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Author
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Topic: Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight (Jay Barbree)
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Kite
Member Posts: 831
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 11-06-2014 02:47 PM
  
I recently finished this book and found it enjoyable. At first I found the style of writing a little different but got used to it and in the end felt it was a moving tribute to his friend. Obviously 'First Man' by James R. Hansen is much more comprehensive, but a heavier read, so for anyone whose interest in Neil Armstrong is not as strong as most of us on this site it would be an excellent book as it is lighter but covers most of the life and times of this remarkable man. I was a bit disappointed at the end there wasn't more written about the world reaction to his death, the tributes, his memorial service and the disposal of his ashes at sea but all in all in my opinion a worthwhle book.
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-03-2014 07:05 PM
Roger Launius, curator at the National Air and Space Museum, reviewed "Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight" as part of his Wednesday Book Review series. Whatever else Jay Barbree’s Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight might be, it is not a biography of Neil Armstrong (1930-2012). There is only small insight into his beliefs, desires, loves, or hates. There is little discussion of his family and his goals. There is even less about his early years, only a cursory exploration of his Korean War experience, and nothing to speak of about his lengthy and significant activities since ending his career as a NASA astronaut in the early 1970s.What is present is largely generic information about early NASA, especially an almost mission-by-mission summary of the Apollo program with an often tenuous relationship to Neil Armstrong. To his credit, Barbree offers a number of observations about the nature of human spaceflight throughout the last half century and a few sometimes humorous and insightful stories. Unfortunately, these mostly have little to do with Neil Armstrong even as they offer useful perceptions... |
David C
Member Posts: 1014
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 12-03-2014 08:47 PM
I think Launius is right on the money there. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 12-04-2014 03:36 AM
I have not read the book yet but Roger's review would suggest that Jay's relationship with Armstrong was not as close as he would have us believe. Jay is an experienced, accomplished, respected and authoratative broadcaster but the book it could be argued is a cynical attempt to cash in on Neil's passing. |
David C
Member Posts: 1014
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 12-04-2014 11:08 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Rick Mulheirn:
Jay is an experienced, accomplished, respected and authoratative broadcaster...
Experienced, yes. As for those other adjectives, having now read two of his books, I certainly wouldn't use them to describe his writing. quote:
I have not read the book yet but Roger's review would suggest that Jay's relationship with Armstrong was not as close as he would have us believe.
That seems a safe conclusion. quote:
...but the book it could be argued is a cynical attempt to cash in on Neil's passing.
I'm not so sure that's fair. I think Barbree has a pretty good handle on the level of his main audience. However, I think he is well aware that if this had been published prior to his passing, Mr Armstrong wouldn't have been terribly impressed. If the reviewers on Amazon are typical, over 80% of them have rated it 4 or 5 star. Personally, I think a great many of them have trouble separating their review of a book from their assessment of the man.I mean, with readers whose idea of a review is stuff like "I know Jay and this is a great book", "I have no review... it was a gift; but the recipient said it was a very good book... he is not a reader, to I am giving it 4 stars" or the verbose "loved it" — how could Barbree lose? |
hinkler
Member Posts: 573
From: Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 01-16-2015 11:34 PM
I have just re-read this book and I enjoyed it even more second time around. It gives a picture of the person who was Neil Armstrong, much more so than the other two biographies of Armstrong. It is obvious from the forward that John Glenn enjoyed the book and it is also obvious from the comments by other Astronauts on the dust jacket that Barbree has captured something in this book that other biographies have not. I enjoyed the book. Congratulations Jay Barbree. |
Fra Mauro
Member Posts: 1586
From: Bethpage, N.Y.
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 06-13-2017 08:40 AM
This is an entertaining read. It's a pretty basic book, with little new information for people who have read many space books. I was a bit disturbed by the account of the fire. It's implied that Grissom shifting in his seat scrapped the wire that cause the spark. I never heard that before so I'm not sure if it's accurate. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-13-2017 09:49 AM
As much as I consider Jay a friend and have great respect for the work he did as a pioneer in spaceflight reporting, this book is severely plagued by lifting large sections of its text directly from "First Man" without attribution, including using material out of context (or adding context that is not factual). I've seen a side by side comparison of the text and it is extensive. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-14-2017 04:59 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Fra Mauro:
I was a bit disturbed by the account of the fire. It's implied that Grissom shifting in his seat scrapped the wire that cause the spark.
The exact cause of the Apollo 1 fire is the subject of supposition with "evidence" to a greater or lesser degree to support a host of theories.There is however strong physical and telemetry evidence to suggest that movement by Gus Grissom a minute or so before the fire was a contributory factor, but not because he damaged anything. If you click on this link you will see what I am referring to. With regards Jay Barbree's book it is impossible not to respect the guy who has been there and done it all over the years. But coming so soon after Neil's passing I could not help but think the publication of his new book was blantantly opportunistic and on-line interviews with Jay, conducted to coincide with the publication served only to reinforce that opinion. Something tells me Neil himself would not have approved. |
Cozmosis22
Member Posts: 968
From: Texas * Earth
Registered: Apr 2011
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posted 06-15-2017 03:18 PM
Remember being in the Press Center at KSC early one morning in the mid 90s as journalists gathered to head out to the landing facility. The shuttle's return was still about two hours away when a loud voice came booming from the back of the room. It was Jay yelling obscenities about being tired of waiting and how we all need to get out to the buses and head over to the SLF. Most everybody just turned away and NASA press officials basically ignored him. About 20 minutes later we all boarded the two media transfer vehicles and the escort van lead us away from the main press site to the SLF. |
Fra Mauro
Member Posts: 1586
From: Bethpage, N.Y.
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 06-16-2017 05:51 AM
Very interesting link, Rick. I'm suprised in a way that NASA let any of the Apollo 1 pieces out of its' hands. I knew that Grissom was out of his seat for a time, I thought he was changing the cobra cable. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-16-2017 03:50 PM
The connector in question originated from North American Aviation. It is well known that the Apollo 204 spacecraft was disassembled at Kennedy. What is perhaps less well known is that boxes of material were returned to Rockwell for analysis and testing. |
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