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Rocketmaniac

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I was thinking about adding a new section to my website....... Book Reviews........ Books on the space program, shuttle, and rockets........ Books, like "Flight" by Chris Kraft, "Lost Moon" by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger "Flight of the Astronauts" by William Roy Shelton etc......

Do any of you guys like to write? I am not a good writer, so I am looking for writers who would like to write something for my website..... Nothing long, maybe 1 or 2 paragraphs..........
 
I like to write! My mom works at the library, so I'm pretty sure that I could get these books, read them, and review them for ya!

Glad I'll be able to help!

Jason
 
I am not a fantastic writer either, but it just so happens I have a Review of Gene Kranz's "Failure is not an Option" just sitting here. I wrote it for another site but it wasn't in-line with that site's contents. So, if you want to post it I'll email it to you (PM me your address). Oh, and I'll retain the rights to post, sell, or otherwise distribute it :)
 
Originally posted by jetra2
I like to write! My mom works at the library, so I'm pretty sure that I could get these books, read them, and review them for ya!

Glad I'll be able to help!

Jason

Great...... But this is not meant as a reading assignment...... Review the ones you have already read............ You pick the books...... Just "space" stuff.......
 
Originally posted by rstaff3
Oh, and I'll retain the rights to post, sell, or otherwise distribute it :)


Of course, and ALL the credit for the reviews goes to the writer.....
 
I think that this is a great idea!!

Are you looking for reviews of Model Rocket books as well as historical? This would be a great help to newcomers as well as those who want to build up their libraries.

I will be glad to help, I might as well get some use from my English degree!!

Fred
 
Originally posted by astronboy
Are you looking for reviews of Model Rocket books as well as historical? This would be a great help to newcomers as well as those who want to build up their libraries.

Fred, good idea, you are right..... Ok, I'll make two sections....... One for historical and one for model rocket books.......
 
Well guys, The "book review" page is up and running on my website :D ........ and I have my first review....... Our very own "rstaff3" reviewed the book "Failure is not an Option" by Gene Kranz.....


Thanks Dick,



https://rocketmanic66.tripod.com
 
SOunds like an interesting prospect.

I will be reading a new book written by a friend of mine for elementary school children called "I am a Shuttle and I love to fly". I will send you a review.

This book is offered by the IGNITE Foundation and soon to be available at FlisKits :)
 
Originally posted by Rocketmaniac
I was thinking about adding a new section to my website....... Book Reviews........ Books on the space program, shuttle, and rockets........ Books, like "Flight" by Chris Kraft, "Lost Moon" by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger "Flight of the Astronauts" by William Roy Shelton etc......

Do any of you guys like to write? I am not a good writer, so I am looking for writers who would like to write something for my website..... Nothing long, maybe 1 or 2 paragraphs..........

Great idea here's a couple of short reviews for you:


Last Man on the Moon
Eugene Cernan & Don Davis
ISBN 0-312-26351-1

The book is about the NASA career of Gene Cernan, who of course really was the last man on the moon. There are brief sections about his childhood and post NASA career, with a longer treatment of his career as a US Navy pilot, but just enough to set the scene for what is the real meat of the book - his time at NASA.

There's coverage of all the Gemini and Apollo missions, but of course it concentrates on Gemini 9 and Apollo 10 & 17. I did learn some things about those missions that I didn't know, but for me the most interesting stuff, was the behind-the-scenes stuff, Gene's relationships with the other astronauts, the jockeying for position, the constant worry that he might not make the grade and get another mission. I learnt one or two things about how the "rotation" system worked, and how if broke down a few times, due to accident or intervention from NASA management. There's also the running thread of how the stresses of the job affected his relationship with his first wife, Barbara, and their daughter, Tracy.

There are no pulled punches, and Gene gives some pretty forthright opinions of some of the other astronauts - notably Alan Shepherd & Buzz Aldrin. Particularly interesting is the description of how he had to deal with being backup Commander to Alan Shepherd on Apollo 14. In parts he comes across as arrogant, but by the time you get to the end of the book, you can see that this was almost a requirement of the job. As an astronaut, if you didn't want to jeopardise your seat on the next flight, you could not afford to show a hint of fear, or doubt.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I expected to enjoy it, of course, but I didn't realise quite what a page tuner it would turnout to be. This is a well written and very interesting book. If you have more than even a passing interest in the subject - go buy it!




