Star Sailor: My Life as a NASA Astronaut

by Charles F. Bolden Jr., Tonya Bolden

"An important and inspiring astronaut memoir." —Kirkus Reviews

Sail the stars with astronaut Charlie Bolden as he recounts his amazing shuttle missions, including deploying the Hubble Space Telescope, training with Sally Ride, and leading the first US space mission that included a Russian cosmonaut as a crew member. Charlie even got to congratulate Star Wars creator George Lucas at the Academy Awards—from space! Follow Charlie’s incredible story, from watching movies as a kid about Flash Gordon flying to Mars—from the balcony where Black people had to sit—all the way to becoming the first Black NASA Administrator. From the thrill of watching lightning storms from the mesosphere to the heartbreak of the Challenger disaster, Charles’s life as a star sailor is full of adventure and discovery, told in his own words along with award-winning author Tonya Bolden. In-depth looks at how astronauts train, work, and live are complemented by diagrams, highlighted vocabulary, scientific sidebars, and incredible personal photographs. Back matter includes an author’s note and timeline.

Genres: Memoir, Space, Nonfiction

112 pages, Hardcover

Published October 22, 2024

About the author

Charles Frank Bolden Jr. is a former Administrator of NASA, a retired United States Marine Corps Major General, and a former astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions. A 1968 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he became a Marine aviator and test pilot.

Reviews

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This was a fantastic career biography of long time astronaut "Charlie B." Bolden, but I was very distracted, reading faster than I should have because I wanted to know HOW he was related to Tonya Bolden. He's not, but how wonderful that the two were able to work on this together!

While there is a little bit of personal biography at the end of the book in a fantastic illustrated time line (let's see more of those, please!), this concentrates more on the arc of Bolden's career, starting with a chance meeting in the late 1970s with Ron McNair, who encouraged him to apply to NASA. I did not know about this accomplished scientist and astronaut at all, even though he did so many things! This was somewhat similar to Massimino's Spaceman, Buckley's Michael Collins: Forgotten Astronaut, Kelly's Endurance, and Melvin's Chasing Space, but is much better formatted, with lots of great photographs and side notes. I will definitely purchase this for fans of Harris' Segregated Skies and the fantastic Sally Ride: A Photobiography by O'Shaughnessy.

[YSBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow Charles F. Bolden Jr. as he takes a giant leap from Marine pilot to NASA pioneer. Inspired by trailblazer Ron McNair in an era when few Black astronauts existed, Bolden rose to command four space missions and become the 12th Administrator of NASA under president Obama. This engaging biography chronicles his encounters with fellow legends like Sally Ride and offers readers a front-row seat as history unfolds. Aviation buffs will devour the meticulously researched narrative, enhanced by striking visuals and detailed captions. Beyond his cosmic adventures, the book provides a launchpad for future exploration through its comprehensive back matter, including a timeline and extensive bibliography. An inspiring person who discovered greatness as he strove for the stars. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles Bolden was a space shuttle pilot, mission commander, and former head of NASA. He talks about his experiences applying and training to be an astronaut. He almost didn't apply because he didn't see other Black astronauts but words of wisdom from his father and encouragement from his mentor helped him persevere. Many spectacular full color photographs throughout the book that showcase the amazing sights Bolden witnessed as well as his crews, ships, etc. There are also schematics of various space craft, a timeline, source notes, image credits, an index, and acknowledgements. Bolden says he wrote this book to tell the story of his life as a NASA astronaut so that his 5 grandchildren would know about the 14 thrilling years that he spent exploring space and how it changed his life.
A great addition to a memoir and/or space exploration collection. Recommend.