NASA astronaut Michael Collins trained as an experimental test pilot before vent
uring into space as a vital member of the Gemini 10 and Apollo 11 missions. In C
arrying the Fire, his account of his voyages into space and the years of trainin
g that led up to them, Collins reveals the human tensions, the physical realitie
s, and the personal emotions surrounding the early years of the space race. Coll
ins provides readers with an insider's view of the space program and conveys the
excitement and wonder of his journey to the moon.
As skilled at writing as h
e is at piloting a spacecraft, Collins explains the clash of personalities at NA
SA and technical aspects of flight with clear, engaging prose, withholding nothi
ng in his candid assessments of fellow astronauts Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, an
d Buzz Aldrin, and officials within NASA. A fascinating memoir of mankind's grea
test journey told in familiar, human terms, Carrying the Fire is by turns thrill
ing, humorous, and thought-provoking, a unique work by a remarkable man.
