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Summary: Rocketeers
Review: finally, the eighth wonder of the world, the Space Shuttle.the Space Shuttle is more than a space ship, it's a rocket, an aircraft, a cargo carrier and laboratory all in one. supposedly the Space Shuttle never achieved it's envisioned targets of being a reusable space craft, with a fast turnaround time to the next launch and carrying regular commercial payloads into space. but on reading/looking through this book, you'll see a whole lot more. some of the best photographs ever taken by NASA and it's astronauts fill the pages of this book. actual accounts by the "Rocketeers" themselves who experienced this magical trip into earth orbit. fly the Space Shuttle and visit earth orbit - time and time again!
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Summary: The Best Book ever!
Review: I made a good choice by selecting this book. This is the best space book i have ever read. If you are interested in space shuttles and astronaut stuff, then look no further, cuz this is the one u are looking for. The book is well organized and the astronauts experiences are really thrilling and emotional. It will make one really feel how its like to be an astronaut.
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Summary: Excellent history of the Shuttle
Review: I purchased this the day that the Columbia was lost. I needed to have some help dealing with the loss. I have been interested in the Space program since the 70's. I was born the day before Apollo 11 took of for the moon. The stories in this book are excellent, the photographs, amazing. If you want or need a memento of the Shuttle, this is the book to buy.
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Summary: Words, Pictures, Wonder and Love
Review: I think there are three broad types of books on space programs. The pasted together by who-knows-who sadly disappointing ones. The fine works that illuminate some aspect of the space program with technical quality or historical insight or somesuch. And then there are those few books that bring together the history and the machines and the people with the words of those who were there, awesome drool-on-the-page photos, and the love of a quality craftsman. This is of course the latter. All written by the astronauts. Includes notes on every mission. Well worth the money.
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Summary: beautiful, just beautiful
Review: i wont have a bad word said about it. some of the photos in this book are really inspiring.
if it wasn't for the love i have for it i would say that it should be thrown with considerable force at anybody who is, after two decades of such ground breaking work, still in doubt about the worth of the shuttle.
just a word or two on the title - '...the first 20 years'. theres a review just up a bit which suggests that it should be the '..most recent 20 yrs' as the book is all about the two decades between 1981 and 2001. i would like to offer that the shuttle programme is only 23yrs old so the 'first' 20yrs IS the 'most recent' 20yrs.
also, i am delighted to read that someone else gets confused when a story told turns out NOT to be related to the picture beside. don't get me wrong, i think it was a good decision to match up the stories with photos which are in some way relevant but i think that its actually done so seamlessly that i tend to think that they are two of the same and end up disappointed and slightly confused when i realise that they aren't.
before i read this book (and reading the expressions on the faces of the astronauts is definately included), an astronaut was no more than the holder of the most fantastic profession in existance. now they're all people, who have fought so hard and so long to earn a place at the forefront of humanity. i'm so glad that someone finally decided to tell their story.
really very impressed and somewhat bewitched.
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Summary: Excellent photo essay
Review: If you are interested in the space program, this book is a must have. I got it for a birthday gift and really treasured it. I think most people will enjoy the narratives given by the astronauts about what goes on behind the scenes. It offers a rich in-depth perspective from the astronaut's point of view. The photography is superior. Well worth buying. I can't say enough good things about it.
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Summary: The Astronauts' Experiences in Their Own Words
Review: In contrast to the astronauts who rode Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo into space, the hundreds whom the space shuttle has lifted above Earth are little known by name, even to aficionados. This album will promote more familiarity because, unlike a photo-fat, tech-heavy volume such as Space Shuttle: A History of the National Space Transportation System (2001), it emphasizes the human experience of the still-dangerous act of spaceflight. The editors offer two unique angles to express it: first-person anecdotes by about 70 of the shuttle-nauts, and hundreds of never-before-published photos. In truth, these traveling technicians weren't selected for their rapturous eloquence, but somehow they managed--amid completing the tasks of their in-flight time, which was scheduled to the minute--to pause, soak up their surroundings, and be able to recall what it was like. Some stories concern the oddities of zero-gravity housekeeping; others, the exhilaration of a space walk. Taken together with the spectacular pictures, the accounts create an intimacy with the reader and guarantee the high popularity of this work with spaceflight fans.
