Two Sides of the Moon: Our Story of the Cold War Space Race

Book Description

Growing up on either side of the Iron Curtain, David Scott and Alexei Leonov experienced very different childhoods but shared the same dream to fly. Excelling in every area of mental and physical agility, Scott and Leonov became elite fighter pilots and were chosen by their countries' burgeoning space programs to take part in the greatest technological race ever-to land a man on the moon. In this unique dual autobiography, astronaut Scott and cosmonaut Leonov recount their exceptional lives and careers spent on the cutting edge of science and space exploration. With each mission fraught with perilous risks, and each space program touched by tragedy, these parallel tales of adventure and heroism read like a modern-day thriller. Cutting fast between their differing recollections, this book reveals, in a very personal way, the drama of one of the most ambitious contests ever embarked on by man, set against the conflict that once held the world in suspense: the clash between Russian communism and Western democracy.Before training to be the USSR's first man on the moon, Leonov became the first man to walk in space. It was a feat that won him a place in history but almost cost him his life. A year later, in 1966, Gemini 8, with David Scott and Neil Armstrong aboard, tumbled out of control across space. Surviving against dramatic odds-a split-second decision by pilot Armstrong saved their lives-they both went on to fly their own lunar missions: Armstrong to command Apollo 11 and become the first man to walk on the moon, and Scott to perform an EVA during the Apollo 9 mission and command the most complex expedition in the history of exploration, Apollo 15. Spending three days on the moon, Scott became the seventh man to walk on its breathtaking surface. Marking a new age of USA/USSR cooperation, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project brought Scott and Leonov together, finally ending the Cold War silence and building a friendship that would last for decades. Their courage, passion for exploration, and determination to push themselves to the limit emerge in these memoirs not only through their triumphs but also through their perseverance in times of extraordinary difficulty and danger.

Customer Reviews:

Dueling Autobiographies.......2006-11-15

"Two Sides of the Moon" is a fascinating addition to the library of any space historian, whether casual or professional. The book, written by American Astronaut Dave Scott and Soviet Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, focuses on personal and professional struggles set within the political framework of the 1960s (and early 1970s) cold war.

Although I would have preferred more technical detail in the book, I still enjoyed it very much though more from the human interest angle. I liked the technique of alternating narratives from the American and Soviet points of view: the book was skillfully written to reveal the emotions and perceptions of both sides of the space race during key points in the race to the moon (Sputnik, the Apollo 1 fire, Apollo 11, etc.) I found both authors to be likable and appreciated their willingness to share credit with people unknown to the general public, from important organizational keys like Bill Tindall's famous (within NASA, anyway) Data Priority Meetings (and their resultant "Tindallgrams,") to the awe with which Leonov held Sergei Korolev, the Soviet Chief Designer, whose death all but dashed Soviet attempts to land on the moon prior to the Americans.

The book has an upbeat and optimistic tone, and is good-natured throughout. I enjoyed the behind the scenes trivia the pair provided. Did you know that the first animals to achieve circumlunar flight were a pair of Steppe Tortoises on the Soviet Zond-5 mission? The were recovered safe (but probably confused) in the Indian Ocean on September 17, 1968. Little known facts like this made this book a treasure for readers who traditionally focus on the more technical aspects of the missions.

The book boasts an excellent Foreword by Neil Armstrong, Scott's commander from Gemini 8. Scott gives Armstrong ceaseless praise for his judgment during the emergency they shared, and it seems clear that Armstrong holds Scott in equally high esteem.

The book is a great telling of a compelling tale. I particularly found the travails of Leonov's youth to be astounding, and admire him more after reading this book for overcoming them to become one of the great names in spaceflight. Likewise, Scott is a high achiever and role model for generations of spacefarers for generations to come. I recommend this book highly.

Dueling Autobiographies.......2006-11-15

"Two Sides of the Moon" is a fascinating addition to the library of any space historian, whether casual or professional. The book, written by American Astronaut Dave Scott and Soviet Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, focuses on personal and professional struggles set within the political framework of the 1960s (and early 1970s) cold war.

Although I would have preferred more technical detail in the book, I still enjoyed it very much though more from the human interest angle. I liked the technique of alternating narratives from the American and Soviet points of view: the book was skillfully written to reveal the emotions and perceptions of both sides of the space race during key points in the race to the moon (Sputnik, the Apollo 1 fire, Apollo 11, etc.) I found both authors to be likable and appreciated their willingness to share credit with people unknown to the general public, from important organizational keys like Bill Tindall's famous (within NASA, anyway) Data Priority Meetings (and their resultant "Tindallgrams," page 194,) to the awe with which Leonov held Sergei Korolev, the Soviet Chief Designer, whose death all but dashed Soviet attempts to land on the moon prior to the Americans.

