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Summary: The "Control" in Mission Control
Review: If you grew up watching the early days of the space program on TV, then the name Chris Kraft is familiar to you. While not the household name that Neil Armstrong is, Kraft was there from the beginning of manned space flight. Not just as an observer, but as a real pioneer in the development of space travel. He offers an inspiring story of man meeting insurmountable challenges. First, that of simply getting a man into space. Then, how politics played a role in the greatest challenge and accomplishment of the 20th century; sending a man to the moon and returning safely to Earth. He was there for it all.I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would heartily recommend it to anyone who in even the least bit interested in space travel. From his position, he saw it all; the good, the bad and the ugly. From the thrill of simply getting into space, to overcoming adversity, and finally to how politics affected NASA and resulted in the loss of many great people from government service. Read this book, you won't be sorry.
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Summary: Great read, well written
Review: This book is a very interesting look at the life of Chris Kraft as he makes his way through the early years of the American space program. Before reading this book I had little to no knowledge about the details of the early space program, and Kraft does an excellent job of detailing the missions, the ups and downs, the evolution of the space-race with Russia, the early euphoria and later beauracracy of NASA, and much more. In addition to learning a great deal about space exploration, Kraft has interesting insight into people, program, and project management that are also peppered throughout the book. Recommended!
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Summary: Great book! The best I have read about NASA.
Review: This book is the best I've read about NASA/spaceflight - it's never slow and boring like some space books. It's a true autobiography as he includes some details about his personal life, his marriage and relationship with his kids which makes Mr. Krantz a likable figure as he is honest about the effects of his long work days at NASA. This book covers the early days, the 60s and a bit before that, just when Johnson Space Center and NASA itself got started. Good look back at what Krantz himself calls the heyday of America's space program.
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Summary: Young Guys Take On the World and Win -American Style
Review: This is a modern and very much an American story where people are given the money and resources and are told to get the job done. This takes place of course at NASA under the intense glare of the international media. It was done under tough working conditions, with many technical and human challenges, with long hours, and tough deadlines to meet. Sure the Mission Control team headed by Kraft was supported by a cast of thousands and many suppliers, but they (ultimately) had to manage the flights and make the decisions, and do the things that were required to make the operation a success. Only the very best people can lead in this technical environment. They must be the brightest and have the ability to garner respect from their fellow workers. Age is not a factor in selecting the people, those decisions are based on raw talent and drive. In this pressure cooker environment Kraft rose to the top. That is what this book is about. It is a group of young guys with lots of energy and the smarts have to come up with and execute a winning plan and then solve all kinds of problems with no prior or at least limited experiences. But Kraft and his team did it with the world watching. This book conveys this great achievement by a young group of managers and engineers. Four or five stars. Great story. Jack in Toronto
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Summary: One of the Best Books Ever about the Space Program
Review: While I really liked Gene Kranz's book on his experiences in Mission Control and felt that his was a five star book, Chris Kraft's book is orders of magnitude better. Chris Kraft describes in great detail his career at NASA, its predecessor NACA and all the people involved in setting up mission control and getting America to the Moon. He tells it like it was and he's not afraid to criticize (or praise) the many players within NASA and its contractors. Through out the book, the reader gets the impression that Kraft truly enjoyed his job, even with the 70 to 80 hour weeks, and believes in the dream of exploring the solar system and the universe. The book begins with Kraft's childhood on the Virginia shores of the Atlantic and the factors that ultimately shaped his future. Due to a childhood accident he is unable to fight in World War II and instead ends up becoming an engineer at NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) helping to solve aerodynamic problems of many aircraft. At NACA he distinguishes himself by solving many complex flight problems, some of which are still used today. It is here that he meets many of the people who will become the driving force behind the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, such as Walt Williams and Bob Gilruth. Once the Russians launch Sputnik, he becomes one of a select few of 36 people who form the Space Task Group. This group becomes the core of all manned space flight projects up to the Space Shuttle program. This group developed the Mercury capsule, mission control and selected the Original Seven astronauts. He becomes the Flight Director for the Mercury program and part of the Gemini program. As the space program expands, the group grows quite large and moves to Houston, TX to form the Manned Spacecraft Center (now the Johnson Space Center). Mid-way through the Gemini program he gives up his position as a Flight Director and worked on getting Apollo to the moon. So much has been written about the Apollo missions to the Moon, that this book was a breath of fresh air. Approximately half of this book is devoted to the Mercury and Gemini programs and how these often ignored projects played an extremely important role in getting America to the Moon. This book is loaded many great nuggets about the space program and Kraft's life. For example, he helps subdue a hijacker, he's one of only a few that criticizes Wernher Von Braun (and not for his Nazi past) and several of the Original Mercury Seven Astronauts and tells how and why Neil Armstrong was selected to be the first man on the moon. But all in all, Kraft continually points out that it was teamwork that got the space program over many hurdles and to the moon. Those who were not non-team players, such as Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter, were eventually eased out of the program. It is important to note that all the proceeds from this book go to a college scholarship fund for the children of Johnson Space Center employees.
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