In Their Own Words: Conversations With the Astronauts and Men Who Led America's Journey into Space and to the Moon [Paperback]

Scott Sacknoff (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2003

At the beginning of America's space program, a number of men spent their careers and some, their lives, working toward the goal of expanding our reach to the stars and the Moon above. "In Their Own Words" is a vivid, first-person glimpse into some of the astronauts and men who played critical roles in America's journey into space and to the Moon. The book features interviews with Robert Goddard, Alan Shepard, Pete Conrad Jr, Charles Duke, Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, Guenter Wendt, Gen. Bernard Schriever, Scott Grissom (Gus' oldest son), Jim McDivitt, Jack Lousma, and Walter Cronkite.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-A collection of interviews and recollections from Quest, a quarterly journal of the space program. Relaxed, first-person accounts by scientists, astronauts, ground crew, and others lend a sense of immediacy to their experiences and insights. Readers look over Robert Goddard's shoulder as he successfully tests a new rocket model in 1940 and reminds himself that there are still many practical problems to be solved before flights beyond the atmosphere can be possible. Astronauts travel to the Moon, experience its dangers and wonders, and survive crises, including Apollo 13. General Bernard Schriever offers a lucid history of the relationship of the space program to the military. The personable Scott Grissom shares what it was like to grow up the son of an astronaut, and has some interesting comments on Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff. From Ground Control, Guenter Wendt gives a colorful view of crisis management, morale, and practical jokes. Walter Cronkite focuses on TV news coverage of the space program. Together, the chapters give readers a sense of the complexity of the undertaking and the values that have kept the space effort alive through hard times. Providing interesting primary-source material from a wide range of perspectives, the book will appeal to casual readers as well as to history students and confirmed space-program buffs.
Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Author

The interviews includes reflections from their astronauts on their pioneering ventures into the unknown; first-person accounts of walking on the moon;, behind the scenes activity in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs; detailed discussions on the Apollo 13 accident; Robert Goddard's thoughts as he watched his rocket rise above the New Mexico desert; General Schriever talking about early military space activities; and Walter Cronkite and colleagues discussing how the media covered these events.

Product Details

• Paperback: 215 pages
• Publisher: Space Pubns (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887022112
• ISBN-13: 978-1887022118
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,729,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging, primary source on the history of man's efforts, July 26, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Their Own Words: Conversations With the Astronauts and Men Who Led America's Journey into Space and to the Moon (Paperback)

Compiled and edited by Scott Sacknoff (President of the International Space Business Council), In Their Own Words: Conversations With The Astronauts And Men Who Led America's Journey Into Space by is a unique collection of candid interviews with astronauts offering the reader behind-the-scenes glimpses into the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs; as well as a discussion by Walter Cronkite and colleagues about how the media covered historic achievements in space travel; and a great deal more. In Their Own Words is commended to the attention of aerospace enthusiasts and scholars as an engaging, primary source on the history of man's efforts to stretch beyond the boundaries of the Earth itself.