever the words of the astronauts, he demonstrated his love and passion for his work. The authors put on paper for us a priceless treasure of manned space flight, and creates for the reader, a great sense on what it is was like being there, the thoughts running through their heads - sitting on top of a controlled explosion, drifting away on a spacewalk or lost in thought studying the lunar surface. Next best thing to being there.
I do highly recommend this book for anyone who desires the human aspect - the personal insight of space flight without the dry over technical data of machinery specifications, although there is plenty of fulfilling information on that as well, presented as an adjunct to the story without overwhelming it.
Get it now and you'll be forever enriched.
Joe Guzm?n
President
The Chicago Astronomer
www.chicagoastronomer.com