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Author
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Topic: Into That Silent Sea (Burgess, French)
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ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2169
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 01-12-2007 07:00 PM
   
Into That Silent Sea: Trailblazers of the Space Era, 1961-1965
by Colin Burgess and Francis FrenchIt was a time of bold new technology, historic moments, and international jousting on the final frontier. But it was also a time of human drama, of moments less public but no less dramatic in the lives of those who made the golden age of space flight happen.These are the moments and the lives that Into That Silent Sea captures, a book that tells the intimate stories of the men and women, American and Russian, who made the space race their own and gave the era its compelling character. These pages chronicle a varied and riveting cavalcade of human stories, including a look at Yuri Gagarin's harrowing childhood in war-ravaged Russia and Alan Shepard's firm purchase on the American dream. It also examines the controversial career of cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, and the remarkable struggle and ultimate disappointment of her American counterparts. It tries to uncover the truth behind the allegations that shadowed Gus Grissom and Scott Carpenter and then allows the reader to share the heart-stopping suspense of Alexei Leonov's near-fatal first space walk. Through dozens of interviews and access to Russian and American official documents and family records, the authors bring to life the experiences that shaped the lives of the first astronauts and cosmonauts and forever changed their world and ours. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2169
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 01-12-2007 07:06 PM
The University of Nebraska Press has now added a list of contents and a lengthy extract from "Into That Silent Sea" on their website.Francis and I have been told that the book will be in the Press's warehouse next month and will be distributed to booksellers soon after. It can also be ordered directly from the Press using the link above. This will be the first of ten books overall that tells the entire social or human history of space flight. It's a massive undertaking, and one which we hope will be widely supported. |
Spacepsycho
Member Posts: 905
From: Huntington Beach, Calif.
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted 01-12-2007 10:38 PM
Congratulations Colin and Francis. I'm sure your book will be a huge success and I can't wait to read it. |
space4u
Member Posts: 330
From: Cleveland, OH USA
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted 01-27-2007 05:45 AM
The excerpt looks great. I just ordered my copy. Also the chapter on the 2 Wallys -- is that for Wally Schirra and Wally Funk? Thanks and best of luck with this new book. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2169
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 01-27-2007 05:50 AM
Yes, you're quite correct; that chapter discusses the dream of spaceflight fulfilled by Wally Schirra and lost by Wally Funk. |
Sy Liebergot
Member Posts: 503
From: Pearland, Texas USA
Registered: May 2003
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posted 01-27-2007 08:42 AM
Much congratulations, Francis and Colin!! |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3298
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 01-27-2007 04:01 PM
Thanks for those good wishes, Sy, and for those of you ordering copies!By the way, the Amazon page for the book has a "Search Inside" feature active where you can pull up almost any page based on key words. |
Peg Purser
Member Posts: 10
From: Humble, TX USA
Registered: Dec 2006
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posted 02-09-2007 04:24 PM
I just finished "Into That Silent Sea" and was very impressed. Not only did it give some little-known tidbits about well-known Americans but it went into delightful detail about some little-known Americans as well as Russians.When my memoir of my father, Paul Purser, gets published, you will see this book referenced and quoted because I found so many things in it that I haven't found in other publications or NASA archives. Everyone should pick up a copy ASAP. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2169
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 02-09-2007 07:02 PM
Thank you Peg for your wonderful words about the book. It's always nice to be complemented on a project involving several years and a lot of hard work. Francis has been a tremendous and very knowledgeable guy to work with, and I'm pleased to report our friendship, one of long tenure, managed to survive a sometimes-difficult and exhausting process of research and writing. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3298
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 02-09-2007 09:57 PM
Indeed, this has been a great collaborative journey. I've known Colin since I was 17, and as this was my first book project, it was great to have an experienced and respected book author to work with all the way. And to have a colleague to fall back on in the tougher times was always wonderful! quote:
Originally posted by Peg Purser:
I just finished "Into That Silent Sea" and was very impressed.
