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29 reviews for:
The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight
Martha Ackmann
3.81 AVERAGE
29 reviews for:
The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight
Martha Ackmann
3.81 AVERAGE
I've heard of Sally Ride. Eileen Collins. Judith Resnik. Shannon Lucid. Before this book, I had never heard of Jerrie Cobb, Jerri Sloan, B Steadman, Wally Funk, or any other of the 13 women pilots who left their homes, jobs, and families to test for a chance to go into space in the early 1960s. They faced an immense lack of support and a large amount of sexism. Their contributions paved the way for the ladies that I first listed, to finally go into space 20 years later.
It was maddening to me that one of the biggest obstacles was another woman who wanted to use her husband's wealth to control all of the decisions and bask in the publicity of her piloting. She did not want any of the 13 to eclipse her accomplishments.
Just recently, a woman was unable to execute a spacewalk because there wasn't a uniform that fit her. So this book is actually quite timely, and shows that there is still a lot of room for improvement.
"In a way, the Air Force response sounded like a 'wife joke' offered up by some tired comedian on the Ed Sullivan show. 'Why couldn't women be astronauts? Because they had nothing to wear.'"
This was an interesting look into a history largely unknown to me. Thank you, Mercury 13!
It was maddening to me that one of the biggest obstacles was another woman who wanted to use her husband's wealth to control all of the decisions and bask in the publicity of her piloting. She did not want any of the 13 to eclipse her accomplishments.
Just recently, a woman was unable to execute a spacewalk because there wasn't a uniform that fit her. So this book is actually quite timely, and shows that there is still a lot of room for improvement.
"In a way, the Air Force response sounded like a 'wife joke' offered up by some tired comedian on the Ed Sullivan show. 'Why couldn't women be astronauts? Because they had nothing to wear.'"
This was an interesting look into a history largely unknown to me. Thank you, Mercury 13!
"The space agency believed women were physically incapable of handling the demands of space. “You must remember,” Flickinger’s friend Dr. Stanley Mohler explained, “the aviation journals in the late 1950s were full of articles claiming that when women menstruate, their brain changes, they become distracted and can’t think clearly. They’re more likely to crash.”"
I am so glad that in 2020, authority figures are still basing their decisions on science.
Overall this is worth the read to learn about these incredible, unrelenting women. They deserve their place in herstory.
I am so glad that in 2020, authority figures are still basing their decisions on science.
Overall this is worth the read to learn about these incredible, unrelenting women. They deserve their place in herstory.
I worried this book would be dry, but it was a great read. I learned a ton about how long women fought to get into the space program. Be prepared for constant rage about the sexism and injustice of the recent past.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
More than 20 years before Sally Ride became the first American woman in space, and three decades before Eileen Collins became the first American woman to command a space shuttle, 13 daring and determined female pilots put their careers, relationships and reputations on the line to try to become astronauts.
Martha Ackmann skillfully tells the story of the Mercury 13, the group of women who began testing to see if they could meet the same qualifications as NASA's male astronauts. Though their preliminary results were exemplary, in some cases surpassing the men's results under even more strenuous conditions, the testing was cut short and the women were denied the chance to ever become astronauts.
Ackmann illuminates the politics in NASA, in Washington, and the interpersonal politics that ended up scuppering the women's chances. But more importantly, she brings back the forgotten stories of these women, helping make sure that we remember the sacrifices they made and the injustices they faced, but also how much their contributions meant in terms of helping pave the way for women like Ride and Collins. Highly recommend for fans of space exploration history, aviation history American history and/or women's history.
Martha Ackmann skillfully tells the story of the Mercury 13, the group of women who began testing to see if they could meet the same qualifications as NASA's male astronauts. Though their preliminary results were exemplary, in some cases surpassing the men's results under even more strenuous conditions, the testing was cut short and the women were denied the chance to ever become astronauts.
Ackmann illuminates the politics in NASA, in Washington, and the interpersonal politics that ended up scuppering the women's chances. But more importantly, she brings back the forgotten stories of these women, helping make sure that we remember the sacrifices they made and the injustices they faced, but also how much their contributions meant in terms of helping pave the way for women like Ride and Collins. Highly recommend for fans of space exploration history, aviation history American history and/or women's history.
The author will be visiting the Athol Library in November.
The Mercury 13 were a group of brave and fabulous women who volunteered to undergo the same physical and psychological testing as the first male American astronauts. They set out to prove that women were capable of everything necessary for fulfilling that role.
Good storytelling, just enough detail, and great period photographs.
If you grew up as I did, dreaming of going into space, you might like this book.
https://marthaackmann.com/books/the-mercury-13/
The Mercury 13 were a group of brave and fabulous women who volunteered to undergo the same physical and psychological testing as the first male American astronauts. They set out to prove that women were capable of everything necessary for fulfilling that role.
Good storytelling, just enough detail, and great period photographs.
If you grew up as I did, dreaming of going into space, you might like this book.
https://marthaackmann.com/books/the-mercury-13/
Martha Ackmann's book tells the virtually unknown story of thirteen women pilots who did everything in their power to prove that women were as capable of space flight as men, at a time when women were not even allowed to fly jet airplanes. That these ladies faced an uphill battle would be putting it mildly. Societal norms of the late 1950s/early 1960s dictated that women should be homemakers. Simply becoming pilots with thousands of hours of flying time, numerous world records for distance and speed, and a wealth of knowledge about the mechanics of flight, was a huge accomplishment. But these women wanted more. And they went after it with a vengeance.
This book fills a gap in the history of space flight and the U.S. astronaut training program. The writing tends toward a mix of textbook and journalistic styles. The first few chapters, in particular, present a great deal of background information to help orient the reader. This can be a little hard to follow, but is definitely worth wading through. The ladies' personalities eventually shine out, and I found myself rooting hard for them, even knowing that none would be making it into space. I would like to have seen more focus on the individual women's stories to counterbalance the details of the actual testing and the convoluted power struggles.
Politics ultimately resulted in the women's program being terminated, despite the Mercury 13's incredible test results (some exceeded the men). It was another twenty years before the U.S. put a woman into space. As an avid fan of aeronautics, I enjoyed this book very much. As a woman, I was shocked to learn the real history of the space program, and awed by the determination of these women. Their dedication to astronaut training opened the door for women pilots everywhere. Martha Ackmann has given us a glimpse of the hard reality the Mercury 13 faced, as well as showing us their strength and grace under pressure.
This book fills a gap in the history of space flight and the U.S. astronaut training program. The writing tends toward a mix of textbook and journalistic styles. The first few chapters, in particular, present a great deal of background information to help orient the reader. This can be a little hard to follow, but is definitely worth wading through. The ladies' personalities eventually shine out, and I found myself rooting hard for them, even knowing that none would be making it into space. I would like to have seen more focus on the individual women's stories to counterbalance the details of the actual testing and the convoluted power struggles.
Politics ultimately resulted in the women's program being terminated, despite the Mercury 13's incredible test results (some exceeded the men). It was another twenty years before the U.S. put a woman into space. As an avid fan of aeronautics, I enjoyed this book very much. As a woman, I was shocked to learn the real history of the space program, and awed by the determination of these women. Their dedication to astronaut training opened the door for women pilots everywhere. Martha Ackmann has given us a glimpse of the hard reality the Mercury 13 faced, as well as showing us their strength and grace under pressure.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
While this book is good for the narrative, Margaret Weitekamp’s Right Stuff, Wrong Sex is the superior book covering the Mercury 13 to me.
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced