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Summary: THE BEST DESCRIPTION OF SPACEFLIGHT EVER WRITTEN
Review: Many of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts have written autobiographies but this is the only one that really describes what spaceflight is like, as experienced by the astronaut himself. Mike Collins puts the reader right into the spacecraft alongside the author. He also describes the training the astronauts went through as well as short but colorful descriptions of his fellow astronauts. It is indeed unfortunate that none of the twelve men who walked on the moon has written an account that is of the caliber of this book. A reader interested in the Apollo program from the viewpoint of the men who flew in it should read, in addition to this book, Andrew Chaikin's masterpiece "A Man on the Moon" and can skip the other astronaut autobiographies.
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Summary: I can't gush enough!
Review: Michael Collins is one of the best pilots NASA ever saw, but you won't know that from this book. He is a very humble man who writes with wonderful humor and clarity. His story of his role in the race to the moon is interesting, informative, funny and absolutely incredible. He teaches physics,politics and good writing form in one incredible book. Because Collins is able to so clearly explain the science of flying, I highly recommend this book as a starting place for anyone interested in learning about the early days of the space program. To learn more about the respect others at NASA have for Mike Collins, I recommend "Deke!" and "Last Man on the Moon."
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Summary: I can't gush enough!
Review: Michael Collins is one of the best pilots NASA ever saw, but you won't know that from this book. He is a very humble man who writes with wonderful humor and clarity. His story of his role in the race to the moon is interesting, informative, funny and absolutely incredible. He teaches physics,politics and good writing form in one incredible book. Because Collins is able to so clearly explain the science of flying, I highly recommend this book as a starting place for anyone interested in learning about the early days of the space program. To learn more about the respect others at NASA have for Mike Collins, I recommend "Deke!" and "Last Man on the Moon."
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Summary: The Making of an Astronaut
Review: Michael Collins was command module pilot of the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in July 1969. Had he not forged such a distinguished record of achievement in the cockpits of exotic, out-of-this-world air & space craft, first as fighter jet test pilot and then as astronaut, Collins would have likely experienced noteworthy success at the keyboard as a writer. After seeing this book on a recent list of the "100 Greatest Adventure Stories," I decided to give it a read. Collins' brilliant narrative helped me rediscover those feelings of admiration, wonder and awe that I experienced as a young boy while watching the space launches and moon walks on B&W TV. This is a fascinating, revealing and oh so candid first person account of the pathway that took Collins to the moon and back--his early career as a fighter jet test pilot, selection and induction into the astronaut corps, preparation and training of an astronaut, the personalities of many of Collins' colleagues in the space program, the exquisite and intricate planning intended to minimize the risks to these brave explorers and ensure their success, his own anxieties and something of the impact on the families of the astronauts. All of technology's wonderous achievements of the last 20 years, e.g., laptop computers, cellular phones, internet, cable TV, etc. seem to pale in comparison to the marvel of sending man to the moon and bringing him home again...safely. While circling the moon in the command module Columbia, Collins needed to correctly press a sequence of computer buttons 850 times just to manage a successful rendezvous with his partners Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as they returned from the surface of the moon in the lunar module Eagle. Just one example among many of the incredible vision and engineering and planning involved in NASA's glory years of success. Despite his wonderful accomplishments, Collins does not take himself too seriously, tells his story with wry humor and is maybe a little irreverent. His story sent tingles up and down my spine again...after all these years!
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Summary: A fascinating story well told by an author/test pilot.
Review: Mike Collins writes like the guy next door, who just happened to go to the moon. He balances the interesting technical details with the very human endeavors that made space travel possible - and the human foibles that made it fun and interesting. Reading this book made me feel like I was there on Gemini and Apollo - with a close personal friend.
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Summary: revealing
Review: Mr. Collins does an excellent job revealing the adventure of being an astronaut. His writing is personal, humurous and informative. I now have a better understanding of how it was to live the life of an astronaut, experiencing the pressure and excitement of the sixties at NASA
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Summary: Humour and candour
Review: Of all the books on Apollo written by the astronauts this is the best. The author treats his story with candour and a good degree of self-effacing humour. He really conveys the feeling of being on the spacecraft with him and explains technical issues well. Mike Collins comes across as the astronaut you'd most like to meet in the bar. An excellent book.
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Summary: The best book about the early space program.
Review: One of my favourites. The best book written by an astronaut and one of the best about the space program. Too often out of print.
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Summary: Biography of an astronaut in US Gemini and Apollo Programs
Review: One of the best first hand accounts of "Gee Whiz, what's it like to fly in space?" Collins brings the experience to terms a layman can understand. He also explains the reasons behind NASA's decisions and why Armstrong and Aldrin were first on the moon. Collins goes in to great detail, yet no technical details, on what it was like to fly a Gemini and Apollo spacecraft. Very good reading!
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Summary: A sense of humor does wonders
Review: The spate of new books on the Apollo era, probably spurred by the success of the Apollo 13 movie, has been a godsend to enthusiasts like me, but this one stands out not just for it being written by a participant in 1975, but also because Collins turns out to be a gifted writer with a refreshing openness and humor. It's rather a shame he's apparently found no other subject to whet his literary whistle since then, as this is probably the most 'readable' book on the space program to date. In fact the moment I finished it I turned right back to page 1 and started again -- it was that enjoyable.
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