Suggested reading list

[graylensman]

After going through the "Moonwalk" thread, that inspired me to start this thread:

What are your favorite or recommended space program/rocketry related books? Here's my list:

"A Man On the Moon", Andrew Chaikin. (The basis for HBO's "Earth to Moon")
"Full Moon" an excellent collection of photos shot by the astronauts themselves
"Lost Moon" by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger
"The Last Man on the Moon" by Gene Cernan
"Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8" (can't remember the author's name)
"Journey Beyond Selene" by Kluger again (I think it's in paperback as "Moon Hunters")

Oh, and the Handbook of Model Rocketry. (Well, someone's got to state the obvious!)

 

[rstaff3]

I liked "Failure is not an Option" by Gene Kranz.

"Rockets of the World" by Pete Alway is cool. Lots of pictures

 

[Ryan S.]

I read this list and it reminded me of school....summer reading time

This might not fit under the right category but I like "Rocket Boys" by homer hickam. Its a great book

 

[n3tjm]

Ryan beat me to it

Here is one:

Guilded Missiles Fundamentals... published 1957 by the Air Force.

 

[Chilly]

"Flight" by Chris Kraft is really good. He doesn't pull any punches, which made it interesting.

I've heard "Carrying the Fire" by Michael Collins is really good but I haven't been able to find a copy. He's supposedly a better-than-average writer. He does have one of my all-time-favorite qoutes: "what the space program needs is more English majors".

Yes, I was an English major.

 

[graylensman]

In the hard-to-find-out-of-print category, add the following:

Red Star in Orbit, by James Oberg. Published in 1973 or 74, it is the first and probably only detailed story of the Soviet space program. Naturally, it has inaccuracies and errors, owing to the nature of the Soviet Union's tight-lipped nature. But it is still a good read and has great photos.