<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A great behind the scenes telling of the lunar module
Review: A fabulous book telling the story of the design of the lunar module that carried men to the moon. A good human story presenting insight into the engineers personalities and how they delt with the tremendous responsibility that was placed upon them.Look for the "Towing fee" presented to North Americian Avaition (the builders of the command module) during the Apollo 13 problem.
Rating: 
Summary: The authors know the value of human drama
Review: and don't shy away from infusing their history of the Lunar Module with emotion. I read this book years ago when the a subtitle prepared me for its "limited" scope. This is popular history, not academia, and hence it's a marvelous read. For anyone interested in the history of space exploration, this makes a fun summertime "beach book."
Rating:
Summary: Not bad, not bad at all...
Review: Overall, this was a worthwhile read. As others have noted, the cover is misleading. This book is a detailed chronicle of the manufacture of the Lunar Module, and not a general history of the Apollo program. In fact, given the number of general apollo histories available, I think it would have sold better had it been more aptly titled. Although a tad melodramatic, the authors weave a cohesive narrative and truly convey the enormous complexity of designing and building the LM. It was nice to read a book that was not just about the astronauts but instead about those who actually put them into space. I would reccommend this book for serious space enthusiasts and not the casual reader. The best chapter is the last one, dealing with the end of the LM program and the fate of the lunar modules, both those that went to the moon and those that stayed on the earth.
Rating:
Summary: The Best "Untold Story" About the Space Race
Review: The awe-inspiring successes of the Apollo program have unfortunately served to hide the tireless efforts of the armies of technicians that made it happen. "Chariots for Apollo" serves to correct that oversight. The Grumman "Iron Works" on Long Island, NY was home to the astounding Lunar Excursion Module, the world's first (and still only) true manned "spacecraft", and this is the unabridged story of how it came to be. Although many books about the space program trumpet its triumphs, the costly human side of this colossal technological initiative, the ultimate goal of which was to beat the Soviets to the moon, is revealed here. In reading this book, one gets a palpable sense of the almost unbelieveable stresses borne by the bold scientists and engineers who took this monster on and made the dream a reality, and that their staggering achievements were not without penalty in human lives. The book pulls no punches in discussing the psychological costs to those involved in terms of broken families, alcoholism, suicide, and even cases where people literally died of exhaustion. Interesting, easy-to-read technical anecdotes about how the the most revolutionary craft since the Wright Flyer was made, and how huge technical obstacles were surmounted with ingenuity, will interest and at times amuse the reader. In sum, the book covers both the technical and the personal well, but doesn't overwhelm with jargon, and leaves the reader feeling a glow of pride in their achievement. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The Best "Untold Story" About the Space Race
Review: The awe-inspiring successes of the Apollo program have unfortunately served to hide the tireless efforts of the armies of technicians that made it happen. "Chariots for Apollo" serves to correct that oversight. The Grumman "Iron Works" on Long Island, NY was home to the astounding Lunar Excursion Module, the world's first (and still only) true manned "spacecraft", and this is the unabridged story of how it came to be. Although many books about the space program trumpet its triumphs, the costly human side of this colossal technological initiative, the ultimate goal of which was to beat the Soviets to the moon, is revealed here. In reading this book, one gets a palpable sense of the almost unbelieveable stresses borne by the bold scientists and engineers who took this monster on and made the dream a reality, and that their staggering achievements were not without penalty in human lives. The book pulls no punches in discussing the psychological costs to those involved in terms of broken families, alcoholism, suicide, and even cases where people literally died of exhaustion. Interesting, easy-to-read technical anecdotes about how the the most revolutionary craft since the Wright Flyer was made, and how huge technical obstacles were surmounted with ingenuity, will interest and at times amuse the reader. In sum, the book covers both the technical and the personal well, but doesn't overwhelm with jargon, and leaves the reader feeling a glow of pride in their achievement. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: An incredible story well told...
Review: There are countless books chronicling the race to the moon and the triumphs of the Apollo program. Most of them are well worth reading too. Chariots sets itself apart though. Rather than celebrating the astronauts, or even the flight controllers and ground crews, Chariots goes behind the scenes at Grumman Aerospace Corporation, the company that won the contract to build the Lunar Module (LM). The reader sees firsthand the technical and engineering mountains that had to be scaled in order to make the moon landing possible. It's an incredible story full of pitfalls, heartbreaks (and a few heart attacks), breakthroughs, divorces and happy endings. Building the first (and so far only) spacecraft designed to land human beings on another world presented engineering challenges that had never been considered before, and Grumman rose to the challenge. An indispensable book for any amateur historian of the space age.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic, but needs a title change
Review: This book is a pleasant change from the NASA/Astronaut perspective of the 1960's race to the moon. This story is told through the eyes of one supplier, the lunar module designers and engineers. There must be similar untold stories at Rockwell about developing the command and service module for the Apollo program.
Rating:
Summary: Space Race Story from a Different Perspective
Review: This book is a pleasant change from the NASA/Astronaut perspective of the 1960's race to the moon. This story is told through the eyes of one supplier, the lunar module designers and engineers. There must be similar untold stories at Rockwell about developing the command and service module for the Apollo program.
Rating:
Summary: Chariots for Apollo - The Making of the Lunar Module
Review: This is a great book that is actually a perfect complement for the newly released 'Moon Lander' by Thomas Kelly. I discovered this gem as originally released in 1985. The descriptions of subsequent releases have downplayed the fact that this is truly the story about building, testing, flying and living in the LEM. It's great for spaceflight enthusiasts interested in Grumman's development of the LEM. Lots of great detail and drama.
I'd recommend for those who enjoy the NASA Mission Reports series.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent technical history of the LM
Review: This is a very good read. As a mechanical engineer, I was fascinated by the technical aspects of the discussion of the Lunar Module (LM) development, but also pleased at the author's style of decribing the people involved. A very good book in the spirit of Tracy Kidder's "Soul of a New Machine."
<< 1 >>
| 