The book has an upbeat and optimistic tone, and is good-natured throughout. I enjoyed the behind the scenes trivia the pair provided. Did you know that the first animals to achieve circumlunar flight were a pair of Steppe Tortoises on the Soviet Zond-5 mission? The were recovered safe (but probably confused) in the Indian Ocean on September 17, 1968. Little known facts like this made this book a treasure for readers who traditionally focus on the more technical aspects of the missions.

The book boasts an excellent Foreword by Neil Armstrong, Scott's commander from Gemini 8. Scott gives Armstrong ceaseless praise for his judgment during the emergency they shared, and it seems clear that Armstrong holds Scott in equally high esteem.

The book is a great telling of a compelling tale. I particularly found the travails of Leonov's youth to be astounding, and admire him more after reading this book for overcoming them to become one of the great names in spaceflight. Likewise, Scott is a high achiever and role model for generations of spacefarers for generations to come. I recommend this book highly.

The Eagle & the Bear........2005-12-02

From all reports, the Cold War was competition between America and Russia to see who could get to the moon and win the "Space Race." Actually, it was who could design and manufacture nuclear arms to blast the other country off into space. So, this book has an odd coupling: an old Soviet astronaut, the first man to "walk in space," and a younger NASA Apollo commander who piloted Gemini 8. I watched all of those missions faithfully until the fatal explosion; after that, it was too traumatic to hear those words, "Go with throttle up."

Alexei Leonov starts with "Temperatures drop to below -50 deg. C in the small village of Listvyanka, Central Sibreia, USSR, where I was born on 30 May 1934." When he was four years old, his father was declared a subversive during the Stalin purge, so they lost everything and had to live in one room with eleven occupants.

David Scott came from a military family, born at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, USA. Before his father became a "fighter pilot," he had an administrative job in a Hollywood film studio in California. David followed in the footsteps of his dad, acted as a technical advisre on the film, 'Apollo 13.'

These two military "commanders" from warring countries have nothing in common, except the moondance in space, as it is more an illusion. Their experiences were not even close. Granted, Leonov was the first man to "walk in space," securing a place in history. Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon in actuality; he was the commander of Apollo 11. After spending three days on the moon, David Scott became the seventh to hop around up there collecting souvenirs.

The photo sections speak a lot louder than the words. I'm not sure the average American citizen is ready to be reminded of all the personal terror and pain we endured for so long by their bullying and threats. The title should be called 'Opposite Sides on Earth," opponents to the end. You would think that, by now, USA would realize that trusting one's former enemy can backfire even in defeat.

Parallel evolution of two individuals during the space race.......2005-05-19

I bought this book just a month ago while in a business trip and I must admit that my first impression was that the book was a sort of commercial best-seller, rather hollywood-like. So I was not expecting serious really serious content. But the more I read, the more I came to the conclussion it was a really good book.

I had not the kind of tech-focused expectations of Thomas Moody (see useful review above), but I think it is serious enough for the non-tech or specialized public, whithout been arcane. It's rigorous and at the same time, very readable. A real page-turner.

I think that the book is worth the money. Provides a smart picture not only of space race but also of cold war in a wider sense, from a special and interesting point of view.

Overall, the point with the book is that it is based on two different careers and lives, wich brings a richer depiction of the evolution, both professional and personal of this two outstanding men, astronaut and cosmonaut, at the same time that their respective space programs in Soviet Union and USA.

My congratulations to the authors, the journalist, editors and all people involved in the project. A very well balanced approach on how to present the story and how to narrate it. They've got a great result.

I really enjoyed this book.

The moon race from vastly different perspectives..........2005-02-23

In his seminal work "A Man On the Moon", author Andrew Chaiken describes the quintessenal American astronaut: "Even in a pack of overachievers like the astronaut corps, David Scott stood out. He seemed to have come straight from Central Casting, a six footer with All-American good loooks and built like a decathlon champion. In some circles there was a joke that if NASA ever came out with an astronaut recruiting poster, Scott should be on it." This glowing testament and the providence of being on the most ambitious lunar mission up to that point (Apollo 15) made Dave Scott seem somewhat a hero to young Apollo-crazed 5th grade students like myself (in 1971). That feeling really never went away, so it was with great anticipation that I undertook this dual auto-biography with Alexei Leonov...and the result was mild disappointment. I suppose I expected more in-depth discussion of the technical aspects of Apollo 15 and the training for it, but got a rather pedestrian telling of that mission and the events leading up to it. True, "Two Sides of the Moon" doesn't promise to be a comprehensive account of any particular mission, rather an overlay of two perspectives of the moon race between the Soviet Union and the U.S. If looked at from that perspective, this work is a useful addition to the mountain of literature on the space race...indeed Leonov exposes much new information on the Soviet program that essentially carries this book.

