CARRYING THE FIRE: AN ASTRONAUTS JOURNEY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Michael Collins,Charles Lindbergh | 544 pages | 03 Apr 2001 | Cooper Square Publishers Inc.,U.S. | 9780815410287 | English | Lanham, United States Carrying the Fire: An Astronauts Journey PDF Book He blames NASA's PR team for the public losing interest in lunar exploration, but can't consider that perhaps he deserves some of the blame, by treating the television broadcasts as jokes. Jul 19, Alex rated it it was amazing. Chapter 2. The 2nd EVA, where he has to leave the Gemini altogether and cross the void to reach the adjacent Agena craft sent up previously specifically for this planned rendezvous , for the purposes of removing and replacing an experiment installed on its outside, is altogether more terrifying. Nothing could be better than a first-person account. Rating Average: 4. Michael Collins. What I didn't like: The casual sexism and racism is disturbing. Everything back then w An educational, inspiring read. This is a book about the space programme taken broadly, perhaps best exemplified by the fact that it takes until page of to get to the take- off of Apollo For more help see the Common Knowledge help page. The author also sheds light on the more philosophical side of humanity's space exploration, including many pages of his own thoughts about the world in , back when he wrote the book. It is truly a one-off, as the events it describes are so unique most obviously the historic Apollo 11 mission that they could only have been written by one of the members of s NASA space program who was actually 'there'. I also skipped the half-dozen introductions and prologues. May 08, Mkfs rated it really liked it Recommends it for: space buffs, problem solvers, and the solitary. Biography Memoir. Namespaces Article Talk. You get a lot of smart people, do a lot of brainstorming, and be very, very careful. Collins is frequently witty, funny, self-deprecating, and he's unafraid to level withering criticisms at some of the madness of being an astronaut. One of my favourite passages is within the closing chapter of the book: It is perhaps a pity that my eyes have seen more than my brain has been able to assimilate or evaluate, but like the Druids of Stonehenge, I have attempted to bring order out of what I have observed, even if I have not understood it fully. Of the three crewmen for Apollo 11, which is likely to have the most interesting story? In Carrying the Fire, his account of his voyages into space and the years of training that led up to them, Collins reveals the human tensions, the physical realities, and the personal emotions surrounding the early years of the space race. Add links. He provides e In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing I decided to read Michael Collins autobiographical account of the mission. He dryly remarks that at times it seemed easier to fly the actual spaceship! This is such a fantastic book. As he circled the moon alone in the command module Columbia , Collins was further from human contact than any person had ever been in history. I had the privilege to see Michael Collins give a talk at AirVenture in , and found him to be sincere and modest but also really funny. The Apollo 1 fire, for example, skips any of the gruesome descriptions that other works have lingered on--these were people he knew well and Collins has no interest in describing their deaths in detail. Welcome back. This is a book I cherish. Original Title. He did it all himself, and let me tell you, he can write. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Neil has entered the spacecraft, and I am next. As I've spent the last few days tearing through this engrossing book, I've been mindful of how I might be able to review it once I'd reached its end. In the case of an astronaut's memoir, though, the focus makes sense, and I really enjoyed learning about everything Collins was doing. Collins decided on Carrying the Fire. I rarely read books for pleasure at least with quite so much scientific content: rocket propulsion, trajectories, inter-planetary navigation, and so forth, but he puts these topics into words that I found no problem in understanding. It is well written, moving, engaging, funny, and very personal. Collins is the astronaut who wrote that he and his test pilot brethren were ill-suited to be the public faces needed to communicate the thrills and beauty of being in space--he thought that job would be better off in the hands of 'priests, poets and philosophers. Mar 31, Michael R. Amidst tales of geological field trips and survival training in inhospitable desert or jungle environments in the event of any future re-entry going awry , and endless sickness inducing zero gravity dives, he gives a great sense to the day to day existence of an astronaut-in-waiting. All this while simultaneously reminding the Gemini pilot Young not to use whichever thruster may happen to be nearest to burning through either said umbilical lines or indeed Collins himself! He intelligently does not do so; instead opting to draw the attention of his reader to what this extraordinary mission meant to other earth-bound members of the human population. Selected as part of the third group of fourteen astronauts in , he flew in space twice. Collins has a wonderful frankness and sense of humor; his experiences as a pilot and astronaut offer a wonderful history of the American space program without the tendency to romanticize those efforts. Carrying the Fire: An Astronauts Journey Writer Mar 12, Jai rated it it was amazing Shelves: read , audio. Sort order. I would say overall is an easy read for anyone who is curious about the subject, although I could see how the first part of the book might seem hard or a little boring for some people. His second spaceflight was as the command module pilot for Apollo One of my favourite passages is within the closing chapter of the book: It is perhaps a pity that my eyes have seen more than my brain has been able to assimilate or evaluate, but like the Druids of Stonehenge, I have attempted to bring order out of what I have observed, even if I have not understood it fully. Yet they managed to send Astronauts to the moon, more than once. I think the view from , miles could be invaluable in getting people together to work out joint solutions, by causing them to realise that the planet we share unites us in a way far more basic, and far more important than differences in skin colour or religion or economic systems. But don't miss Collins. Neil has entered the spacecraft, and I am next. What to say other than that I'm overwhelmed with things described in this majestic book. Biography Memoir. In Carrying the Fire, his account of his voyages into space and the years of training that led up to them, Collins reveals the human tensions, the physical realities, and the personal emotions surrounding the early years of the space race. Trivia About Carrying the Fire Collins' writing is very laid back and as informal as it is informative. About the same time, I started to read about what is known as 'the Overview Effect'. It's not rare to find an honest autobiography but it's rare to find an honest autobiography that wasn't filled with malice or spite. Collins' prose makes it seem almost like a conversation. Many of those thoughts and gentle warnings about fossil fuels and human waste have become a reality, and the book is as relevant today as it has ever been. The book was re-released in to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the first crewed lunar landing , and again for its 50th anniversary, in Thanks for telling us about the problem. Add links. It is truly a one-off, as the events it describes are so unique most obviously the historic Apollo 11 mission that they could only have been written by one of the members of s NASA space program who was actually 'there'. Collins decided on Carrying the Fire. The Moon Luna. Collins talks about his history in joining the programme at the second attempt , his experiences in the Gemini programme before Apollo, the tensions and differences that went into the design, testing, and flight of the vehicles themselves. A recommended read, especially to those who are hesitant to pick up a Space book. Collins shows his excellent command of bringing down those events to paper - and by including both technical details like orbital mechanics and the depth of emotions he was going through, thus making the book a fascinating and precious read. Jan 20, Laura rated it it was amazing. Readers also enjoyed. Instead it is a description of how an awesome number of skilled people came and successfully worked together to realise an expensive political and technological dream. While alone circling the moon in the Command module of Apollo 11, he knows he is alone in a way no other human has ever been before. I very much enjoyed this - the audio is easy listening and well told, and Collins' authorial voice feels very authentic and down to earth no pun intended. Books portal. He dryly remarks that at times it seemed easier to fly the actual spaceship! Of the three crewmen for Apollo 11, which is likely to have the most interesting story? Carrying the Fire is the story of Michael Collins, the Apollo 11 command module pilot, and his career as a test pilot and astronaut.