Customer Reviews

Nasa Northrop T-38, The: Photographic Art from an Astronaut Pilot

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There are lots of pretty picture books of airplanes. Many of them are very nice. But this is something more. It's special. This is a long love affair with one beautiful woman, the T-38, photographed over 30 years by NASA legend and six-time Space Shuttle astronaut Story Musgrave. Thirty years gives a whole lot more chances for the perfect picture than any one-day photo-shoot. And Story had the technical skills, the eye, and the passion to capture many stunning moments of magic.

The book is rounded out by some photos of the insides of T-38s, details of when and where all the pictures were taken, the feelings of flying the supersonic NASA corporate jet, and some of its history. It's intimate, like a professional photographer's personal collection of pictures of his girlfriend turned wife taken over 30 loving years. If you've seen the SR-71 books by Brian Shul you know what kind of aeronautical excellence to expect. Can you tell I like the book? I hope this review gives you a good feel of what to expect.

This collection is a work of art as well as a salute to NASA's T-38 Talon Aircraft. I am a pilot and each page was a jaw dropping experience. Dr, Musgrave has captured, not only in breath-taking photography but also in 'from the heart with love' narrative. As I turned each page, I was in the cockpit, on the flight line and in 'The Cathedral' with him.

If you love photography and/or aviation, this book is inspiring! This little rocket of a plane has been a tireless work horse for NASA and this book is an awesome tribute to that aircraft.

Dr. Musgrave, a true American hero, has again crafted another masterpiece.

Well Done!

the author is a former space shuttle astronaut, a veteran of six shuttle flights. He has logged 18,000 hours in 160 types of aircraft. His love for flying and the T-38 comes through with his wonderful pictures. Highly recommended.

This is more than just a pretty picture book. Much more. It is an ode--an ode to flight, an ode to beauty, an ode to freedom and, yes, an ode to joy. Story Musgrave has succeeded marvelously in capturing that ephemeral spirit of joy within these pages to share with the rest of us.

The photographs are stunning--in the literal sense. I heard myself gasping as I turned the pages of this magnificent work of art. Occasionally, a giddy giggle would escape as a supremely improbable image appeared along with an understated, "All I did was shoot it. But I was there, and I had a camera " from the author. Sometimes, the image seems almost too intimate, as if we have breached the boundary of photography into pornography, but give yourself license to drool; few aircraft are as beautiful as the T-38 or have such affinity with the camera. In Story Musgrave's expert hands, the bird yields her best aerial performance and her richest portraits. She is his longtime muse and the love affair is evident--even palpable.

Pablo Picasso and Dora Maar. Andrew Wyeth and Helga. Story Musgrave and the T-38.

The text is spare but poetically complements the images and conveys a valuable personal insight or technical detail here and there. For those of us outside of NASA who have admired Story Musgrave's achievements and followed his stellar career, this is as close to sharing his experience as we can get. For those of us who have also loved the sultry sleekness of the timeless T-38, this volume comes even closer.

Buy this book. Buy it now. Cherish it for the unique legacy it represents.