Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight

by Jay Barbree

Overview

Much has been written about Neil Armstrong, America's modern hero and history's most famous space traveler. Yet shy of fame and never one to steal the spotlight Armstrong was always reluctant to discuss his personal side of events. Here for the first time is the definitive story of Neil's life of flight he shared for five decades with a trusted friend – Jay Barbree.

Working from 50 years of conversations he had with Neil, from notes, interviews, NASA spaceflight transcripts, and remembrances of those Armstrong trusted, Barbree writes about Neil's three passions – flight, family, and friends. This is the inside story of Neil Armstrong from the time he flew combat missions in the Korean War and then flew a rocket plane called the X-15 to the edge of space, to when he saved his Gemini 8 by flying the first emergency return from Earth orbit and then flew Apollo-Eleven to the moon's Sea of Tranquility.

Together Neil and Jay discussed everything, from his love of flying, to the war years, and of course his time in space. The book is full of never-before-seen photos and personal details written down for the first time, including what Armstrong really felt when he took that first step on the moon, what life in NASA was like, his relationships with the other astronauts, and what he felt the future of space exploration should be.

As the only reporter to have covered all 166 American astronaut flights and moon landings Jay knows these events intimately. Neil Armstrong himself said, "Barbree is history's most experienced space journalist. He is exceptionally well qualified to recall and write the events and emotions of our time." Through his friendship with Neil and his dedicated research, Barbree brings us the most accurate account of his friend's life of flight, the book he planned for twenty years.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250040725
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/09/2015
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	663,413
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

JAY BARBREE is in his 55th year with NBC News. He is the only reporter to have covered all 166 American astronaut flights and moon landings, and the only reporter to be awarded NASA's highest medal for public service. He received an Emmy for his coverage of Neil Armstrong's first walk on the moon, broke the cause of the Challenger accident on Tom Brokaw's Nightly News, and he's still on the job covering space for NBC's five television networks while writing space stories for NBCnews.com. Barbree was also the lead writer for the New York Times bestseller MOON SHOT with astronauts Alan Shepard, Deke Slayton, and Neil Armstrong.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword xv

Introduction xvii

1 A Wing and a Prayer 1

2 Test Flight, High Desert, and a Satellite or Three 13

3 Those Who Would Ride Rockets 26

4 The Moon Is Calling 42

5 Pasadena Overshoot 56

6 Training Days 64

7 Home Fire 77

8 The Gemini Twins Are Flying 88

9 Gemini 99

10 Gemini 8: The Docking 110

11 Gemini 8: The Emergency 120

12 Tragedies Ground Spaceflight 137

13 How to Land on the Moon 148

14 Hello Moon 160

15 The Misfits 180

16 Rehearsal Finals 191

17 The Launch 207

18 Outbound 225

19 The Landing 246

20 Moonwalk 260

21 The Return 278

22 Back Home 294

23 An American Tragedy 309

24 Space Shuttle and Beyond 320

25 Then, Now, and Tomorrow 335

Index 351

Editorial Reviews

Much of Barbree's writing has a "you are there" immediacy, because he was present for many of the book's key events. During his more than half-century as space correspondent for NBC News, Barbree witnessed and reported on each and every launch of the U.S. human space program. He is at his best when describing the visceral thrill of rocket flight, the lifeless majesty of the moon, and the visual splendor of Earth from space. These poetic passages are made all the more poignant by his close brush with becoming an astronaut, as a finalist in NASA's failed-to-launch "Journalist in Space" program.” —The Washington Post

“Barbree's book reminds readers of all that led up to that first step.” —Associated Press

“Sit back, put up your feet, and spend some time with Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight, by Jay Barbree, NBC's longtime space correspondent, who has covered the US manned spaceflight program for more than half a century. To be sure, this is not the definitive, footnote-packed Armstrong biography. Instead, this book has the feel of sitting down with Barbree at a barbeque for an extended conversation.” —Christian Science Monitor: 1of the 10 Best Books of July

“NBC News space reporter Jay Barbree spent 50 years getting to know astronaut Neil Armstrong. In this biography, Barbree recalls Armstrong's historic moon landing in gripping detail.” —Parade: included in Summer Books round-up

“His richly detailed profile of Armstrong…covers Armstrong's life and career with intimacy, humor and heart, from his days as a U.S. Navy pilot through his training for the NASA space program, and ultimately into the commander's seat of Apollo 11. Space hounds and history buffs will dig it, for sure, but even casual readers will be riveted by its comprehensive portrait of a real-life cosmic cowboy who broke the bonds of Earth and put the first American footprint where it had never been before.” —American Profile

“With a foreword by John Glenn NBC News space correspondent Barbree got very up-close to the former Navy combat pilot and astronaut, who died in 2012. Notoriously private, Armstrong opened up to the author to reveal his innermost thoughts, telling "what he really felt when he took that first step on the moon, and what life in NASA was like.” —VFW Magazine

“Barbree's tone is warm, and he has a boyish enthusiasm for both tricky missions carried out deftly and for near misses barely avoided, both of which figure heavily in Armstrong's professional life.” —The Columbus Dispatch

