Into That Silent Sea Trailblazers Of The Space Era 19611965 Francis French by Francis French, Colin Burgess 9780803226395, 080322639X instant download after payment.

Longer on biography than on technology, this account of the first space farers will appeal to spaceflight buffs. And in a subject densely populated with memoirs by its principal figures, French and Burgess have generated new material from their own interviews with some of the pioneering astronauts and cosmonauts. In addition, the authors incorporate the recollections of nurse Dee O'Hara, who worked with the Mercury astronauts, and of American aviatrixes involved in a program, little known today, that might have but ultimately did not produce the first female in space. That accolade more famously went in 1963 to Valentina Tereshkova, whose upbringing, attraction to aeronautics, life-changing flight, and postflight career represent the pattern in which the authors present the dozen-plus individuals who structure their text. Tracking the firsts in space history, like Yuri Gagarin and Alan Shepard, followed by the seconds, such as Gherman Titov and Virgil Grissom, French and Burgess' history will engage the space-program audience. A sequel is slated for publication later in 2007, covering the years 1965-69. Gilbert Taylor
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"Eminently readable, well-crafted... The merits of this popular history rest in the elegant narrative and the authors' thoughtful awareness of the space explorer genre." Air & Space Smithsonian "Accessible to both newcomers to space history and well-read enthusiasts alike." Space Review "[Into That Silent Sea] dispenses with distracting technical jargon and nationalistic jingoism to deliver ten superbly composed, thoughtfully balanced chapters about the astronauts and cosmonauts who flew Mercury and Vostok/Voskhod missions... Avid readers will revel in the authors' masterful compilation of these straight-forward, detailed mini-biographies." Air Power History "Unforgettable days and some unforgettable characters were brought vividly back to me by this truly wonderful book. They were fun times; they were also incredibly difficult, hard-working, and agonizing times, watching dear friends launch into space with my heart in my mouth. This book offers a treasure trove of memories." Dee O'Hara, nurse to the astronauts "As well as vividly picturing the men, this book also accurately tells the story of the very first women to train for spaceflight in Russia---and women like me in America who hoped for the same opportunity to reach for the stars." Wally Funk, rocket pilot for Interorbital Systems Corporation "This frank, entertaining, no-holds-barred ride through the golden age of space flight takes us behind the official stories, into the real lives of the very first astronauts and cosmonauts." Wally Schirra: Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo astronaut