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Summary: A Gorgeous Book
Review: It may seem strange that one author who has written a Space Shuttle book is recommending another book on the same subject, but this is one of the most beautifully presented books I have ever seen. It tells the story from an entirely different perspective than mine, and I am very happy that Tony Reichhardt and the Smithsonian have produced such a wonderful tribute to the program. I highly recommend this work.
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Summary: A Long Overdue Book - Spectacular!!!
Review: It seems hard to believe that the first space shuttle launch happened almost 22 years ago. During that time, hundreds of astronauts and cosmonauts both men and women, from many different countries have flown in space onboard this marvel of engineering. This book recounts the adventures of those who have flown onboard the space shuttle, using high quality, color photographs and a small amount of accompanying text (a few paragraphs to a few pages) provided by the astronauts and as the title states, in their own words. I've always felt that a large format, coffee table style book dedicated to the space shuttle program was long overdue. This book is divided into two distinct parts: A chronology of the first twenty years of missions and then a section that examines an entire space shuttle mission from training to launch and then to landing. These two sections are loaded with many different stories such as the wonder of being in space and viewing our home planet, preparing and eating meals in space, a humorous story of the operation of the space toilet, the use of Mir, the construction of the International Space Station and of course the terrible times associated with the Challenger explosion. It is nice to see that through all the triumphs and trails of space exploration, these people who many hold up as modern day heroes, are just as human as the rest of us, and are filled with awe of this great adventure into the unknown. The book also contains an Appendix that provides an excellent summary of all the missions that occurred during the first twenty years of shuttle operations. In addition, there is also a nice overview section, which briefly examines shuttle systems, astronauts training and shuttle operations. One final thought, since the book celebrates the first twenty years of space shuttle flights, there is not any information related to the loss of the Columbia. Maybe the authors of this book will be able to produce an equally excellent book as a tribute to the Columbia. Here's hoping.
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Summary: "We go into space because of the human spirit"--Loren Acton
Review: Most books I've read on the Space Shuttle are political in nature. Many also focus on the problems with the shuttle system: the tragedies of Challenger and Columbia and the mishaps of Mir and Hubble. This book, however, considers the firsthand accounts of the men and women who flew, lived, and worked in space since the first shuttle launch in 1981. Scores of astronauts and payload and mission specialists participated in this project (no Russian cosmonauts, however, were contacted for this book) and provided reminiscences on everything from training, what it is like during launch, experiences in zero gravity, space sickness, watching earth from 165 miles up, space walking, experiments conducted, horseplay on the shuttle, coming home, etc. Each personal story is about a page in length (some even shorter) and are surrounded by tons of full color photographs. This book was published before the Columbia tragedy and two astronauts who perished on that mission (Rick Husband and Kalpana Chawla) provide stories. Some of my favorite stories: Jack Lousma's frank account on how he never knew when to safely use ejector seats (pg. 24); Sultan Bin Salman Al-Saud on returning to Saudi Arabia "I could not believe that our people had that kind of excitement in them" (pg. 45); Rhea Seddon on the Pepsi/Coke experiments (Pepsi's space can was just a shaving cream container with a label slapped on while Coke spent loads on their special can); Bob Cenker on how NASA never kept the life threatening danger from "teacher in Space" Christa McAuliffe before the doomed Challenger flight (pg. 57); Congressman Bill Nelson on his close call; Hoot Gibson on a top secret mission from which he received a medal "he could only wear in a safe" (pg. 66); John Blaha and Jerry Linenger on life aboard Mir (pp. 90-1); and a photo caption on how the shuttle circles the earth every 90 minutes so it experiences "sunrise" in that amount of time (pg. 244). Of course, there a lot more interesting stories. I'm not sure if it would have been possible, but I'd enjoy the book more if it included photos of the storytellers next to their reminiscences. Most of the time, the photos (albeit related to the topic described) are of other people. When I read the stories I sometimes got a mental picture of the person(s) in the photos only to realize they were not the same person. That's just a minor criticism. Anyone interested in astronaut life will enjoy this book. The stories are not very technical and are usually about fun or awe inspiring moments. Although, it is definitely a pro-space program book, there is nothing political or controversial here. It also includes a list of each mission with the passengers and experiments conducted, and simplified looks at the shuttle and its launch pattern, Mir, and the International Space Station.
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