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.

Cook conveys McAuliffe’s optimistic spirit and occasional doubts as she embarked on her adventure, and he gives a brisk, tense recounting of the shuttle’s final moments.

... solid, gripping.