David M. Harland

Normally I'd give an author flak for using the phrase 'exciting story' in his own subtitle, but with the book under consideration I'm inclined to give David Harland a pass because 1) the story told really IS exciting and 2) who knows whether Harland is even responsible for the subtitle?

Anyhoo, I am writing this at a remove of a number of years (perhaps 10+) but I still recall this book fondly as one of the better books I've read on the US space program ... and I've read a lot of them. Apart show more from the great stories and personalities (and photos!) here, the book really does live up to its main title: it shows precisely why Gemini was so important. It presents the navigation problems, the EVA problems and more in great clarity, and shows you how the various Gemini missions knocked them out, one by one. I'm not an engineer but this book makes me wonder why: the problem-solving is so addictive and educational. Great job, great book! show less

A good cosmology book has to speak knowledgeably about particle physics (J Silk: take note), and this one does so in spades. It is surprisingly authoritative and information-dense on the development of both subjects.