Thank you so much, Peg! As most people here will know, Peg's father, Paul, was there when NACA became NASA, and during the 60s was Special Assistant to the Director of the Manned Spacecraft Center. So just to read such a recommendation from her makes writing the book all worthwhile! I can't wait to see her biography of her father in print, too - should be quite a read. |
MCroft04
Member Posts: 1862
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 02-22-2007 11:01 AM
I've only read the foreword so far but already seems like a great book. And how often can one say "hey, I've met the authors!" |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3298
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 02-22-2007 10:38 PM
Colin and I have been getting a couple of copies into the hands of those who helped us most with the book. A couple of days ago, Colin met with Walt and Dot Cunningham in Sydney and gave them a copy. And today, Wally Schirra invited me over to his home to drop a copy off — and he has a message for you too...  |
MCroft04
Member Posts: 1862
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 03-05-2007 10:51 PM
I'm half way through the book, and am enjoying every page. I wish I could have read this book before talking to Pavel Popovich in San Antonio. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2169
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 03-05-2007 11:36 PM
Thanks Mel for those kind words about the book. |
bruce
Member Posts: 935
From: Fort Mill, SC, USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 03-08-2007 04:54 PM
Francis and Colin, I have just finished your book. You guys really did a fantastic job, not only in bringing to the fore many otherwise never to be enjoyed stories, but you also managed to maintain a keen, intrinsic sense of "wonderment" about the human experience in space. I haven't seen an example of writing like this since Andy Chaikin's "A Man On The Moon" book.I especially enjoyed the present day comments shared by those who were there when those historical events happened. The Cosmonaut chapters were beautifully done as well! This book is just a joy to read! Thanks for all of your great work! |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3298
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 03-08-2007 09:42 PM
Thank you, Bruce - you just made my week!I vividly recall sitting in a back garden in London and reading Chaikin's book, and with each page my impresssion of the manned lunar program altered... for good. Similarly, Tom Wolfe's book shot me into a whole new understanding and impression of astronauts when I was an early teen. In the last couple of weeks, we have had this comment from you, and Paul Haney tell us "The book is tremendous. It's 'The Right Stuff' only in more detail and feeling." Two such comparisons are just mindblowingly wonderful, and I thank you! |
MCroft04
Member Posts: 1862
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 03-08-2007 10:06 PM
Francis, Colin, there is at least one other person who feels the same way. I hope you keep writing! |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2169
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 03-08-2007 10:27 PM
Many thanks, Bruce and Mel; kind words indeed. One of our greatest fears was that we might lose a couple of these wonderful space pioneers in the course of researching and writing the book, and that did happen with the passing of Gordon Cooper, although late in the proceedings. Francis and I had both met Gordo and Suzi, and they were really enthusiastic about the book. Gordo had supplied anecdotal information for his chapter, and readily agreed to go through the draft for us to ensure complete authenticity. Sadly, although he received the draft, Suzi said he did not have a chance to go through it before we suddenly lost him. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3298
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 03-09-2007 09:37 AM
Another nice piece of news:Dr. Roger Launius, of the Division of Space History at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, and former NASA Chief Historian, has a list on Amazon.com called "Essential Reading in the History of Human Spaceflight." I was delighted to see that he has added our book to it! The list is accessible via the Amazon page for the book. |
Steven Kaplan
Member Posts: 163
From: New Jersey
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 03-11-2007 09:16 AM
I am about a third of the way through the book, and it's a great read. The authors have uncovered some real factual gems that go a long way towards showing that these were real people performing all these wonderful exploits. The book really shows the human side of those involved, and I can't wait to finish the book. |
cspg
Member Posts: 6376
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 03-12-2007 06:49 AM
Was there any good reason why not include an index at the end of the book? |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3298
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 03-12-2007 12:10 PM
The index was something that Colin and I were happy to do for this book, but it was a decision of the publishers. As the book follows the spacefarers chronologically, fortunately it's pretty easy to find what you are looking for. |
cspg
Member Posts: 6376
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 03-13-2007 02:25 AM
How strange that the publishers did want to include an index.For a 10-book series meant to be a chronological account of the space age aimed at a large audience (who may not be familiar with who first flew and when), I found it very, very strange. Even more so that I expected to be some sort of reference series! (Geee, I really must lower my expectations.) I look forward to reading it soon. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2169
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 03-13-2007 02:38 AM
