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4.45 AVERAGE
4.45 AVERAGE
Lots of entertaining nuggets; gets clichéd towards the end.
I liked it so much I couldn't put it down once I started reading.
I really wanted to know the thoughts of an astronaut, not only about what is was like to go around the moon, but also about the training and how one ends up signing up to something like this. I found answers to most of the questions I had in this book.
Collins decided against using a ghostwriter, a great decision since his easygoing and humble personality shines through and made me want to learn more about him and his remarkable career. Also, his sense of humor had me laughing out loud more than once, keeping the reading light but without shying away from acknowledging all the risks that came with being an astronaut. Maybe some readers will think he goes into too much detail at times but I ate up every piece of information and found it fascinating.
This is a must read for anyone interested in the space race and the experiences of an astronaut from the Apollo era.
I really wanted to know the thoughts of an astronaut, not only about what is was like to go around the moon, but also about the training and how one ends up signing up to something like this. I found answers to most of the questions I had in this book.
Collins decided against using a ghostwriter, a great decision since his easygoing and humble personality shines through and made me want to learn more about him and his remarkable career. Also, his sense of humor had me laughing out loud more than once, keeping the reading light but without shying away from acknowledging all the risks that came with being an astronaut. Maybe some readers will think he goes into too much detail at times but I ate up every piece of information and found it fascinating.
This is a must read for anyone interested in the space race and the experiences of an astronaut from the Apollo era.
Really good book. Maybe a little too wordy at times, but fascinating if you love space & NASA.
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
It’s so well written and simple to understand. Those missions are such complicated feats of engineering and science but Micheal Collins made it much more digestible. I loved the little peaks of his personality and humor and his final reflections of the whole trip hit hard. I absolutely adored this novel and it’s one of the best books I’ve read. Thank you, Michael Collins.
100/5 stars
100/5 stars
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I carried the fire for six years, and now I would like to tell you about it, simply and directly as a test pilot must, for the trip deserves the telling.
This was a really good book. Little altlovesbooks wanted to be an astronaut so badly as a kid, until my dad told me I had to join the Air Force. Then I wanted to be an astronomer, but mid-grade altlovesbooks was only passable at math and physics. Adult altlovesbooks now just stares up at the sky and wonders what it's like to be up there and watches SpaceX launches on YouTube. Not quite the same thing, but I'll take what I can get.
Michael Collins, the "third man" of Apollo 11 who stayed behind while the other two astronaut rock stars walked around on the moon, is a talented, engaging writer. He has this sense of pragmatism about him that really made reading about his early days trying to get into the space program, the training once getting in, and the rigors of spaceflight extremely compelling. He's also got a nice way of breaking down complex concepts into easy to understand passages, which is especially nice when talking about something as complex as spaceflight. He's also funny, has a nice, dry humor, and seems really adept at summing up the people and personalities around him. I especially liked the segment, almost an epilogue of sorts, after regaling us about Apollo 11. He goes into detail about where they all ended up and why, about his thoughts on the past and future of the space program, and a general sense of his hopes and wishes for mankind going forward. It was funny, moving, philosophical, and something that's relatable.
This made my favorites of 2020 list, and I'm really glad I spent some time reading it. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was extremely easy to listen to. Highly recommend to anyone and everyone.
This was a really good book. Little altlovesbooks wanted to be an astronaut so badly as a kid, until my dad told me I had to join the Air Force. Then I wanted to be an astronomer, but mid-grade altlovesbooks was only passable at math and physics. Adult altlovesbooks now just stares up at the sky and wonders what it's like to be up there and watches SpaceX launches on YouTube. Not quite the same thing, but I'll take what I can get.
Michael Collins, the "third man" of Apollo 11 who stayed behind while the other two astronaut rock stars walked around on the moon, is a talented, engaging writer. He has this sense of pragmatism about him that really made reading about his early days trying to get into the space program, the training once getting in, and the rigors of spaceflight extremely compelling. He's also got a nice way of breaking down complex concepts into easy to understand passages, which is especially nice when talking about something as complex as spaceflight. He's also funny, has a nice, dry humor, and seems really adept at summing up the people and personalities around him. I especially liked the segment, almost an epilogue of sorts, after regaling us about Apollo 11. He goes into detail about where they all ended up and why, about his thoughts on the past and future of the space program, and a general sense of his hopes and wishes for mankind going forward. It was funny, moving, philosophical, and something that's relatable.
This made my favorites of 2020 list, and I'm really glad I spent some time reading it. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was extremely easy to listen to. Highly recommend to anyone and everyone.
Mike Collins' wrote his famous memoir himself. He is quite frank, including a list of his colleagues' personalities, and a bit of a kvetch, but he gives an exciting and in-depth account of his training, NASA politics, and both his Gemini and Apollo missions.