Liftoff: The Story of America's Adventure in Space (Hardcover)

by Michael Collins (Author), James Dean (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
In 1974, Collins wrote Carrying the Fire , a superb memoir of his experiences in the Gemini and Apollo programs. In this book, Collins begins with the origins of America's space program, Mercury , proceeds through Gemini / Apollo , and assesses post- Apollo programs through the Space Shuttle and plans for the space station. Collins is a master of lucid, colorful, and fascinating prose. As a veteran astronaut, including the Apollo 11 lunar mission, he also writes with unmatched insight. His coverage of the Gemini/Apollo era is different, and his interviews of other astronauts provide valuable understanding of the space program. Collins's analysis of the fatal shuttle accident and NASA's recovery efforts are particularly notable. An outstanding book. BOMC selection. Roger E. Bilstein, Univ. of Houston - Clear Lake
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Grove Pr; 1 edition (May 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802110118
• ISBN-13: 978-0802110114
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,815,265 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History of NASA Taken To New Heights!, September 24, 2000

By A Customer

Fantastic! Michael Collins really knows how to write! He turns non-fiction material into a real page turner. I learned a lot from this book. It is well organized and includes a U.S. manned spaceflight log at the end. This book not only provides information about NASA from Mercury to the shuttle but also includes information on military research with aircraft predating the space program and how NASA itself was formed. Collins' own expeirience as an astronaut makes the book even more exciting. The first chapter is a detailed firsthand account of the Apollo 11 flight, the first mission to land on the moon, upon which Collins was a crew member. Later in the book he writes a similar type of account about his earlier Gemini 10 flight which involved an EVA (spacewalk). The illustrations are also beautiful. James Dean does a good job capturing the essence of space exploration in his detailed sketches. If you know nothing about NASA and want to learn, it's time to read this book!!! -Roxana Safipour

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Collins' writing brings machines and spacecrafts to life, August 12, 2002

By	Cesar Cruz (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you've ever read Michael Collins' "Carrying the Fire," you owe it to yourself to get a copy of "Liftoff."

In "Liftoff," Collins relates the history of NASA's spacecrafts and the people who created them. The best aspect of his story is that it is not a timeline of spacecraft A, spacecraft B, spacecraft C, etc. "Liftoff" is an appreciation of the clunky Mercury capsule, the complex and triumphant Apollo spacecrafts, the grace (or at least relative grace) of the space shuttle, and so many other NASA innovations.

Partnered alongside the machines are the early NASA pioneers who envisioned them. Collins lets you in on the aims behind their designs. He also writes about these men as professionals, some of them visionaries, and others just nuts-and-bolts engineers.

So "Liftoff" is a great read for what it is and what it is not. It is not a NASA history with the adventure, drama, and action of space flight (although that is often very exciting to read). Instead, it is a technical book for non-technical readers, a NASA history for non-space buffs, and a personal story about machines.

After reading Collins' "Carrying the Fire" and "Liftoff," I believe that no other author has ever written as well about NASA. Only Andrew Chaikin has come close with "A Man on the Moon." Collins transcends what an astronaut can say about space travel, and he does it with humor, an almost poetic fluidity, and the perspective of someone who was there.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully illustrated book, January 12, 1998

By A Customer

I rarely look at a book for its pictures, but in "LIFTOFF" the illustrations are fabulous! I remember seeing this images reproduced in the exhibit "You Are Here, _Wondering_ Through the Solar System" at the Austin Children's Museum... by far the best part of that exhibit!