“...intimate and definitive...a celebration of Armstrong's life and times.” —Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“An eye-opening and entertaining tale of the race to the moon.” —Publishers Weekly

“Veteran news correspondent Barbree offers an intimate view into the life of Neil Armstrong (1930-2012), his friend as well as a national hero and very private person. The author paints a detailed and colorful picture of his subject and an unbiased depiction of the period in which he lived, while also demonstrating reverence for Armstrong as confidant.” —Library Journal, starred review

“A wholly admiring assessment of Armstrong the aviator and Armstrong the man.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Emerging clearly in Barbree's narrative are Armstrong's humility and integrity - bedrock values that remained with him throughout his life.” —Aerospace America

“This is a great book and does much to preserve Neil's legacy.” —Jim Lovell, NASA astronaut and commander of Apollo 13 mission

“You'll find the Neil Armstrong I knew in these pages.” —Gene Cernan, NASA astronaut and the last man on the moon

From the Publisher

05/12/2014
NBC News correspondent Barbree (Moon Shot) has covered space travel for nearly six decades, including every American manned space launch, and here centers on the career of Neil Armstrong (1930–2012), who during the historic Apollo 11 mission became the first man to walk on the Moon. Barbree focuses on Armstrong as a pilot and astronaut, starting with his Korean War service before moving on to his long association with NASA. While he branches out to address some of Armstrong’s personal life, this is primarily a story of the space race, with copious attention given to the events leading up to and including the Moon landing. Barbree draws on conversations, transcripts, and interviews to reconstruct the space age’s most exciting and dramatic moments, fleshing them out with numerous photos and his own experiences. Indeed, he claims an almost worshipful friendship with Armstrong to convey an intimate association with the otherwise taciturn astronaut. Barbree’s feelings and passions are made clear in a scathing indictment of the American space program in the decades following the Moon landing and its failure to capitalize on the opportunity. The concentration on Armstrong’s space-related career makes this less than a definitive biography, but it’s still an eye-opening and entertaining tale of the race to the Moon. Photos. Agent: Elizabeth Kaplan. (July)

Publishers Weekly

NBC News space reporter Jay Barbree spent 50 years getting to know astronaut Neil Armstrong. In this biography, Barbree recalls Armstrong's historic moon landing in gripping detail.

Parade: included in Summer Books round-up

Sit back, put up your feet, and spend some time with Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight, by Jay Barbree, NBC's longtime space correspondent, who has covered the US manned spaceflight program for more than half a century. To be sure, this is not the definitive, footnote-packed Armstrong biography. Instead, this book has the feel of sitting down with Barbree at a barbeque for an extended conversation.

Christian Science Monitor: 1of the 10 Best Books of July

An author used to writing for the ear teamed up with a veteran narrator makes this portrait of astronaut Neil Armstrong a rewarding audio experience. Jay Barbree covered the space program for NBC. His writing style is accessible and easy to follow and evokes plenty of mental images. Michael Prichard is his usual solid self, not adding false emotion to a story that is filled with excitement. At the same time, he varies his tone and pacing to keep the narrative flowing. The author spent years getting to know the usually reserved Armstrong, so he amassed a bounty of personal quotations, which are used effectively throughout the text. R.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

JULY 2014 - AudioFile

2014-05-21
A longtime NBC News space correspondent looks back on the aviation career of the first man to set foot on the moon.Given his starring role in one of history’s most magnificent achievements, shouldn’t Neil Armstrong (1930-2012) be a bigger deal? FollowingApollo 11’strailblazing 1969 flight, Armstrong worked a couple of years for NASA, then taught for a few more at the University of Cincinnati. Except for a brief, high-profile role investigating the causes of theChallengerdisaster and an occasional speaking engagement, he assiduously avoided the spotlight, never cashing in on his fame. By the time of his death, he easily passed unrecognized in public. Barbree (“Live From Cape Canaveral”: Covering the Space Race, From Sputnik to Today, 2007, etc.), who covered every American manned space flight and became especially friendly with Armstrong, nevertheless barely pierces the habitual Armstrong reserve. Except for occasional tidbits of personal information—the astronaut’s friendship with John Glenn, the premature death of his daughter, the fire that razed his home—this account focuses primarily on Armstrong the pilot, particularly his coolness in tight spots: ejecting from a shot-up fighter plane in Korea, recovering from a “stuck thruster” in orbitaboardGemini 8, ejecting from the lunar lander training module just before it crashed, and famously guiding theEagleto touchdown in the Sea of Tranquility with fuel running dangerously low. These moments take up the bulk of Barbree’s amiable account. He supplies useful context by examining the origins and development of NASA’s manned flight program, including a good deal of information about astronaut training. The author insists that Armstrong never regarded himself as special and never lobbied to be first on the moon; he saw himself merely as next in line to take what turned out to be “a ‘Lindbergh’ step in flight.”A wholly admiring assessment of Armstrong the aviator and Armstrong the man.

Kirkus Reviews