Thrown together for the symbolic Apollo-Soyuz joint mission in 1975, Scott and Leonov established a shaky initial relationship that prospered following the demise of the Soviet Union and this book is the result of the many story-telling sessions that followed. From Sputnik to Gagarin's ground-breaking manned orbital mission and on to the Leonov commanded Apollo-Soyuz, the reader is treated to the beginning of the Soviet Space program, now with the perspective of over 40 years. The successes and failures were surprising revelations to me...as was the leadership and vision of Sergei Korelov, the "Chief Designer" and the true leader of the Soviet program.

The American program, certainly well documented to date, is rather blandly described by Scott...although useful discussions of Gemini 8 (Scott's first mission), Apollo 9 and of course Apollo 15 make the Scott sections worth the read. Again, when compared to Chaiken's work, Scott's first person rendering of his initial training for and prosecution of this fabulous mission lacks much verve and emotion...many humanistic tidbits, like Scott's iron command of the mission and the resulting embarrasment of the "stamp scandal" are given relatively short shrift...for that matter so to is his mission to the Appenine Mountains. Hadley Rille, Mount Hadley and Hadley Delta exploration points were argueably the most scenic and scientifically important (i.e. the Genisis rock) spots that astronauts visited on the moon, but Scott just doesn't get that emotion across. He tries, but I constantly had to reference Chaiken's book to reinforce that grandeur...a real shame.

What does work with this book however is the integration of the two stories and the disclosure of the initial cooperation between the two programs. Many readers, unaware of these details, will surely find this interesting, as did I. The post space program paths that both men took is also interesting and relevant, although some more personal details from Scott would have rounded out the story-line a little better. For example he mentions his former wife Lurton, but does not go into the cause of that break-up...was it the space program that caused it as happened with many of his peers, or something else? Sadly, one gets the impression that both men are rushed to get their story published, so these important details are left out.

Another in a long recent line of biographies of the Apollo program, this work should stand out somewhat as it gives an interesting new perspective of this well-told story. Scott and Leonov are not great story-tellers, but by combining their career stories, the reader is given a useful look at both programs...but with just a little more effort, this could have been so much better.

The Two-Space War (Baen Science Fiction)

Average customer rating:

Just when you thought SF was getting good again it gets even better!
A different kind of "space opera"
Militaristic fiction
Once Again
Could have been a great book

The Two-Space War (Baen Science Fiction)
Dave Grossman , and Leo Frankowski
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1416509283

Book Description

It is six hundred years in the future and mankind has learned to move between the stars . . . by going into Two-Space, the vast realm where sentient wooden ships travel beneath canvas sails in a universe that is corrosive to technology. As they charged headlong into the galaxy, humans discovered others who were already there: The elven Sylvans who live in the vast forests of low-gravity worlds, the dwarven Dwarrowdelf who thrive deep in the mines of high-gravity worlds, and other, far more alien races. The ancient Sylvan race is enchanted by the human culture, embracing Tolkien as prophecy and taking "classic" human science fiction as a guide. Against this stellar backdrop, Lt. Thomas Melville's ship is mortally wounded in a cowardly surprise attack. With his captain killed, Melville must capture a feral, sentient enemy ship, then must fight his way across the galaxy to warn of the vast invading armada. In an odyssey of turmoil and battle he forges his ship and crew into a mighty weapon of war and earns the love of an alien princess. Now, if he can only survive the attacks of two very angry alien empires, and avoid being court martialed by his own nation of Westerness for getting them involved in a vast intergalactic war, he might live to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Customer Reviews:

Just when you thought SF was getting good again it gets even better!.......2007-10-01

Having only recently discovered Webber and Drake and Ringo and I thought finally there folks who seem to know what they are writting about. I have been awed by Grossman. Having read both "The Two Space War" and it's sequel, "Guns of the Two Space War" I can not wait for more. Lt. Col Grossman's lectures are great as are his technical books, but more fiction would be a wonderful cotribution to Military Science Fiction. Both the poetry and some of the scenes bring tears of rememberance to my eyes. For those who don't get it, BAAH!

