But the book is far from just a catalog of the scurrilous and scatalogical; it delves seriously into the physiological and psychological effects of spaceflight and how astronauts, doctors and engineers prepare to meet such challenges. (You can read a Q&A with the author here and check out an excerpt describing early rocket experiments here.) This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. ~Sarah Lewin. Grant and Smithsonian Institution. Amy Shira Teitel's new history documents the birth and evolution of the space-program precursors that would eventually assemble into NASA. By focusing on letters and written text — including Kubrick's handwritten, pre-publication edits on feature pieces and interviews about the making of the film — Benson is able to give a particularly personality-driven view of the filmmaking process. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer. Only a select few have experienced spaceflight first-hand, but a good book can show you T-0 through an astronaut's eyes, tell the story behind your favorite rocket technology and peer into a future of space exploration. Wolfe dives deep into the mind-set of the people involved in the early days of American space exploration, including the astronauts, their wives, the press core and the American public. Mike Massimino's path from baseball-obsessed child to Hubble Space Telescope repairman — he flew two space shuttle missions to work on the orbiting observatory — is conveyed in conversational, entertaining prose in his new memoir "Spaceman: An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe." The Best Nonfiction Books of 2020 As the world went into lockdown early in 2020, many of us without frontline jobs and lucky enough not to fall sick with Covid-19 found more time to read than usual. The Wright Brothers used this book as a basis for much of their experiments. The stories in Waldman's book capture the humbling experience of going to space, including the awkward changes in bodily function, the lack of clean laundry and the prevalence of freeze-dried shrimp cocktail. and reading books offers solutions easily. ~Calla Cofield, 'The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must' (Touchstone, 1996), "The Case for Mars" is a landmark work, helping to cast Red Planet settlement as an achievable goal rather than a sci-fi dream. Along the way, readers tour the groundbreaking technological developments that made the film possible and the creativity of the large team that lent its ideas and expertise to the project. Well-placed diagrams, and two sections of color photos, aid the explanatory process as well. ~Samantha Mathewson. 'What's It Like In Space?' But what are the top must read aviation books that really capture the thrill and magic of flying? Books Advanced Search New Releases Best Sellers & More Children's Books Textbooks Textbook Rentals Best Books of the Month 1-16 of over 20,000 results for "Aviation - History… It’s just wonderfully written. Take a sky-high journey through the Wright brothers' first powered flight, to Concorde's final voyage, to the tragic crash of the Columbia, and more, in this stunning book packed with information on the history of aviation. Even avid space readers are sure to find at least one new detail to amaze. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Legendary flight instructor Howard Fried was the original author and the book was thoroughly revised by veteran pilot Gene Gailey. J.E. The following list of books contains the best of aviation. "The key is WE," he adds. Whether you're planning a short space vacation or embarking on a one-way trip to the Red Planet, "How to Live in Space" by Colin Stuart has all the important details. Best books about the history of flight for kids Find out more. But somehow it managed to deliver breathtaking views of the distant dwarf planet that revolutionized how we thought about the solar system and the planets that inhabit it. Wherever your space adventures may take you, this guide can help you make the most of your out-of-this-world experience. The book was also the inspiration for HBO's miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon." Chanute was also in contact with the Wright Brothers and often commented on their techn… And so, aviation was born. Peake's explanations are entertaining and easy to follow, but he doesn't shy away from delving into detail about how the technology works that brought and kept him in space. The 10 Best Books For A Long Flight. ~Sarah Lewin, 'Comm Check … : The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia' (Free Press, 2008), Space exploration is an epic human endeavor, but it is also fraught with peril and unforgiving of mistakes. In honor of its 50th anniversary, "2001: A Space Odyssey" chronicler Michael Benson digs deep into the making of the iconic film, profiling the writer Arthur C. Clarke, the director Stanley Kubrick and the nuances of their partnership to create the "proverbial 'really good' science fiction movie." The space shuttle Endeavour glides back to Earth on Jan. 20, 1996, after nine days in space on the STS-72 mission. Get breaking space news and the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! What books inspire you to get in the cockpit, take a flight or learn more about an aircraft, aviator or history? Leland Melvin started his career playing professional football in the NFL, but when an injury prevented him from playing, he went to school to become an engineer. “The Years Of The Sky Kings” by Arch Whitehouse, “Slide Rule” by Nevil Shute, and “Full Circle” by Group Capt. In short, "Packing for Mars" is an incredibly fun read that will give you a better understanding of the rigors of human spaceflight — and provide a wealth of choice details that you can dole out at parties to impress and disgust your friends. From looking up at the stars with sheer wonderment to sending astronauts to the moon and launching satellites to the far reaches of the galaxy, Launius illustrates the cutting-edge advancements made in astronomy and space science. R.G. You can read an interview with author Rod Pyle here, and an excerpt from "Amazing Stories of the Space Age" here. Her book is funny, beautifully illustrated and a great reminder that spaceflight not only teaches us new things about the cosmos, but