I also found it strange, and as Series Editor I consulted with the Managing Director of the publishers on this issue, but he said that it was common practice not to include indexes in many books these days and it had been decided that in keeping with this there would not be an index in any of the books in the Outward Odyssey series. Francis and I had been quite willing and ready to prepare one, but were overruled.Despite that, I know you're going to love this book and its follow-up, "In the Shadow of the Moon," for which we are currently and meticulously checking through the page proofs before it goes to the printers. |
cspg
Member Posts: 6376
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 03-13-2007 11:28 AM
Thanks for the info. I'm certainly not going to shoot myself because of a missing index! But I'm certainly looking forward to reading your book. |
mdmyer
Member Posts: 900
From: Humboldt KS USA
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted 03-25-2007 07:00 PM
I finished reading "Into That Silent Sea." I have read everything ever written by a Mercury, Gemini, or Apollo program astronaut. I have also read some of the modern "classics" on the history of man's space exploration such as Andrew Chaikin's "A Man on the Moon" and Cox and Murray's "Apollo: Race to the Moon." I looked forward to reading "Into That Silent Sea" because I knew this book had been written by people who really enjoy the history of the space program. French and Burgess are space history enthusiast themselves. Their book tells the stories of the people who lived the space race. It is not a book about dates and missions but it is more of a biographical story about the people who flew the missions, and in one chapter, of the people who did not.
When they Burgess and French went to write "Into That Silent Sea," their goal was to detail the flights from Gagarin's first flight to the voyage of Apollo 11: but their manuscript was so large that the publisher requested that it be reworked in to two different books. "Into That Silent Sea" is the first of these two books. The authors conducted dozens of interviews with the American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts and the people who knew them the best. I think those personal interviews developed the human side of the space race this book tells. "Into That Silent Sea" starts with Gagarin's flight and ends with Leonov's first space walk.
I think Chapter 6 ("Heavenly Twins"") and Chapter 7 ("The Two Wallys") were my favorites. Chapter 6 detailed the flights of Vostok 3 and Vostok 4. It was the first time one nation had two manned spacecraft in orbit at the same time. Chapter 7 told the stories of Wally Schirra and Wally Funk. While I had read a little about the "Mercury 13" women pilots before, I learned about their hopes and dreams of flying in to space.
I found "Into That Silent Sea" an easy book to read; I look forward to the rest of the story. I have heard that the publishers of these two books, The University of Nebraska Press, were so pleased with them they decided to create a series of books to tell the story of Man's first steps into space. "Into That Silent Sea" and "In the Shadow of the Moon" are the first two books of the series that will be called "Outward Odyssey." "In the Shadow of the Moon" will pick up where "Silent Sea" left off. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2169
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 03-26-2007 08:05 AM
Mike: you make me blush. Thank you on behalf of both of us for those kind words about the book and for your support. I note you have also sent this as a review to Amazon.You are a champion. |
mdmyer
Member Posts: 900
From: Humboldt KS USA
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted 03-26-2007 10:35 AM
The pleasure was mine. I have been purchasing books for years from Amazon and I think this is the first time I have ever left a review. Shows how much I really liked it. My Thanks go you Francis and you for giving us this book. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3298
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 04-03-2007 11:22 PM
At the Mutual Concerns of Air & Space Museums conference in San Diego, I spotted a familiar face today holding a very familiar book... When I said hello, he suggested we have a photo taken together with it...  ...and then he asked me to sign it for him. Who would ever have imagined I'd be granting an autograph request FROM Bill Anders? |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3298
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 04-08-2007 09:04 PM
Following the Wally Schirra Apollo 7-themed gag photo earlier in this thread, Dee O'Hara joined the game with this photo, while signing some copies of the book with me. Nurse's orders!!  |
dss65
Member Posts: 1389
From: Sandpoint, ID, USA
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 04-24-2007 09:24 PM
I've just finished Chapter 2, and I've got to say that I'm very impressed. The Dee O'Hara written about here certainly rings true as the Dee O'Hara that I had the extreme pleasure of spending some time with in Burbank, the Dee that remembers your name and treats you like a somebody, even if, like me, you are a nobody, who introduces you to others as if you are a friend, and who seems to have difficulty accepting the fact that she is, in fact, a legend.Based on how accurately she is presented, I am really looking forward to the rest of this book. Nice job, fellas! |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3298
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 04-25-2007 12:41 AM
Thank you, Don! Look forward to hearing what you think of the rest of the book! quote:
Originally posted by dss65:
...the Dee that remembers your name and treats you like a somebody, even if, like me, you are a nobody, who introduces you to others as if you are a friend, and who seems to have difficulty accepting the fact that she is, in fact, a legend.