A different kind of "space opera".......2007-01-12

Written with a real emphasis on the psycology of being a soldier in combat. Both a very good yarn, and a "here are the real hurts of war to the soldier" story.

It took me a while to get my head around the "Flatland" concept, but that was my problem, not the authors.

Militaristic fiction.......2006-10-02

Highly entertaining book based on a novel type of spaced travel. The military and law enforcement communities will appreciate numerous references to some of the top trainers and training methodologies in that field. But the authors seem much more authoritarian-leaning than the libertarian Robert Heinlein, who seemed to have been (somewhat) an source of inspiration for the authors.

Once Again.......2006-06-21

Dave Grossman, and Leo Frankowski manage a coup!!! With a back-story that is just plain FUN, and a leaveaning of practical information (Straight out of On Combat, and On Killing) on how the action really affects the characters involved, I cant reccomend this book enough. With bows to some of my own favorite authors, paying Homage to O'brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels, Forrester's Hornblower series,and with references to such Sci-Fi Greats as Heinlien, Weber, and Ringo..the storyline keeps you entertained and engrossed from beginning to end!.. Can't wait for the second installment. Also, the other two novels of their collaberation, The war with Earth, and Kren of the Mitchegai, are also great reads, and definitly reccomended.

Could have been a great book.......2006-06-11

There are many good things about this book, but for me it also has faults. Grossman's contributions are fascinating, and there are some decent SF ideas. And yes, if you like Heinlein etc., this is a good example of the style.

If you're familiar with Frankowski's earlier work you will recognize his usual plot - military man with genius-level skills in strategy, tactics and logistics - and a very large dose of blind luck - leads a few good people in defending a society of stupid cows against an immense enemy army, slaughtering them by the thousands in battle after battle.

I will admit that in this type of SF you just have to accept that the good guys will have an endless supply of ammunition, and that no one important will be killed. Hmm, all that gritty realism on so many other points ...

No complaints about the asides and the flip references to our-world writers and trainers. In a more serious novel they might be out of place, but hey, this is space opera.

In several places, it seems that the authors chose a bit of poetry and used it as the plot for the next six pages. A good idea, perhaps, if done less ham-handedly.

And of course readers of both Heinlein and Frankowski will recognize the "piss on golf" theme, which suggests pretty clearly that anyone who plays golf or any other leisure activity is somewhere between a loser and a traitor, because a Real Man would be at the shooting range getting ready for the barbarian invasion. Gosh, that same logic could be applied to reading works of fiction ...

Heinleinesque writers usually work in shots at a government whose representatives would dare to place any kind of limits on what soldiers can do in the field. In this case, the ambassador was a cartoon, so overdone as to be a waste of ink. If the authors were trying to make a point about diplomats etc., they didn't succeed.

Speaking of diplomats and overdrawn cartoon characters, Cuthbert Asquith XVI? Puh-leese. One doesn't make it to a very senior diplomatic post by being such a clod at the most basic levels. Indeed, I wonder if Asquith and Incessant aren't both a tribute to Harry Harrison, because they'd fit right into a "Bill the Galactic Hero" plot.

And yes, I can't blame the authors for mirroring Tolkien, Heinlein, and almost every other writer since the dawn of time in creating an enemy army that is mostly drooling subhumans. I prefer SF with smart opponents.

I look forward to reading someday a book in which the dwarf character isn't the same old Tolkien-Pratchett clone. They really ought to pay Pratchett royalties for the use of Broadax.

Despite all that, I enjoyed most of the book.

Overall - these authors need to decide if they are going to write a rollicking space opera, a thoughtful piece about what it means to be a soldier, a pamphlet on the poetry of warfare, or a lecture on killology. I don't think jamming all four into one plot worked very well.

The Lighthouse War: The Lighthouse Trilogy Book Two (The Lighthouse Trilogy)

Average customer rating:

The Lighthouse War: The Lighthouse Trilogy Book Two (The Lighthouse Trilogy)
Adrian McKinty
Manufacturer: Amulet Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Lighthouse Land (Lighthouse Trilogy)

ASIN: 0810993546

Book Description

The heart-pounding sequel to The Lighthouse Land

Jamie O'Neill is back on earth, where no one but his best friend, Ramsay, knows he's the hero of a great war that saved an alien nation. Now he's back to being a kid with one arm, no girlfriend, and a band that plays bad songs about intergalactic romance. Then news breaks on the Internet: A space probe has picked up a coded message from far across the galaxy. NASA's best scientists can't figure out what it says. Only Jamie and Ramsay realize it's a message from Altair. They're needed again.

