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The Burning Blue: The Untold Story of Christa McAuliffe and NASA’s Challenger Disaster
Maybe someday
49
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
82/100Critics
17/100Scholars
Author:
Kevin Cook
Publisher:
Henry Holt and Co.
Date:
June 8, 2021
The story of a national trauma-NASA's Challenger explosion-and what really happened to America's Teacher in Space, illuminating the tragic cost of humanity setting its sight on the stars.
What The Reviewers Say
Cook brings the moment vividly to mind.
Unlike other books about the Challenger disaster that exclusively focus on the incident, this is a respectful biographical account of one of the non-astronauts on board. Using a plethora of primary and secondary sources, including personal interviews and shuttle operation manuals, Cook puts together the story of McAuliffe’s life, why she wanted to go into space, and what happened after the incident. While Cook does offer details on the disaster and the commission to investigate it, the book’s primary focus is the crew members and their families, which personalizes a pivotal moment in the history of NASA, space exploration, and the U.S..
Cook gives readers insight into the individuals involved, though he focuses on McAuliffe, a bright, personable representative of her profession, and of civilians in general, whose place on the crew was primarily for publicity purposes. While this is clearly and effectively written, there is no dramatic scoop revealed about the accident, though it will surely reignite interest in the topic..
... crisp.
