Review by Booklist Review
Accenting the human-interest angle of the most complex machine ever built, White recounts the development of the space shuttle in the 1970s, and culminates with a chronicle of its inaugural orbital flight in 1981. The spaceship Columbia's crew, John Young and Robert Crippen, will be the best-known figures to readers, who will meet a slew of other test pilots and astronauts as White covers crew preparations in practice aircraft and simulators for the first launch. Replete with air-to-ground dialogue that space buffs relish, White also covers technical solutions to challenging problems that arise, including heat-shield tiles that had a disturbing tendency to fail. A secret spy satellite ensures the crew that the heat shield is intact, and Columbia safely makes its triumphant return to earth. Bolstering technological insights with personal information from his interviews with astronauts and engineers, White produces a space history aerospace enthusiasts will very much enjoy.--Taylor, Gilbert Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Aviation historian White (The Big Book of Flight) explores the history of the American space program, leading up to an in-depth recounting of the first flight of Columbia. After opening with a teaser for the shuttle flight, White plunges into the early days of NASA and American space exploration, which may surprise readers looking for the story of Columbia and its astronauts. This flurry of names, dates, anagrams, and careers handily sets the stage, but the sense of these historical figures as people is largely lost until the book focuses on its main subject. The meticulous attention to detail also hampers and interrupts the narrative flow with unnecessarily specific information. However, the account of Columbia's flight is made richer by a greater sense of the fragility and ingenuity of the shuttle and the shuttle program. White's use of records and firsthand accounts from the Columbia program makes the stakes real and immediate, even with knowledge of the outcome. Readers with extensive knowledge of military planes and an interest in the politics of the space program will appreciate White's contextualizing of Columbia's first flight; the story may be slow going for other readers, but it is worth the effort. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
Prepare to launch into the incredible true story of the space shuttle Columbia, which first took flight in 1981 and last disintegrated in the Earth's atmosphere in 2003. The details of how the spacecraft was conceived, designed, tested, and ultimately sent into space are laid out in mostly chronological order. Aviation expert White -(Vulcan 607) tells of those involved: National -Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. Air Force, and a talented group of men who flew Columbia. He discusses both the positive angles as well as the tragedies and pitfalls of building a vehicle that travels to space. This previously untold story is enlightened by interviews, newly declassified material, and oral histories. Some readers may be put off by the immense number of acronyms and technical jargon, but White includes a glossary of terms along with meticulous diagrams of the shuttle, bases, and a mission profile at the end. Information on Columbia's disastrous final flight is sparse, but the primary purpose of this book is to discuss the shuttle's humble beginnings. VERDICT Fans of White's previous works, NASA history, aeronautics, massive engineering feats, and tales of bravery will find this account highly enjoyable.-Jason L. -Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An aviation historian revisits the conception, development, and inaugural flight of "the last American flying machine built to fly higher and faster than everything that had come before." Without the novelty and excitement attending the Mercury and Gemini missions and lacking the romance and triumphal moments that crowned Apollo, the Space Shuttle program has always been the poor stepchild in our manned space flight history, unfortunately better known for its disasters, the loss of the Challenger and Columbia spaceships, than its achievements. White (Vulcan 607: The Epic Story of the Most Remarkable British Air Attack Since the Second World War, 2012, etc.) returns us to the program's origins, the hugely complex problem of building a reusable workhorse intended to routinize space travel, the political environment that shaped so many decisions, and the tests and preparation leading up to his almost hour-by-hour re-creation of the launch. Astronauts, of course, take pride of place among his large cast of characters, especially Cmdr. John Young and Pilot Robert Crippen and backup crew Richard Truly and Joe Engle. White's smoothly readable account also features numerous lesser-known figures who played a crucial role in the orbiter's story and some behind-the-scenes names that became well-known to space enthusiasts. Throughout, the author demonstrates NASA's debt in terms of money, manpower, and expertise to the Air Force's scuttled Manned Orbiting Laboratory, a point made most effectively as he chronicles the fear and tension over the tiles that had come loose from Columbia's heat shield. Would the spaceship survive re-entry? Only difficult-to-retrieve photos from the Department of Defense's top-secret recon satellites could reassure flight managers and satisfy the crew they could, "traveling three times faster than any winged flying machine had ever flown," make it safely back to Earth, to an almost perfect landing on a dry lake bed at Edwards Air Force Base. For space aficionados especially but also a good choice for general readers seeking an introduction to an underappreciated, thrilling chapter in aerospace history. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
