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The Astronaut Almanac


Volume 1: Pilot Astronauts 244 pages · 2006 · $15 Order now!		Volume 2: Specialist Astronauts 283 pages · 2006 · $16 Order now!

Two beautiful volumes containing the official biography of every NASA astronaut ever selected. See sample page and preface (PDF).


The Modern Age

	Before Lift-Off: The Making of a Space Shuttle Crew by Henry S.F. Cooper Best description of an astronaut's work: what it's like to train for, and fly, a shuttle mission.
	Dragonfly: NASA and the Crisis Aboard Mir by Bryan Burrough Best description of the politics in the astronaut office. There's a lot, and it controls careers.

The Heroic Age

	The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe The greatest book ever written about the American space program. The movie was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar!
	Carrying the Fire by Michael Collins (Gemini 10, Apollo 11) Collins is a terrific writer and a thoughtful, incisive, humble observer.
	A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin Breathtaking, lovingly detailed recounting of the Apollo program. Chaikin interviewed all Apollo survivors.
	From the Earth to the Moon (DVD) by Tom Hanks Moving adaptation of Chaikin's book for a television mini-series. Unforgettable. Surprisingly, Apollos 12 and 9 provide the best episodes.
	Flight: My Life in Mission Control by Chris Kraft Viewpoint of the decision-makers and managers. Apollo would never have succeeded without smart, pragmatic people like Kraft.