Marking the forty fifth anniversary of Apollo 11 s moon landing First Man by James Hansen offers the only authorized glimpse into the life of America s most famous astronaut Neil Armstrongthe man whose one small step changed history The Eagle has landed When Apollo 11 touched down on the moon s surface in 1969 the first man on the moon became a legend In First Man Hansen explores the life of Neil Armstrong Based on over fifty hours of interviews with the intensely private Armstrong who also gave Hansen exclusive access to private documents and family sources this magnificent panorama of the second half of the American twentieth century Publishers Weekly starred review is an unparalleled biography of an American icon Upon his return to earth Armstrong was honored and celebrated for his monumental achievement He was alsoas James R Hansen reveals in this fascinating and important biographymisunderstood Armstrong s accomplishments as engineer test pilot and astronaut have long been a matter of record but Hansen s unprecedented access to private documents and unpublished sources and his interviews with more than 125 subjects including more than fifty hours with Armstrong himself yield this first in depth analysis of an elusive American celebrity still renowned the world over In a riveting narrative filled with revelations Hansen vividly recreates Armstrong s career in flying from his seventy eight combat missions as a naval aviator flying over North Korea to his formative transatmospheric flights in the rocket powered X 15 to his piloting Gemini VIII to the first ever docking in space These milestones made it seem as Armstrong s mother Viola memorably put it as if from the very moment he was bornfarther back stillthat our son was somehow destined for the Apollo 11 mission For a pilot who cared more about flying to the Moon than he did about walking on it Hansen asserts Armstrong s storied vocation exacted a dear personal toll

Recommended to book clubs by 0 of 0 members.