A House in Space
Henry S. F. Cooper Jr.
ISBN 0-586-04762-X

A House in Space is about the the US Skylab programme. Skylab was a sort of interim programme that NASA used to learn about the long term effects of living in space. It was made primarily of parts left over from the Apollo moon landing programme. Skylab was visited by three sets of three astronauts in the first half of the 1970s.

Rather then concentrating on the overall aims or a detailed chronology of the individual missions, the book takes us thorough a typical day on board the station. To describe the activites throughout the day, it takes incidents from each of the three crews, contrasting their different reactions to the daily hurdles which had to be overcome. This graphically illustrates the problems of designing a spacecraft to be a home rather than just temporary accomodation. Many of the more interesting incidents feature the third crew. Of the three crews, they were the most vocal and critical about what they saw as the station's shortcomings, possibly because of their extended stay.

I've yet to read a book which better describes the day to day problems of living in space. I believe that it is currently out of print, but you should be able to find it second hand via Amazon, which is where I got mine. Even if you have only a passing interest in Skylab or spaceflight in general then I heartily recommend that you hunt down a copy.



Hope you like them!
 
No problem, in middle school I'm always under pressure to read:). Also, I dont mind writing. I'm doing a (hopefully) 10 page story for the heck of it, and maybe I can get some extra credit. I'm also under presure to read at home, this should make it a little easier for me.
 
My website is updated...... 4 book reviews written by 3 reviewers!!!!

hokkyokusei, If you give me you real name I will give you credit for your two reviews..... Or should I use your TRF nickname?

Keep them coming......... (I love this place!!!!!)
 
Originally posted by Rocketmaniac
hokkyokusei, If you give me you real name I will give you credit for your two reviews..... Or should I use your TRF nickname?

Hokkyokusei will do fiine, thanks.
 
Now that my website has moved to its new location (www.rocketmaniac.com) I would like to update this thread and ask volunteers to write some book reviews.

Right now I have the following reviews;


"Failure is not an Option" by Gene Kranz

"Last Man on the Moon" by Eugene Cernan & Don Davis

"A House in Space" by Henry S. F. Cooper Jr.

"A Man on the Moon" by Andrew Chaikin
 
Originally posted by Ozymandias
Would you be interested in a review of Rings of Supersonic Steel?

I'll take a review of any book related to model rocketry or the real ones..... mercury, apollo, space shuttle, ISS etc........
 
Originally posted by Rocketmaniac
Now that my website has moved to its new location (www.rocketmaniac.com) I would like to update this thread and ask volunteers to write some book reviews.

Right now I have the following reviews;


"Failure is not an Option" by Gene Kranz

"Last Man on the Moon" by Eugene Cernan & Don Davis

"A House in Space" by Henry S. F. Cooper Jr.

"A Man on the Moon" by Andrew Chaikin

Hmmm. You never did credit me with the two reviews I wrote for you before.
 
Originally posted by hokkyokusei
Hmmm. You never did credit me with the two reviews I wrote for you before.

Ok, I plead guilty as charged. I will update the website in a few minutes.........
 
My review has my credit with it, just not on the index. Published exactly like I provided it. I'm sure he'll add yours.

Maniac, glad to seee the reviews are back up.

BTW I like the new format! Simple and easy to follow without popups, etc
 
Originally posted by hokkyokusei
Hmmm. You never did credit me with the two reviews I wrote for you before.

Ok, you are credited for reviews of "Last Man on the Moon" and "A House in Space"

Sorry :eek:
 
Originally posted by Rocketmaniac
Ok, I plead guilty as charged. I will update the website in a few minutes.........

Thanks for that :)

I've read some more "real space" stuff recently - I'll ty and find time to write some more quick reviews.
 
Originally posted by rstaff3
I was hoping to see more entries here. Lazy TRFers :p

I having doing a little work on my website today and I realized I have 4 book reviews for the Historical section and ZERO for the Model Rocketry........ Anyone read a good Model Rocketry book? Would you, could you..... write a review for me??????



https://www.rocketmaniac.com/bookreviews.html
 
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