This thrilling sequel to The Lighthouse Land is packed with even more adventure, battles, and humor than its predecessor, and secures Adrian McKinty's place as one of science fiction's most exciting new voices.

Average customer rating:

A decent read: not great, not bad
terrific alternate history

New World Order: Two Worlds, One Order
Ben Jeapes
Manufacturer: David Fickling Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Edge on the Sword

ASIN: 0385750137
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Book Description

Only the completely original and unalloyed Jeapesian imagination could think of launching a full-scale alien invasion right into the middle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army, as well as a young King Charles II, face the full might of the powerful Holekhors as alien airships fly in the skies over 17th-century London.

This is an extraordinary and thrilling novel, entirely original, and based in one of the most interesting periods of English history. Read about what might have happened in the 17th century—life could have been very different for us all. . . .

Customer Reviews:

A decent read: not great, not bad.......2005-05-21

The prior review by "Harriet Klausner" is plainly by someone who has not read the book. At best she had read the jacket notes and merely rewritten them. Her description applies to about the first three chapters of the book. There's lots more after that.

Anyway, the book is written for a young adult reader. As such I'd call it a decent read. Probably a 5-star read if I were still a teenager, but the characters and plot were perhaps a little slight and the idea not enirely original. But there's some interesting historical background which an American kid would never get in school but which would be stock stuff for an English kid.

The basic idea is, at first, introduction of advanced technology (rifles, airships, etc.) into the English Civil War. Turtledove tends to get credit for this idea (see his Guns of the South), but the idea's been around since at least the late 1960s and was perhaps best done by de Camp in his Lest Darkness Fall. However, in Jeapes' book the advanced tech doesn't come from the future, it comes from... well, you'll have to read a bit to get the first glimpse of that. Read on and you'll figure out exactly where it is that "John Donder" et al come from.

Donder isn't the only main character of the book. The lost son, whom he finds right away, is just as important. And as major supporting characters we have the Stuart royal family, Cromwell, Monk, and others. Also Donder's compatriots from wherever it is that they come from. Much of this book turns on John Donder's conflicted loyalties and on the efforts of the Englishmen to overcome their divisions and fight off the mutual enemy.

terrific alternate history .......2005-03-10

The civil war between the forces of Oliver Cromwell and King Charles II has devastated the countryside, but by May looks like it's nearly over with the monarch barley escaping recently with his life. However, in the middle of battle, a third force has emerged with weaponry much more powerful than that of either combatant even combined.

Observing a battle, John Donder recognizes the rifle that has not been invented for another two plus centuries. The Holekhors are influencing the war on land, at sea, and for the first time fighting from the air. John having been stranded here before seeks the woman he loves and left behind years ago though he knows time and space are linear when he first fell through a portal. Now in the present of mid seventeenth century England, a late nineteenth century army led by General Dhon Do has invaded the countryside, but learning that he previously sired a child before his earlier timely departure has shocked and awed him.

This is a terrific alternate history tale with a powerful science fiction cut that changes English history at a pivotal moment with time traveling aliens. The story line is action-packed, but also brings to life the reality of the era by comparing it to later weaponry and tactics and through some of the key historical figures. Though targeting a teenage crowd, Harry Turtledove fans will appreciate Ben Jeapes brilliant novel of THE NEW WORLD ORDER.

Harriet Klausner

FLASH GORDON SEQUENCE - Book (1) One: The Lion Men of Mongo; Book (2) Two: The Plague of Sound; Book (3) Three: The Space Circus; Book (4) Four: The Time Trap of Ming XIII; Book (5) Five: The Witch Queen of Mongo; Book (6) Six: The War of Cybernauts

Average customer rating:

FLASH GORDON SEQUENCE - Book (1) One: The Lion Men of Mongo; Book (2) Two: The Plague of Sound; Book (3) Three: The Space Circus; Book (4) Four: The Time Trap of Ming XIII; Book (5) Five: The Witch Queen of Mongo; Book (6) Six: The War of Cybernauts
Alex (adapted by Con Steffanson, pen name used by Bruce Cassidy) Raymond
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0380000148

The Grecian History. In two volumes. Volume the First: From the original of Greece, to the End of the Peloponnesian War. Containing the space of about 1684 Years. Volume the Second: From the end of the Peloponnesian War, to the Death of Philip of Macedon