That's her! An extremely humble person, who still finds it hard to believe we all find her and her stories so interesting. As well as that chapter, her stories and insights appear throughout the rest of the book, and the next book too. She told Colin and me that this book is the nearest there will ever be to a Dee O'Hara autobiography. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2169
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 04-25-2007 04:18 PM
I'll echo Francis's remarks about Dee. She is a great lady with terrific strength of character and a heart as big as Texas. The insights she gave us for our books are just pricless gems from a very rich and interesting life.By the way, a very good and thoughtful review of the book can be found here. |
KC Stoever
Member Posts: 1023
From: Denver, CO USA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 04-26-2007 10:33 AM
Colin, thanks for the link to that good review and congratulations to you and Francis! |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3298
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 04-27-2007 08:55 AM
Thanks Kris! And thanks again to you and your father for the very kind and informative assistance on the Aurora 7 chapter. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2169
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 04-27-2007 05:19 PM
Kris; Francis beat me to the punch. Thank you for your support, advice and professional assistance, for setting up those important first communications with your father, but most of all for your wisdom and friendship. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 53659
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-23-2007 08:48 AM
San Diego Union Tribune: Book looks at starring roles of first space travelers For decades, people have been intrigued by mankind's voyages into space.For Francis French of Oceanside, the fascination was with the voyagers themselves. French collaborated with author Colin Burgess to write "Into That Silent Sea." The book is about the trailblazers of the Space Age from 1961 to 1965. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3298
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 05-23-2007 09:57 AM
Thanks Robert. I should point out that, while Colin had the relative luxury for that interview of submitting quotes via E-mail, I had a reporter with a pad and pen interviewing me. All of my quotes in this article only vaguely resemble what I actually told her. For example, I'd never say that "most people" didn't know Wally Schirra was a punster...!Still, hopefully it will encourage a few people here in town to go and look at a copy of the book. |
divemaster
Member Posts: 1376
From: ridgefield, ct
Registered: May 2002
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posted 05-25-2007 09:44 AM
While I've only had time to read it in bits and pieces, I'm really enjoying this book. I'm through the Tereshkova chapter and have picked up on some facts of which I was previously unaware.I wandered over to Amazon.Com to see what the reviewers have been saying about it and have noticed that there's a posting by one "Dee O'Hara" with a glowing review. Nothing better than a great review from someone who witnessed the whole thing, y'know? Either that or Erin French bribed her with a batch of cookies. |
bruce
Member Posts: 935
From: Fort Mill, SC, USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-26-2007 07:09 AM
Just read a new review of Into That Silent Sea:Having had my own work "reviewed" in print, it's always amusing to read a review where you can almost sense the writer wanting to include that famous "critics choice" take-away sentence that begins with "However ..." I think they learn this at Critics College as a way to convince the reader that they're the authority on the subject. The last line of the review states: "This book doesn't explain the fascination with the early history of the Space Age, but does help satisfy it." I would argue that trying to "explain the fascination with the early history of the Space Age" is like trying to explain Beatlemania. How can you truly explain something that can only be felt? Also, sometimes the reviewer shows their own lack of knowledge on the subject, as in the case here where the deliberate pairing of Carpenter and Glenn in one chapter of the book totally escapes him. All in all though, another positive review for one of the best (in my opinion) space books on the shelves! |
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