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One Giant Leap: Neil Armstrong's Stellar American Journey
 
 
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One Giant Leap: Neil Armstrong's Stellar American Journey [Hardcover]

Leon Wagener (Author)
2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)


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Book Description

0312873433 978-0312873431 April 24, 2004 First Edition
On July 20, 1969 the whole world stopped. It was a day in which a man who grew up on a farm without electricity would announce, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

In this, the first ever biography of Neil Armstrong, Leon Wagener explores the man whose walk on the moon is still compared to humankind's progenitor's crawl out of the primordial ooze. And whose retreat back to a farm in his native Ohio soon after the last ticker tape confetti fell, has left him looked upon as a reclusive hermit ever since.

This is the true story of a national hero, whose life long quest to walk on the moon truely mirrors our best selves, an American who braved incredible danger daily over a long career, finally achieving what seemed impossible, and broke free of the Earth's surly bonds proving forever that man can reach for the stars, and succeed.

Relying on hundreds of interviews with family and friends of the astronaut, plus generous access to the NASA files, Leon Wagener explores the life of one of America's true heroes, in a book filled with extraordianry adventure, and even greater achievement.


Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Wagener's biography of the first human on the Moon is no giant leap in the art of biography, but his painstaking research and interviewing have eventuated in the thorough, balanced life story of a thoroughly balanced but extremely private hero. Ohioan Armstrong developed a passion for aviation early and got a pilot's license at age 16. The navy put him through college, he flew combat in Korea, and after that, as a civilian test pilot, he forged the record that led to appointment as one of the original astronauts in 1962. He made the first space docking in Gemini 8 and survived the subsequent emergency from loss of control to take his famous step onto the moon and into history in 1969. His life otherwise hasn't been smooth sailing, what with the loss of a daughter, the breakup of his first marriage, and the politics of the space program in general and within the astronaut corps in particular. But a level head and quiet persistence characterize his professional career. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Neil Armstrong is a genuine American hero, right up there in the pantheon with George Washington, Daniel Boone and Charles Lindbergh, a man whose character, courage, and brains helped shape his age. Leon Wagener has captured the man inside the myth in this excellent biography."--Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of Liberty

"For a true life story this book reads like an incredible adventure-I couldn't put it down."--William R. Pogue, Astronaut

"One Giant Leap is a giant of a book, capturing the personality of neil Armstrong as has never been done before. Armstrong's genius as a pilot, astronaut and citizen shines through in this brilliant biography, but so does his essential humanity."--Walter J. Boyne, New York Times bestselling author of Dawn Over Kitty Hawk, The Novel of the Wright Brothers

"One Giant Leap, a definitive and well written portrait, reveals a man of incredible bravery and extraordinary drive, who overcame all obstacles in his path. A truly inspiring story."--Nelson DeMille

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (April 24, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312873433
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312873431
  • Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,748,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

31 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
2.4 out of 5 stars (31 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Small step, not giant leap, May 6, 2004
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This review is from: One Giant Leap: Neil Armstrong's Stellar American Journey (Hardcover)
What a shame. This is one of the most amazing subjects in -- and out of -- this world, but this book is bland and sometimes wrong. What a waste. It's another tale of the X-15 and moon program, thinly told through Armstrong's resume. Yes there is some neat and new stuff here, but not much. It is all overshadowed by the errors and omisions. Yes, that is Buzz on the cover. The quote as Armstrong walked on the moon is wrong. Neil was not an 'ace' in Korea. In describing an Earth orbit docking, Wagener talks of 'twinkling' navigation lights -- but I thought the twinkling we see is an atmospheric effect. What did it really look like in orbit? I don't trust this book to tell me.

There are many great books on Armstrong's times and events, I'd buy many of them before this one. And wait for someone like Jeffrey Kluger, Neil Thomson or Andrew Chaikin to get us close to Armstrong.

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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Too many errors, November 2, 2004
This review is from: One Giant Leap: Neil Armstrong's Stellar American Journey (Hardcover)
Having worked on the launch of Armstrong's Apollo 11, I have more than a passing knowledge of the technical and historical facts about Apollo. That said, I finally gave up listing the errors I found in this book. While I think I learned new info about Armstrong, it is tainted by the many other errors. I found it to be written in several styles, often much more complex than it needed to be.

Save your money for the real Armstrong book due out soon.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars One Inaccuracy after Another, January 9, 2005
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This review is from: One Giant Leap: Neil Armstrong's Stellar American Journey (Hardcover)
The book cover tells us that Wagener was a journalist for 30 years. This book makes me wonder what kind of journalist he was. The book is full of inaccuracies. Some examples: he calls cosmonaut Alexi Leonov Alexi Leonor; he states that Christa McAuliffe was selected as the Teacher in Space because she won a "Why I Want to Go Into Space" essay. (cheapening her hard work and ultimate sacrifice); he writes the shuttle's solid rocket boosters fall into the ocean and are never used again even though they are recovered, refurbished, and reused. There is no documentation for statements he makes that contradict other records. This is poorly written and researched book. I have told my wife, who is the director of our local library, not to waste money buying the book. I won't donate my copy to the library. Ignore the book and read the books written by those who were a part of the effort of going to the moon.

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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
During that one bright shining instant in July 1969, humankind enjoyed a collective jolt that transcended the quotidian anxieties of life. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Neil Armstrong, United States, White House, Buzz Aldrin, New York, Soviet Union, Los Angeles, John Glenn, Cape Kennedy, Jim Lovell, Ken Danneberg, San Diego, United Nations, Charles Lindbergh, Frank Borman, John Moore, Michael Collins, Tranquillity Base, Gus Grissom, Mike Collins, University of Cincinnati, Bob Hope, Deke Slayton, Mother Earth, State Department
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