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paigelindsay89's review against another edition
3.0
This was a pretty amazing first hand look into Neil's early life and more interestingly everything that led up to the race to the first moon landing. If you like space and history you would enjoy this.
I felt it breezed through some stuff pretty quickly. After the moon landing it breezed through the rest of Neil's life super fast. I don't think this should be looked at as a definitive biography. It focuses more on the big shuttle missions and space stuff.
The writing at times wasn't my favorite - I guess I wanted more description story and got more of a newsy feel - which makes total sense since the author was at the time one of the most prominent and looked to NBC corespondent and writer covering the space program.
So you really get a close up personal account of the space race. I highly recommend it if you like that type of thing.
I felt it breezed through some stuff pretty quickly. After the moon landing it breezed through the rest of Neil's life super fast. I don't think this should be looked at as a definitive biography. It focuses more on the big shuttle missions and space stuff.
The writing at times wasn't my favorite - I guess I wanted more description story and got more of a newsy feel - which makes total sense since the author was at the time one of the most prominent and looked to NBC corespondent and writer covering the space program.
So you really get a close up personal account of the space race. I highly recommend it if you like that type of thing.
jessmferguson's review against another edition
4.0
Jay Barabree’s biography of Neil Armstrong relies on his long career as a NBC news correspondent. While I wasn’t a fan of his writing style, Jay brings the space program and Neil’s career to life using his copious notes and yearslong friendship with Neil. It reads more like a defense of Neil and the space program, than an objective biography, but that was not unexpected.
amh1619's review against another edition
3.0
Barbree was behind the scenes and includes a lot of first hand privileged facts to share. His writing style needs a good editing. But, I'd recommend it.
liantener's review
3.0
Más que una biografía del piloto es un recuento de las misiones que llevaron al hombre a la Luna.
Con el pretexto de que Armstrong era un hombre muy reservado, Barbree pone muy poco énfasis en la vida temprana de Neil, y pone muchísimo detalle en su historia como piloto, y en especial como astronauta. Después del viaje a la Luna, el autor hace mucho énfasis en la historia del transbordador y muy poco en la vida de Armstrong después.
Otro detalle medio molesto es que Barbree también fue piloto, y por momentos habla con demasiados términos técnicos, como si al lector común supiese tanto de aviones.
Así que como biografía no es un buen libro, pero como resumen de la carrera espacial para llegar a la Luna es bastante completo. Aprendí muchas cosas que desconocía, y muchos detalles bastante interesantes, incluyendo mucho de lo que hicieron los rusos en aquella época. Además, me vengo enterando que salvo Armstrong, que pisó primero la Luna, y John Glen, que orbitó primero la Tierra, Jim Lovell (el astronauta que interpreta Tom Hanks en "Apollo 13") es el astronauta con el historial más sorprendente de toda aquella época.
Se puede leer, pero estoy seguro que deben haber mejores libros sobre el tema por ahí ... si quieren saber sobre Armstrong mejor lean su página en wikipedia.
Con el pretexto de que Armstrong era un hombre muy reservado, Barbree pone muy poco énfasis en la vida temprana de Neil, y pone muchísimo detalle en su historia como piloto, y en especial como astronauta. Después del viaje a la Luna, el autor hace mucho énfasis en la historia del transbordador y muy poco en la vida de Armstrong después.
Otro detalle medio molesto es que Barbree también fue piloto, y por momentos habla con demasiados términos técnicos, como si al lector común supiese tanto de aviones.
Así que como biografía no es un buen libro, pero como resumen de la carrera espacial para llegar a la Luna es bastante completo. Aprendí muchas cosas que desconocía, y muchos detalles bastante interesantes, incluyendo mucho de lo que hicieron los rusos en aquella época. Además, me vengo enterando que salvo Armstrong, que pisó primero la Luna, y John Glen, que orbitó primero la Tierra, Jim Lovell (el astronauta que interpreta Tom Hanks en "Apollo 13") es el astronauta con el historial más sorprendente de toda aquella época.
Se puede leer, pero estoy seguro que deben haber mejores libros sobre el tema por ahí ... si quieren saber sobre Armstrong mejor lean su página en wikipedia.
myworldtoread's review against another edition
4.0
There was a lot of technical language, but it was a fun read. Barbree made the reading suspenseful as he told not just Armstrong's part of the race to the moon, but all of the flights and projects leading up to Apollo 11.
traveller1's review
5.0
I gave this book 5 stars, not because it is exceptionally well written, though it is well written I have read better biographies, but because of the subject. I still recall waiting patiently in my school class, listening to the scratchy radio signal, for Neil Armstrong to step down onto the Moon. A great moment.
The biography was written by a journalist, author, and friend of Neil, who had a love for the space program. The story is told engagingly, in a strict chronological fashion, concentrating on the astronaut phase of Armstrong's life, with particular attention to the Apollo 11 mission—understandably. However, the time after Apollo is given short shift. The biography is of Armstrong the astronaut.
From the bio, take away that Armstrong was smart, highly capable, and a quiet, even reserved man, who did not enjoy the limelight. Recommended.
The biography was written by a journalist, author, and friend of Neil, who had a love for the space program. The story is told engagingly, in a strict chronological fashion, concentrating on the astronaut phase of Armstrong's life, with particular attention to the Apollo 11 mission—understandably. However, the time after Apollo is given short shift. The biography is of Armstrong the astronaut.
From the bio, take away that Armstrong was smart, highly capable, and a quiet, even reserved man, who did not enjoy the limelight. Recommended.
booksaremagic's review
3.0
Enjoyed the book. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was a very poor choice for the style of the book.
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