about ourselves. The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot July 25, 1909 - Winner of the Caldecott Medal, this stunningly illustrated book depicts Louis Bleriot’s historic first cross-Channel flight. Read an interview with Nevala-Lee about the book here, and read an excerpt from the book's prologue here. In "Comm Check," veteran spaceflight reporters Michael Cabbage and William Harwood recount the Columbia space shuttle disaster with expert care, detailing exactly how and why the accident occurred. The mission wasn't easy to get approved and seemed to face obstacles at every turn before finally making it to launch day, and its troubles weren't over then. In "Spaceport Earth: The Reinvention of Spaceflight" (The Overlook Press, 2018), contributing Popular Mechanics editor Joe Pappalardo covers the emergence of commercial spaceflight. He’s still taking questions today via Facebook at Ask the Astronaut by Astronaut Tom Jones. Learn how your comment data is processed. Will take a while to read but it is a pleasure to do so. There are stories of Wernher von Braun's plans for sending humans to Mars, an idea backed by Freeman Dyson to create a nuclear-powered rocket (with the unfortunate side effect of increasing cancer rates among people living near the launch site), and a briefly considered proposal to build a military base on the moon in anticipation of the U.S. engaging in lunar battles with the Soviets. 'How to Live in Space' (Smithsonian Books, 2018), Are you interested in going to space? It wasn't until a recruiter from NASA grabbed his arm at a career fair that Melvin realized he could be an astronaut. Through the eyes and careers of those women, the book traces America's flight research through World War II, the Cold War and the space race, plus the civil rights movement and changing times in the Virginia research town. And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. Read an interview with Stern about the new book and New Horizons here; read an excerpt from the book here. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, You can see our ongoing Space Books coverage here. ~Sarah  Lewin. There is also a young readers' edition of Melvin's book, adapted to be a shorter and easier read than the adult book. The sudden change to a slower gear also left more room to reflect … Definitely a good book. At the end of this page-turner, readers will understand what it means to say that someone has "the right stuff." ~Hanneke Weitering. Thank you for signing up to Space. ~Sarah Lewin. "The Case for Mars" also lays out how to terraform Mars, making it a warmer and wetter place more hospitable to human life. ~Sarah Lewin. NY 10036. The orbiter is about to touch down on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, (Image credit: Courtesy of Prometheus Books), Lasers Death Rays and the Long Strange Quest for the Ultimate Weapon, Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and, (Image credit: Courtesy Smithsonian Books), The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration, (Image credit: Harper Collins Publishers), (Image credit: Nicole Sommer-Lecht/Prometheus Books), (Image credit: Little, Brown and Company), (Image credit: University of Nebraska Press), (Image credit: Berrett-Koehler Publishers), see our ongoing Space Books coverage here, check out an excerpt describing early rocket experiments here. For example, rockets launching from Mars and rovers exploring the surface would both be fueled by methane/oxygen propellant manufactured using carbon dioxide pulled from the Red Planet's air. What would it be like to have sex in space? Space.com spoke with Leland Melvin about his incredible life story and work to make STEAM more diverse and inclusive here. And there's plenty of behind-the-scenes drama to go along with meditations on the film's legacy. These books, among others, were books I read at 12 and 13 years of age, and they really got my head up in the clouds, fueled my thirst for aviation. ~Calla Cofield. 'Spaceport Earth' (The Overlook Press, 2018). Customers also bought See product details. This article will list ten of those books that are the best for studying aviation. 'The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration' (Smithsonian Books, 2018). From the days of hunter gatherer to the modern times, humans have always looked at birds with great awe and a bit of jealousy for their ability to fly. As humans aren’t blessed with wings, we decided to create our own machines that could fly. Are secret oceans hiding on the moons of Uranus? © It includes 16 pages of color photographs and three do-it-yourself experiments for kids to learn how to build small rockets and study the chemistry of candy. While serving on the Committee on Human Spaceflight for the National Academy of Sciences, where she spoke frequently with multiple astronauts, Waldman accumulated a plethora of personal stories from life in orbit, and she decided to share those stories with a wider audience. ~Mike Wall, 'Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void' (W.W. Norton & Company, 2010), "Packing for Mars" addresses, in satisfyingly rich and refreshingly unabashed detail, the questions that everybody has about human spaceflight. From failed experiments to lasers built to be as large as airplanes, the development of laser weapons has been one strange journey that Hecht explains in captivating detail. In the newly released book “Lasers, Death Rays, and the Long, Strange Quest for the Ultimate Weapon,” (Prometheus Books, 2019), veteran science writer Jeff Hecht details the strange and incredible history of real-life laser weapons. Rare 'great conjunction' of Jupiter and Saturn wows skywatchers around the world. Written by four-time space shuttle flyer Tom Jones, the book features nearly 400 different questions (and answers) on just about every facet of his life as a NASA astronaut. Now we have machines that could fly faster than the speed of sound which couldn’t even be imagined few centuries back. As indicated by the name, this book tells the advancement in the aircrafts and related technology from when the Wright Brothers invented it to its 100 years. The fastest airplane today could fly at 15 times the speed of sound which is almost unbelievable. 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