In the 1950s and early 1960s a small fraternity of daring; brilliant men made the first exploratory trips into the upper stratosphere; reaching the edge of outer space in tiny capsules suspended beneath plastic balloons. This book tells the story of these tenacious men as they labored on the cusp of a new age; seeing things that no one had ever seen and experiencing conditions no one was sure they could survive.Mostly U.S. Air Force and Navy officers; among them doctors; physicists; meteorologists; engineers; astronomers; and test pilots; they struggled with meager budgets; bureaucratic politics; and one another. It is a thrilling story of tremendous personal sacrifice and great risk for the promise of adventure and the opportunity to uncover a few precious aspects of the universe. Capt. Joseph Kittinger; for example; rode a balloon up to 103;000 feet in an open gondola and then stepped out and freefell to Earth; becoming the only person to break the sound barrier without a vehicle. Lt. Col. David Simons stayed aloft for a full day and night in a primitive pressurized capsule to become one of the first to see the curvature of the planet. In this work; Craig Ryan masterfully captures the drama of their spectacular achievements and those of many of the other space pioneers who made America's stratospheric balloon programs possible.
#998376 in Books 2012-09-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.20 x 1.70 x 5.40l; 1.65 #File Name: 1591140420656 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. I loved Master of SeapowerBy R. Tillotson"Master of Seapower: A Biography of Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King" was a really excellent read. As a WW-II buff; especially about the Pacific theater; it really was interesting to learn about the most influential and powerful admiral in the war and how he came to be in that position. You get an excellent sense of the man from an author who did a massive amount of research; including interviews with people who served with King. You are sitting with him in important conferences with FDR and Churchill; such as at Yalta; like a fly on the wall; as well as all the pre-conference meetings and parties. I will now have to read Fleet Admiral King's own memoirs next. Buell was an outstanding writer and historian. I have his biography of Admiral Spruance on my list to read soon.I think anyone who loves WW-II naval history as much as I do will enjoy this book. Highly recommended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy solancoSuperb.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent historyBy Richard E. ParksThe book provides excellent insite to the management of WWII and explains the relationships between FDR and Churchell. It also details the efforts by King to prosecute the war in the Pacific over the British efforts to defeat Germany first. It details the evolution of the US Navy and the transformation of the battleships into the fast carrier task forces. There is a glimpse into the industrial might of the US industries.
