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A review by jlynnelseauthor
Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight by John Glenn, Jay Barbree
5.0
I won an advanced reader copy from Goodreads. As such I will overlook the large amount of typos and sentences that were incomplete.
The story itself focuses on Neil Armstrong's life during the space race of the 1960s. As someone born in 1978 I never experienced these moments. To read about them with a focus on Neil Armstrong's insight and thoughts was a rare delight. The author clearly knows his stuff, most especially the man who walked on the moon first. I really enjoyed the personal aspect to the many momentous feets accomplished in space travel during this time.
I think some of the details about the spacecrafts and the astronaut jargon could have been further explained. I grew up in the time of the space shuttles, the time of the Challenger disaster, the time of Sally Ride. I wanted to be an astronaut! I love science fiction. But my knowledge base is very different from the Apollo flights. Learning about all the firsts, the learning curves, the successes, and failures was captivating. I loved all the photos. However, in the advanced reader copy I have, everything was black and white. Many photos were hard to make out (like the aurora borealis, the sun rising on the horizon, and other space shots). I will be viewing the book when its released. If the photos are still black and white, my rating will go down.
The storytelling is very well done which weaves between the personal and the scientific. My favorite chapter was a walk on the moon, which will probably be almost everyone's favorite. Seeing the moon through Armstrong's eyes was truly amazing. It would have been nice to include a broader span of Mr Armstrong's life, but I'm sure this was the way he would have wanted it focusing on the space program and those around him. The last couple chapters felt a little rushed but I understand that probably has to do with the lack of NASA activity. I was also left a little disappointed in the last couple pages. I think I would have liked a little more reflection on his life and perhaps his children giving their reflections instead of an email about a tall tale regarding something assumed that Mr Armstrong said. However this book is filled with respect and reverence for a truly remarkable person who didn't seek fame or glory but focused on those around him and those he loved.
The story itself focuses on Neil Armstrong's life during the space race of the 1960s. As someone born in 1978 I never experienced these moments. To read about them with a focus on Neil Armstrong's insight and thoughts was a rare delight. The author clearly knows his stuff, most especially the man who walked on the moon first. I really enjoyed the personal aspect to the many momentous feets accomplished in space travel during this time.
I think some of the details about the spacecrafts and the astronaut jargon could have been further explained. I grew up in the time of the space shuttles, the time of the Challenger disaster, the time of Sally Ride. I wanted to be an astronaut! I love science fiction. But my knowledge base is very different from the Apollo flights. Learning about all the firsts, the learning curves, the successes, and failures was captivating. I loved all the photos. However, in the advanced reader copy I have, everything was black and white. Many photos were hard to make out (like the aurora borealis, the sun rising on the horizon, and other space shots). I will be viewing the book when its released. If the photos are still black and white, my rating will go down.
The storytelling is very well done which weaves between the personal and the scientific. My favorite chapter was a walk on the moon, which will probably be almost everyone's favorite. Seeing the moon through Armstrong's eyes was truly amazing. It would have been nice to include a broader span of Mr Armstrong's life, but I'm sure this was the way he would have wanted it focusing on the space program and those around him. The last couple chapters felt a little rushed but I understand that probably has to do with the lack of NASA activity. I was also left a little disappointed in the last couple pages. I think I would have liked a little more reflection on his life and perhaps his children giving their reflections instead of an email about a tall tale regarding something assumed that Mr Armstrong said. However this book is filled with respect and reverence for a truly remarkable person who didn't seek fame or glory but focused on those around him and those he loved.