Fwd: Jay Barbree retells U.S.'s difficult, but glorious ascent to moon

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From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: September 14, 2014 9:08:20 PM CDT
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: Jay Barbree retells U.S.'s difficult, but glorious ascent to moon

 

 

 

Jay Barbree retells U.S.'s difficult, but glorious ascent to moon

Chris Kridler, For FLORIDA TODAY 12:34 a.m. EDT September 14, 2014

 

(Photo: CRAIG RUBADOUX/FLORIDA TODAY)

 

Longtime NBC space correspondent Jay Barbree seems well-positioned to write a biography of Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on the moon. The men were friendly; they bonded over tragedy, as each man had lost a child.

That amity is evident in the fan letter that is Barbree's book, "Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight," which is, more than anything, a conversational history of how the United States got to the moon.

The book doesn't dig deeply into Armstrong's notoriously private life. In particular, a reader will get very little about his life after he walked on the moon, except for brief nods to the former astronaut's role in the Challenger accident investigation, his work as a professor and his second marriage. It also doesn't delve into his religious, philosophical or political views, except to emphasize his belief in the continuing exploration of space.

Where the book is strongest is in its telling of the rise of America's space program. Armstrong is along for the ride, and what a grand ride it is. Readers who understand little about this history may enjoy this book the most, as Armstrong's life is really a small piece of the story Barbree tells.

Armstrong was a test pilot first, and Barbree puts us in the cockpit during harrowing, near-death experiences that prove the man's skill and judgment.

After Armstrong joins the space program, the narrative broadens to encompass the fascinating challenges of the Mercury and Gemini programs; the tragedy of the Apollo 1 fire, which killed three astronauts; and the continuing race with the Russians to get to the moon.

We hear some of what happened behind the scenes as crews were assigned to the Apollo missions, each man wondering who would be the first to land on the moon. Armstrong is portrayed as a well-respected, highly skilled pilot who was a natural fit for the job, and it was his mission that got the plum assignment. Armstrong would be in command of Apollo 11, with the job of stepping out the door of the lunar lander first; Buzz Aldrin would be his fellow moonwalker; and Michael Collins would helm the ship in orbit that would take them home.

Barbree makes extensive use of transcripts to re-create the dialogue between the crew and mission control in Houston during this mission. He also imagines the grins of the astronauts as they enjoy their historic feat of exploration. He suggests Armstrong left on the moon an artifact of the daughter he lost. But we don't get far inside the astronauts' heads.

At the same time, this triumph can't help but be an inspiring yarn, and Barbree tells it in his inimitable voice — that of the old-school reporter, with folksy charm and mild cursing. He's a character in his own story.

While the book may have needed a larger budget for commas and apostrophes, it at times beautifully captures the feeling of being at the pioneering edge of space, especially in its description of the Saturn 5 rocket carrying Apollo 8 from Cape Canaveral:

"That largest of all machines ever created reached for sky, rode on flame and roared, pounded ears, overwhelmed all those watching, slammed crackling thunder into their bodies, fluttered their clothes, rolled their flesh in small yet perfect patterns, and rattled the coins in their pockets."

The book is enhanced by more than 200 black-and-white photographs that illustrate what is an affectionate account of the United States' difficult, glorious road to the moon.

 

 

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