Average customer rating:

The Grecian History. In two volumes. Volume the First: From the original of Greece, to the End of the Peloponnesian War. Containing the space of about 1684 Years. Volume the Second: From the end of the Peloponnesian War, to the Death of Philip of Macedon
Temple Stanyan
Manufacturer: London: Printed for J. and R. Tonson in the Strand
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IUXB6M

The Hubble Wars: Astrophysics Meets Astropolitics in the Two-Billion-Dollar Struggle over the Hubble Space Telescope

Average customer rating:

Good background read on HST
20-20 Vision
A Great Novel
A great read!
Great reading for anyone interested in astronomy

The Hubble Wars: Astrophysics Meets Astropolitics in the Two-Billion-Dollar Struggle over the Hubble Space Telescope
Eric J. Chaisson
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Star-Gazing | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Telescopes | Experiments, Instruments & Measurement | Science | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Good background read on HST.......2007-01-07

Frankly, I enjoyed the atsropolitics perspective of the Hubble Space Telescope [HST] but several people that were associated with the project I have spoken dispute elements of the book on a factual basis. Nonetheless, I see facts as being taken from where one stands especially in political science and the art of spin. For anyone doing an overview study of the Hubble Space Telescope, this book should be among those to be read for insight to the early development issues associated with a 'Big Science' project. The HST has, fortunately, been a significant instrument in astronomy the past decade or so. Hopefully the 2008 service mission will extend its life several more years leaving more to the HST story to be told with many more pictures and words to be written as to its astronomical observations.

20-20 Vision.......2004-04-12

Chaisson has effectively been made a nonperson at NASA (one scientist tangentially involved in the Hubble program told me that he "believed" that Chaisson had been a "janitor or maintenance man"), which implies that he's on to something.

Reading this book will teach you something essential about organizational politics, something that is often revealed, but never corrected, and so must always be relearned. It will also make it clear why -- assorted automated go-carts to the contrary -- we're not going to Mars or anywhere else in the near future, at least not with this outfit.

A Great Novel.......2003-01-04

``Hubble Wars'' is a great exciting read, but unfortunately it has little to do with anything that really happened. Chaisson's tone reads like that of a classic self-serving political memior, ``I was there. I saw everything. It's a shame that the fools didn't listen to me, because I alone knew what to do.'' In truth, Chaisson gets the details completely wrong in many places, fails to understand what people were really doing to save the mission, and represents a privileged vantage point that he in fact did not have. I have yet to meet anyone who had anything to do with the Hubble who considers this book to be a fair or accurate history. Chaisson's tone is vividly clear in the summary chapter in which he judges the profoundly successful 1993 repair mission to having fallen far short. There is a great history of the Hubble to be written, but this is not it.

A great read!.......2000-02-18

An excellent book! It really shows what goes on down in the bowels of another government agency. Really well done. It's really amazing how the press can be lead on by the PR machine and how the PR machine doesn't even know what it's doing in a field a s specific as astrophysics and astronomy. It's really a wonder how hubble even got off the ground, let alone, work. Now, it is finally giving us some really good science and will hopefully continue to do so until the end of its operational life.

Great reading for anyone interested in astronomy.......1999-02-20

If you've ever wondered what went wrong, and more importantly, what went right with the Hubble Space Telescope, this is a book for you. The author describes many of his personal experiences and gives us folks on the outside a peek at how professional astronomers work. Also, he corrects some of the errors that were made by the newsmedia in the early days of the project

Star Wars(r) Darth Bane Rule of Two (Star Wars)

Average customer rating:

Star Wars(r) Darth Bane Rule of Two (Star Wars)
Drew Karpyshyn
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Movie Tie-Ins | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0345477480
Release Date: 2007-12-26

Average customer rating:

TWO DYNAMIC DECADES

Manufacturer: J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H9AY9Q

Product Description

This pictorial history of a quarter century ties together the many developments of the turbulent years that followed WWII. Through the entire period the struggle between the capitalist countries and communism pervaded every major political action. This overview of events shows, through dramatic photo coverage and David Whitney's lucid prose style, the unfolding of crises and wars interwoven with stirring scientific, space and social achievements.

The Rock Rats: Book Two of The Asteroid Wars (Unabridged)

Average customer rating:

The Rock Rats: Book Two of The Asteroid Wars (Unabridged)
Ben Bova
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download

Comets, Meteors & Asteroids | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007OXTGG

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books