false 205589 7 "On July 20, 1969, the world stood still to watch thirty-eight-year-old American astronaut Neil A. Armstrong become the first person ever to step on the surface of another heavenly body. Perhaps no words in human history became better known than those few he uttered at that historic moment. Upon his return to Earth, Armstrong was honored and celebrated for his monumental achievement. He was also -- as James R. Hansen reveals in this fascinating and important authorized biography -- misunderstood. Armstrong's accomplishments as an engineer, a test pilot, and an astronaut have long been a matter of record, but Hansen's unprecedented access to private documents and unpublished sources and his interviews with more than 125 subjects (including more than fifty hours with Armstrong himself) yield this first in-depth analysis of an elusive American celebrity still renowned the world over. In a riveting narrative filled with revelations, Hansen vividly re-creates Armstrong's career in flying, from his seventy-eight combat missions as a naval aviator flying over North Korea to his formative transatmospheric flights in the rocket-powered X-15 to his piloting Gemini VIII to the first-ever docking in space. These milestones made it seem, as Armstrong's mother, Viola, memorably put it, ""as if from the very moment he was born -- farther back still -- that our son was somehow destined for the Apollo 11 mission."" For a pilot who cared more about flying to the Moon than he did about walking on it, Hansen asserts, Armstrong's storied vocation exacted a dear personal toll, paid in kind by his wife and children. For the thirty-six years since the Moon landing, rumors have swirled around Armstrong concerning his dreams of space travel, his religious beliefs, and his private life. In a penetrating exploration of American hero worship, Hansen addresses the complex legacy of the First Man, as an astronaut and as an individual. In First Man, the personal, technological, epic, and iconic blend to form the portrait of a great but reluctant hero who will forever be known as history's most famous space traveler. " 1004984 2005 First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong total:90|5:2|4:4|3:0|2:2|1:0| 90 364 164 24 4 9 false false Sun Dec 07 18:56:24 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 16 18:26:49 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Mon Aug 18 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 28 05:46:07 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 18 06:43:37 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 20 06:53:39 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 20 07:11:03 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Apr 03 19:49:32 -0700 2007 Sat Apr 21 15:56:53 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Dec 05 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Jun 20 06:19:35 -0700 2008 Tue Dec 09 04:25:57 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Dec 25 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Fri Oct 30 22:20:22 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 30 22:20:22 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Thu Oct 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 08 11:20:58 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 08 11:22:44 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Mon Jun 22 13:49:08 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 22 13:50:07 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Oct 11 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 05 08:48:23 -0800 2009 Tue Oct 13 19:58:07 -0700 2009 1
I listened to th...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Aug 26 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 15 13:59:38 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 26 06:55:47 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Feb 22 22:34:02 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 22 22:39:30 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Oct 10 12:34:41 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 10 12:39:23 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jan 19 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 18 15:34:02 -0800 2009 Wed Apr 22 07:19:20 -0700 2009
If you are fan of the Apollo program, it's worth reading it for the trivi...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu Nov 15 18:29:57 -0800 2007 Thu Nov 15 18:30:36 -0800 2007 4 1 true false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Aug 28 05:02:53 -0700 2008 Mon Dec 01 09:54:43 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Thu Apr 05 14:34:39 -0700 2007 Thu Apr 05 14:36:32 -0700 2007 3 0 false false Tue Oct 28 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Oct 06 06:53:23 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 28 13:52:55 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Tue Dec 11 09:36:46 -0800 2007 Tue Dec 11 09:39:56 -0800 2007
This book shows that not all engineers are nerds; sometimes they can have the greatest adventures imaginable. ]]> 0 0 false false Thu Oct 16 21:42:48 -0700 2008 Thu Oct 16 21:43:56 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Thu Aug 21 07:36:59 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 21 07:37:50 -0700 2008